Experience WJMC

I have been working my way through the Reading List rather slowly. The problem is I tell myself I will just skim a book, but then I start it and get so engrossed that I find it difficult to skip over a single word! I faced this dilemma with the most recent book I read, As I Saw It: A Reporter’s Intrepid Journey, the memoir of Emmy-Award winning journalist Marvin Scott. The book details many of the stories Scott has covered throughout his career, from the exciting and outrageous to the serious and grim. I enjoyed Scott’s style of writing, which contributed to making his book a very interesting read.

Before I jump too far ahead of myself, though, I should probably follow the format of these reading reviews and tell you about my first thoughts on the book.

First Impression: I am looking forward to reading these stories! Perhaps that is a bland way to put it, but I was truly eager to give this book a shot. If you read this excerpt from the inside flap of the cover, you may understand why: “Scott brings us Burt and Linda Pugach, the couple whose lifelong marriage was forged in deadly obsession; Abraham Zapruder, who shot history’s most infamous piece of film; Charlie Walsh, the everyman hero who gave the banks a run for their money; and Stephanie Collado, the eleven-year-old girl who needed a heart and touched his.”

I applaud whoever wrote this compelling teaser, whether it was Scott himself or a member of his publishing team. As a side note, I also have to compliment Mark Karis, who designed the book jacket and did, in my opinion, very nice work with it.

I also had a good first impression of Scott himself after reading the preface by Dan Rather, which I will also quote here because I particularly liked Rather’s choice of words. He wrote of Scott, “He sought to be, then became and now remains, dedicated to quality journalism of integrity, always trying to be accurate and fair while at the same time pulling no punches and playing no favorites. As a reporter, he’s hard-nosed but softhearted, skeptical – especially of power and powerful people, as a good reporter should be – but never cynical.”

Something about those words struck a chord with me, and I just remember hoping I could learn something from this journalist who was spoken of so admirably by another notable professional in his field. If not before, I was certainly looking forward to this book after reading the preface.

Post-Reading-Thoughts: Without knowing it, I had dived into decades of U.S. history, learning more than I had anticipated about many of our country’s notable moments. It was incredible how much Scott has covered in his career, from wars to the space race to historic figures to horrific tragedies. There was crime, a crazy love story, the Beatles, plane crashes, fake alien invasions, Christmas in Afghanistan, a story involving boxer shorts, another about Marilyn Monroe, and more all in a single book. Reading each new chapter was something akin to reading a fascinating news report fresh off the press. Even though some of the events Scott covered took place as early as the 1960s, I almost always felt like I was reading a just-released exclusive story.

I also felt a strong sense of humanity when reading this book. Scott, like everyone else in this world, is not perfect. However, he has been persistent in telling stories that matter. My mind immediately goes to the chapter about Stephanie Collado, a young heart patient whose strong faith that lasted through the end of her life is still inspiring today, and to the intertwined grief, horror, and hope that surrounded the tragedy of 9/11. I am amazed by the stories of U.S. soldiers overseas whose bravery and pride in our nation has endured despite the tragedies of war, and I am grateful for sacrifices made daily by our troops and their families. I am also amazed at the ability of people to rise up from hardship, from loss, and from mistakes. These were all thoughts on my mind as I read Scott’s story of stories.

I plan to end all of my reading reviews with a note on to whom I would recommend each book. I would say that this one would certainly be appropriate for anyone with a passion for news. This one is for the people with a weekly subscription to the local paper who look forward to the day it gets dropped off at their door, for those who could spend hours each evening watching perhaps CNN or Fox News before they fall asleep at night, for aspiring young journalists, for the information seekers, for those who desire truth, and for the people out there who simply love to learn for the sake of learning. There is something for nearly everyone in this book and also some things that are not for everyone. One great thing about this book is that the type of story varies between section. Whether you are fascinated by crime, war, space, celebrities, history, or everyday heroes, there is likely something in this book for you.

A Note on the Word Intrepid: Before getting far into my reading, I made a point of looking up the word intrepid to find its exact definition, due to the word’s location in the book’s title. Upon a quick Google search, I found this definition: “fearless; adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect).” 

While reading this book, I found many examples of fearlessness and adventurousness, no rhetoric or humorous take required. Thus, I much preferred the definition Dan Rather provided in the Preface for intrepid: “being of resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance.” By this definition, I think there is something everyone can admire about being intrepid and having the ambition and courage to tell the stories of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Right now, the main part of my preparation for WJMC is going through the Reading List. I am aiming to read as many books as I can before the conference and then review them on this blog. My bookshelf at home already has a tall stack of to-be-read “WJMC books!” I am very eager to learn from experienced journalists by reading about their careers and lives. I also simply enjoy reading, so I am really embracing this assignment.

The first book I read from the list was Sometimes You Have to Cross When It Says Don’t Walk: A Memoir of Breaking Barriers by Lesley Visser. I was able to get the eBook, which allowed me to start right away instead of waiting on the book to come in through the mail (My local libraries do not have any of the Reading List books, so I have ordered most of the books through Amazon).

The story follows Visser’s journey from childhood into the world of sports journalism. Early in the book, Visser explains how she was inspired by her mother’s advice to “cross when it says ‘don’t walk'” to pursue what had previously been a career for only men. She tells her story of breaking barriers and how she became the first female to do such things as be recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and present the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Visser recalls how difficult it was to finally enter and be respected in sports locker rooms as a female journalist and also details cherished memories with numerous colleagues, athletes, and coaches.

I was surprised by how much I connected with and appreciated this book and hope that my review below will be useful to anyone considering reading Sometimes You Have to Cross When It Says Don’t Walk.

First Impression: This woman is impressive. As I read through the synopsis and first chapter of the book, I was already amazed by Visser’s career list of accomplishments and experiences. After all, she had covered the Olympics and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Visser knew what reporting was like for football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and even horse racing! I took some notes on the first chapter of the book, and one of them was “(To have done all of this), she must be very well-spoken and well-rounded (and just well because it sounds like she had to be very mobile throughout her career!).”

As someone who has never been very deeply interested in sports, I was not sure how much I would be able to relate to Visser’s story. However, her humor and voice struck me at once as light and appealing. I particularly appreciated the line that states, “My husband says if I win one more Pioneer Award, I have to wear a coonskin cap,” which I credit for getting me hooked.

Post-Reading Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book far more than I had anticipated I would considering my limited knowledge of sports. I have so many favorite quotes from Visser (ex. “Humor goes further than anger, and no, we can’t all look like Beyoncé” and “Think big, think small, but take a chance. And don’t forget to write thank-you notes”). I liked how honest she was, how she told her story like she saw it without glossing over even embarrassing details. I also enjoyed her wit and was awed by her bravery and perseverance.

Her advice for young women hoping to enter the field of journalism found towards the end of the book (particularly in Chapters 21 and 25) really inspired me. I think this book is probably a must-read for any sports lover interested in journalism (and, likewise, any journalist interested in sports). However, I would definitely also suggest it to other young women like me who are interested in journalism, whether or not they care for sports. In fact, I would possibly suggest it for young women who are not even interested in journalism but are looking to pursue any male-dominated career because I found Visser’s message to be empowering and her story to be still relevant today.