Read sample chapters …
I Met the Future King of England in a Cleveland Bathroom
We reporters would be close to Prince Charles, but we were told not to speak to His Royal Highness unless he spoke to us first. And we should never, ever attempt to shake hands with him unless he first offered his hand. So when Charles walked in on me in the bathroom, it was a bit awkward!
The End of the Cleveland Press
The Press was proud of the way it handled obituaries. When I went to work for it in 1963, it was proud of the way it did everything. Proud of the fact that it paid the estimable Maxwell Riddle to spend his full time as a practicing expert on dogs. Proud of its brand new building at the end of Ninth Street … proud that it had convicted Samuel Sheppard of the murder of his wife …
The Silver Bridge Collapse
It was a Christmastime nightmare. The 1,750-foot-long Silver Bridge soared 102 feet above the Ohio river. On Dec. 15, 1967, it was bumper-to-bumper traffic as cars and trucks hurried home from work or a day of Christmas shopping. Then, at about 5 p.m., the unthinkable happened …
Murder, Center Stage – Excerpt
The rough draft first paragraph of Gwen’s review of the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was typed out on her computer just before she left her near west side efficiency apartment for downtown Cleveland’s Hedley Theatre. Very little was legible because of the blood.
Tape It Up and Play: Doug Dieken
If you listen to Doug Dieken, you begin to think his entire career could be summed up with these words: “Better to be lucky than good.” This self-effacing man has a relentless spirit. Part of his career is due to a willingness to show up consistently with a good attitude. And it’s a willingness to adapt to change without much complaining …
I Want to Hold Your Hand
It was Christmas break, 1963, and I sat in the kitchen trying to stay awake while writing a homework essay. Homework during break just wasn’t fair, but it had to be done. I turned on the large portable orange and white radio that was my lifeline to the outer world, pointed the telescoping chrome antenna toward the window, and turned the dial to 1420 WHK.