When I lived in NYC and had the Village Voice close at hand, I loved reading Nat Hentoff, whether it was on jazz, politics, or whatever else excited him.
He got laid off yesterday, at 83. His farewell column makes it clear he's got more left to say.
Around the country, a lot of reporters are being excessed, and print newspapers may soon become collectors' items. But over the years, my advice to new and aspiring reporters is to remember what Tom Wicker, a first-class professional spelunker, then at The New York Times, said in a tribute to Izzy Stone: "He never lost his sense of rage." Neither have I. See you somewhere else. Finally, I'm grateful for the comments on the phone and the Web. It's like hearing my obituaries while I'm still here.
I hope he finds a place to broadcast it.
For some enjoyable relevant context, read Louis Menand's wonderful history of the Voice in the New Yorker.
Hat tip: Mediabistro
This is almost hard to fathom. When I think of the Voice, I think of Hentoff. I think he's right, and this appears to be more proof, that print news is nearing the fateful end.
I know Nat Hentoff is a smart man, but he IS 83 years old, so maybe someone just needs to remind him all he needs to do is buy nathentoff.com and if he builds a blog, people WILL come, me included...