Reporting Back: Notes on Journalism - Hardcover

Ross, Lillian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1582431094 ISBN 13: 9781582431093

Publisher: Counterpoint, 2002

Synopsis

For half a century, Lillian Ross has been writing remarkable and timeless journalism for The New Yorker. Her spirited, funny, factual short stories in The Talk of the Town and her unforgettable profiles and other long pieces have won her a legion of admirers. Many credit The New Yorker for the inventive, reportorial breakthroughs that have come to be called literary journalism, and Ross has been an integral part of its traditions. Her books Picture and Portrait of Hemingway were recently listed as two of the Twentieth Century's 100 best works of journalism, and Hemingway himself called Picture "much better than most novels."

With panache, wit, and her own inimitable style, Lillian Ross discusses the questions of what makes a good reporter and what constitutes good journalism. Her years of practicing the art have provided her with much to say about these questions and nowhere is this in better evidence than in her own work-the pieces and profiles long recognized and admired for their freshness, originality, sharpness, humor, and truth. Excerpted here, along with her own commentary, are such classics as "Come In, Lassie!" her first, never before republished piece on Hollywood; her profiles of Francis Coppola, Robin Williams, Adlai Stevenson, John Huston, and Tommy Lee Jones; her two portraits of the Miss America contest-the first one published in 1949; the second fifty years later, and many others.

A primer on good writing, a tribute to the art of journalism, Reporting Back: Notes on Journalism is not only a casebook for writing, it is the unforgettable record of Lillian Ross's joy in the pursuit of excellence in reporting.

About this title

About the Author

Lillian Ross was born in Syracuse, New York. She worked as a staff writer at The New Yorker from 1945 until 1987 and returned to the magazine in 1993. She is the author of 11 books, including the recently released paperback of Here but Not Here, and is the editor of The Fun of It: Stories from The Talk of the Town. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

Ross (Here but Not Here) has written profiles and Talk of the Town pieces for the New Yorker for more than 50 years and in that time has built up an arsenal of journalistic techniques, which she shares here in some detail. In a matter-of-fact style that's never pedantic, she discusses her feelings about journalism, praising her New Yorker colleagues (notably the late editor William Shawn) and offering her definition of journalism (factual reporting built of good writing and singular humor). The majority of the book is filled with Ross's deconstruction of some of her best-loved pieces, including 1949's Come In, Lassie! (about politics in the film business); 1950's How Do You Like It Now, Gentlemen? (a profile of Ernest Hemingway); and 1960's The Yellow Bus (concerning a group of tourists visiting New York City). Through her analyses, various methods and principles come to light. For example, Ross believes that a journalist must possess self-confidence and a passion for life. She firmly believes that a tape recorder hinders reporting, and even reveals her preferred notebook (it's a 3-x-5 spiral-bound). Ross says she only writes about people, situations and events that appeal to her; she doesn't write about anyone who doesn't want her to, and she steers clear of ambiguous writing, favoring clarity and simplicity. Indeed, Ross's writing whether about a former president or an Upper East Side teenager is a testimony to refined, literary journalism. Equal parts memoir and writing lesson, Ross's book will be a boon to students and veteran New Yorker readers alike.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

For more than 50 years, Ross has written feature stories for The New Yorker that have won her many admirers. In this collection of analytical essays, Ross explains what makes her writing effective and discusses what makes a good reporter. Continuing in the self-revelatory vein of Here but Not Here (1998), a memoir about her days at The New Yorker and her relationship with legendary editor William Shawn, she intersperses lengthy excerpts from her "Profiles" and "Talk of the Town" pieces with autobiographical details, personal observations, and commentary on technique ("All elements are revealed with facts, quotes and actions"; "Humor is often what makes my stories into stories"). Most of the 28 essays, arranged in no apparent order, concern Ross's relationships with celebrities; she makes no secret of her admiration for these subjects, explaining that she can write only about people she likes. An odd hybrid of memoir, textbook, and anthology, this book ultimately fails to satisfy on all three counts. However, it may prove instructive to those who seek to emulate Ross's legendary fly-on-the-wall technique. An optional purchase for journalism collections. Susan M. Colowick, North Olympic Lib. Syst., Port Angeles, WA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

*Starred Review* Ross, whose writing has graced the New Yorker in profiles and "Talk of the Town" sketches for more than 50 years, turns in a journalistic memoir that is itself very like a "Talk of the Town" piece: lively, detailed, and filled with humanity and wit. Her tour of good writing takes the form of letting the reader in on the origins of her favorite pieces, talking about the challenges of reporting on their subjects, and then dissecting the final published pieces. Ross' method is, always, to find the story embedded in the facts. She presents some of her most famous works, including "Come in, Lassie!" (1949), which examined Hollywood during the blacklist, and "The Yellow Bus" (1960), which showed a group of touring high-schoolers who were absolutely immune to the charms of New York City. We also meet presidents, high rollers, authors, musicians, Miss America contestants, and actors. Ross also includes a chapter on the challenges of reporting on 9-11; her sketch of a grade-school principal on the day following the attack captures the courage of small actions. A wonderful journalism handbook, memoir, and addition to books on the New Yorker. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Counterpoint
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1582431094
• ISBN 13: 9781582431093
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 292