Thursday, November 07, 2013
The professional writing most suited to me by talent & temperament - other than a twice weekly general theme newspaper columist* - is writing for politicians; speeches, PR, etc. I worked on political newsletters for a brief period & enjoyed it for the most part. If I approved of the politician's views & especially if liked the politician, I didn't mind the whoring.
I used to "mayorize" the Rahway City newsletter. I'd count the number of times the mayor's name was mentioned in the copy provided to me & find more places to insert "Mayor James Kennedy." I wished he had come to me to edit his occasional speeches, which didn't even sound like him & lacked his sense of humor. He could be quite droll in an Irish sort of way. Like Brendan Byrne, a politician I admired & a funny man. Rahway has a great river & cool train station, a politician can't go wrong waxing poetic about those, especially when he can truthfully blame the flooding & pollution on upstream towns. Freeholders were pains-in-the-asses because hardly anyone can name their freeholders, but freeholders have egos just as out-sized as any other politicians.
* These columnists hardly exist anymore. The newspapers they worked for are gone or they were laid off years ago in staff cutbacks. But I'm thankful I had the opportunity to do it at all as a "nonprofessional."
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
I used to "mayorize" the Rahway City newsletter. I'd count the number of times the mayor's name was mentioned in the copy provided to me & find more places to insert "Mayor James Kennedy." I wished he had come to me to edit his occasional speeches, which didn't even sound like him & lacked his sense of humor. He could be quite droll in an Irish sort of way. Like Brendan Byrne, a politician I admired & a funny man. Rahway has a great river & cool train station, a politician can't go wrong waxing poetic about those, especially when he can truthfully blame the flooding & pollution on upstream towns. Freeholders were pains-in-the-asses because hardly anyone can name their freeholders, but freeholders have egos just as out-sized as any other politicians.
* These columnists hardly exist anymore. The newspapers they worked for are gone or they were laid off years ago in staff cutbacks. But I'm thankful I had the opportunity to do it at all as a "nonprofessional."
Labels: about writing
