In 1989, I read an article in the New Yorker that changed my professional life—”The Journalist and the Murderer”—Janet Malcolm’s monumental takedown of journalists.
After reading her article, I vowed to be upfront with my subjects—reading my article to them before it was printed, if that’s what they wanted. I made that offer throughout the 90s to profile subjects ranging from Bill Ayers to Norm Van Lier.
Actually, Hersh and Caro are as different from each other as a hare from a tortoise. Caro is plodding, earnest, and exacting in his approach—dedicating years to a project, if that’s what it takes to get it exactly the way he wants.
There are many wonderful anecdotes. Like the time he had to track down Abe Rosenthal, his editor at the New York Times, at three in the morning with a question only Rosenthal could answer. Using the tricks of the investigatory trade, Hersh persuaded Abe’s wife to give him the name and number of Abe’s mistress, where the editor was spending the night. The mistress wasn’t happy when Hersh woke her to ask for Abe—but a reporter does what he’s gotta do.
I was so excited, I almost called Mick Dumke, my First Tuesdays partner, the only other journalistic geek I know who could possibly get so excited about this.
I know all about this from writing about Mayor Daley’s attempt to bring the Olympics to Chicago.
