An Undelivered Eulogy for My Father
Because of who he was in life, there was no ritual marking his death. This is my way of saying goodbye.
Dante A. Ciampaglia
It's the Community, Stupid
It's time for the media to stop focusing on its national failures and start asking itself hard questions about how — and why — it abandoned local journalism.
Transcripts: Manfred Kirchheimer (in memoriam)
"To me the films are all current, and New York life in them is current. So, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I don't really see what others do."
"Bluey" Gives Us a Lesson on the Necessity of the Ending
I love a good kicker. As an editor and a writer, ending a story on the best possible note — high, low, a great quote, something pithy — is just as important as a pull-'em-in lede.
If we look around, though, it's clear we don't know
The Civic Necessity of the Public Editor
Everyone claims to want accountability. This thing happened; that person is responsible; and if it's you who is responsible, you have to accept the consequences. It's a truth drilled into us as kids, and it's a central underpinning of the rule of law.
But
Walter Murch and the Art of the Edit
The editor of "Apocalypse Now," "The Conversation," and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" has a lot to teach those of us who edit words and writers.
Notebook Dump: "The People’s Joker" Confirms Robert Wuhl is a Legend
Programming note: What I’m calling “Notebook Dump” will be an infrequent part of the Retronym newsletter — an extra bit that relates to an article/interview/what-have-you I’ve recently worked on. It could be something cut for space, a thread excised for narrative purposes, or more thinking on a