A long story with two twists: In the mid-70s, Doug Glazier and I, under the direction of Detroit News assistant managing editor Boyd Simmons, worked 18 months before proving the innocence of four outlaw motorcyclists on New Mexicos death row (something unique in the history of American journalism). Boyd was about to retire. We made a verbal deal: Doug and I would write long memos of what we did and what we thought, and Boyd would weave them into a book. But Doug met with the bikers when they were released, signed them up to ghost write their book, and left The News. He ended up with extreme writers block, took his Detroit Police sergeant girlfriends service revolver, killed her but then chickened out of his own suicide and was sent to jail. He died a number of years ago. Boyd decided to write a fictionalized version of the biker saga, but it was never completed. He died in California. I put it all behind me and went on with my life until the memories intruded last week. Doug and I were up for a special Pulitzer. Two things cost us: News Editor Martin Hayden allegedly tried to trade votes on the committee but offended other members. Then Washington Post Editor Ben Bradlee noted that The News had recently written a front page editorial criticizing The Post and The New York Times for releasing the Pentagon Papers, and folks would misunderstand it if the committee rewarded The News with a Pulitzer. We lost by one vote. A month later, Bradlee was keynote at the Michigan Bar Association annual meeting and presented Doug and I with its highest award. He offered me a job. I politely declined. Bradlee was one of Americas greatest editors and a man I admired immensely, but there was an edge to my sadness at his death last week. Yesterday, I got a call from Berl Falbaum (I just butchered his name) a long-retired colleague at The News. Berl was taking a course at Wayne State Universitys college for seniors (I dont know the actual name). There was a section on wrongful convictions, and the prof brought in Ron Keine, the surviving biker who had moved back to the Detroit area. Berl and Ron got together. Berl is going to write the bikers story.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Nov 2014 02:39:25 +0000
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