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 …
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.
Winter is an interesting time of year to be a TV news reporter out on the street. My least favorite live-shot assignment of all time was going out to stand by the side of the road to tell people it was snowing …
Youngstown, at the time I arrived there, was mob-infested. For a news guy, that meant it was a great place to learn how to cover a city where you could get some dirt under your fingernails. Problem was, I was the weekend anchor …
“You owe me $240, and if you don’t pay, I’m gonna kick your ass!” There I was, in a downtown Cleveland hotel room with two prostitutes and their pimp, and the pimp was angry. Very angry
Whenever I look through the press releases sent to me by the city’s professional playhouses that announce their roster of new season productions, the former actor in me gets the itch to perform in one of them. That feeling always fades, like a phantom ache where a surgically removed limb used to be, when I remember that my name pays the bills better when in the byline of a show’s review than in its playbill.
Be the first to hear about new books and special promotions.
We don't send email often—but we think you'll like it when we do!
Receive 15% off your next order …
Receive 20% off your next order …
Be the first to hear about new books and special promotions.
We don’t send email often—but we think you’ll like it when we do!
