Wednesday, March 19, 2008
News / News Bites Is Alan Solomon crazy?
Posted by Michael Miner on Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 9:48 AM
I was hoping the Sam Zell team would march into the Tribune Company armed with lots of brilliant new ideas about how to save journalism. But locally the first big move -- I'm not counting the scheme to sell Wrigley Field to the taxpayers and naming rights to Halliburton -- could have been dreamed up by the old regime and frequently was: a voluntary buyout.
I've seen about a dozen names of Tribune editorial staffers who are bailing out, and by and large they've been terrific journalists. I've discussed the work of some in Hot Type, such as medical writer Judy Peres, sports columnist Sam Smith, and markets columnist Bill Barnhart. Then there's Alan Solomon. The story about him I had to tell back in 1994 was about how the woman then editing sports removed the department's TV, and how Solomon's way of protesting was to send her flowers and a note that said "The whole building, the whole country are laughing at you. Put the TV back," and how she then kicked him off the White Sox beat. He wound up on the night rewrite desk.
"Basically, I screwed myself out of baseball," he says today. But three or four months later there was an opening in the travel section and Solomon applied for it. For the last 14 years he's been bouncing around the world on the Tribune's dime, leading the kind of life that they'd have to pry out of the cold stiff fingers of most of us in order to close the coffin. "I'm embarrassed at how good I've had it at the Tribune," he told me.
I called him wondering why he would give it up. "It's just time," Solomon replied. "It's almost like what Brett Favre said, 'I could play one more year but I don't think I want to.' As wonderful as the job is, I've used up all my adjectives. How much more can you say about Branson the fourth time around?"
Fourth time?
"I've written three times about Branson and once about the fishing not far from Branson. Now it takes me three or four days to do a story that used to take two or three hours. I'll get two-thirds of the way through it and I'll realize I've written the same story about someplace else. So I tear it up, and sometimes it works the second time and sometimes I have to write it a third time. That isn't the way it was a few years ago."
Solomon's 62. The travel editor, Randy Curwen, whom Solomon's worked for the whole time, is also 62 and is also taking a buyout. There is something to be said for age, experience, and institutional memory, but raw, ignorant enthusiasm also has its virtues. "Let's face it, we're fossils," Solomon says. "Our perspective is basically 1975. You have new kids coming up who know the new technology and embrace it." He has no complaint about the new owners. "Sam and his people brought some energy that maybe we didn't have for a long time," he told me. But when everyone else is fired up, it's easier to see that you're not.
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I've met Alan Solomon a few times when he was working the Sox beat and I worked at a small newspaper. Nice guy. That's all. Wish him luck.
What about Gary Washburn? I'm pretty shocked if it's true he's taking the buyout. And with Sam Smith leaving, there's one big reason not to be compelled to read the Trib during basketball season.
I worked with Sol at the Trib during the TV era. He is a little bit crazy, but that's what makes him so good at his job and such a brilliant writer.
I met Alan a couple times when he was a Travel writer and I was a designer at the Trib. Many people who don't write half as well as he does have huge egos and are a pain, but he was nice, friendly and seemed to enjoy making you laugh. The Travel section, the whole building, will miss him.
Al hired me in Philly in 1980. We called him "Huggy Bear." (That oughta embarrass him.) Good luck, Al.
Al's newspaper life, including parts not told here, is a movie starring Kevin Kline. Or it should be. Al is also either the nicest or the second nicest, but I think the nicest, guy at the Tribune. You should see his smile, those of you who don't know him. You can almost see it in his stories. Nice story, Mike Miner. Jerry Crimmins, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, ex Tribune
Always enjoyed your writing Alan. Maybe in the future an occasional column, somewhere? Best of luck.
Solomon was right about the pinhead sports editor and the TV. Right about a lot of other stuff as well. The high sheriffs never appreciated him enough, but that's what they do.
You have to wonder how bad things really are over there at the Tribune when the people with the best jobs and the best reputations in the business are jumping ship. Things must be a lot more grim in Tribville than anyone over there will admit. Way too much talent is walking out the door. Sad, sad, sad. Best of luck to everyone who is leaving. And I guess the ones who are staying will need even more luck.
The TV story reminds me of Big Nurse not letting the inmates watch the World Series in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
Good heavens, BOTH Alan Solomon AND Randy Curwen? They're some of the very best travel journalists this country has! I can understand Alan's reasons: I felt the same way in 2004, when I left the Minneapolis Star Tribune after 26 years as travel editor: It was time. But even if that's true, Alan and Randy's loyal readers will still grieve their absence. So will the rest of the travel-writing community, me included.
Best of luck Alan, Now you can definately return to Colorado and do this Classical Music Journey again, It was truly a piece of art in writing. Regards from the LA philharmonic and the whole Dvorak Clan!
With Alan gone how will I find out the best place for fresh cut french fries with a view of Lake Michigan? Will miss the articles and the arcanae. Get a website so we can follow your free lance work.
Not really a commnent (for this I apologize, but a question: Can anyone give me Alan Solomon's email address? If so, would you please...My email address is fredez@tx.rr.com... Tnx...fz
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