Newspaperman-- Part II

To date I have covered my exploits as a reporter in various academic environments. The two final episodes involve my adventures on the regional and national scenes.

Some years ago an uncle wrote a weekly syndicated column entitled "The Bible On Broadway" for several newspapers in New Jersey. In this capacity he got complimentary tickets for Broadway shows several times a week. He often called me at work and invited me to join him. Over a period of several years, I got to see lots of Broadway shows, good and bad. I always enjoyed reading his columns and trying to figure out the biblical connections, especially since I had g religious instruction when I was growing up. On occasion I would suggest topics or biblical references which occurred to me and would sometimes see them mentioned in his reviews. Eventually his reviews were published as a book.

The reason this activity counts as my fourth reportorial experience was that on occasion the frequent trips into Manhattan and back to New Jersey at night made my uncle tired. One time he looked totally exhausted and faced an impending deadline for the paper. This happened to be a play that particularly resonated with me, so I offered to write the entire review that night and send it to him in time for publication. He was skeptical but, after listening to me enthusiastically propound a number of plausible biblical themes, he finally agreed. As it turned put, he liked my writing well enough -- although it would never approach his level of erudition. Thereafter, we increasingly became collaborators, or so I liked to think. From time to time, I got to write his column or at least contribute to it. IQt was always under his byline, but I couldn't care less. This was a lot of fun for years : he got assistance on occasion and I got to be with him and have the pleasure of seeing my writing syndicated.

I leave the bible on Broadway with one hilarious episode. My uncle visited a new editor, carrying his "tear sheets" and seeking to expand his franchise. The editor said he was busy and had no time to read all of these columns, so He selected one as an example. My uncle noticed it was one of mine and that his fate now depended on me. The editor finished reading and said : " OK. This isn't so bad. I'll take you on ! "

The final chapter is this blog. Thanks to technology, it can be my most successful effort. I can write for billions of readers, self-publish the columns as a limited edition book, and even make a very low-budget movie about it. Some people think I look a little like the actor Richard Dreyfuss. Maybe he'd be interested in playing me.