The NSNC president’s newsletter column
By Lisa Smith Molinari President National Society of Newspaper Columnists In the months leading up to the November 8th general election, there has been a lot of finger-pointing going on. But one particular finger has been pointing at us long before our current political candidates were using theirs to place blame. We all know…
By Lisa Smith Molinari President National Society of Newspaper Columnists I was just outside Mrs. Rowley’s kindergarten class, giggling uncontrollably. Dancing in the coat room was all Marshall’s idea. He was just a little guy, with a skin condition and an odd personal aroma. But having been his table mate for months, I knew he…
By Lisa Smith Molinari President National Society of Newspaper Columnists Ever had one of those days when everything just falls into place? Yeah, me neither. The ever-increasing demands of the 21st Century have made time management more difficult for everyone, including columnists. Columnists no longer sit quietly in the air-conditioned comfort of their newspaper offices,…
By Lisa Smith Molinari NSNC President The steamy scent of freshly cut grass. The rat-a-tat of a distant parade drummer. The squeal of barefoot children. The mouthwatering sizzle of hot dogs on a charcoal grill. The fizz of nearby sparklers. The THUNK! that signals an explosion of color in the night sky. Every July 4th,…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists During his 30-year reign as the king of late-night TV, “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson assumed the role of many characters in skits performed with sidekick Ed McMahon. One of his most popular was Carnac the Magnificent, the turbaned wise guy who would divine…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists I knew I wanted to be a writer in high school. My decision could be encapsulated in one word: algebra. I was never very good in subjects that required me to know the answers. Algebra was the worst. I was always better in subjects…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists (SCENE: The office of Ron Howard at Imagine Entertainment in Beverly Hills, California. It’s noon. The door opens.) SECRETARY “Mr. Zezima is here to see you, Mr. Howard.” HOWARD “Who’s Mr. Zezima?” SECRETARY “That newspaper columnist who won the charity raffle to pitch his…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists Life, goes an old saying, begins at 40. When I passed that milestone, which was easier than passing a kidney stone, I wondered: “Have I just wasted 39 years?” The answer: “Who the hell knows? But if life begins now, I am going to…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists Erma Bombeck was the mother of all humorists. Also the mother of three children, Erma had a legion of fans in women who identified with her funny take on what she called “the second-oldest profession.” But she didn’t appeal only to women. A lot…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists Now that 2016 is here, and we have all recovered from New Year’s Eve, which means we are ready to repeat the conviviality in the hospitality suite at the NSNC conference in Los Angeles in June, I would like you to consider the year’s…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists (With no apologies to Clement C. Moore, who is dead and can’t sue me.) • • • ‘Twas the time before conference for the NSNC, And members looked forward to the confab with glee. Yes, we would have it in sunny L.A., But what…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists In this season of thanksgiving, so called because it’s the season in which we celebrate Thanksgiving, I would like to thank Art Buchwald for inspiring me to go into journalism and write a humor column, which has spared me the shame of getting a…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists It’s October, the month that ends with Halloween, so I’ll begin this message with both a trick and a treat by saying that I have great news about the 2016 NSNC conference, which will be held June 23-26 in Los Angeles: We are not,…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists There is a lot to like about Will Rogers, who was a lot more than the man who never met a man he didn’t like. Born in Indian Territory (now Oologah, Oklahoma) in 1879, Rogers — part Cherokee, part cowboy, all American — was…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists I barged into Spielberg’s office at DreamWorks, blew past his secretary, who was sharpening a pencil, and plopped myself down in the plush chair in front of his desk. “You owe me a big one, Steven,” I blurted. “How so, Zez?” responded Spielberg, who…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists I had a beer with Miss Manners. Never did I think I would write that sentence. But now, with great pride and, finally, a clear head, I can say that I did, indeed, clink glasses with Judith Martin, the aforementioned empress of etiquette, even…
President’s Message By Jerry Zezima President National Society of Newspaper Columnists In A Christmas Story, the 1983 holiday film classic that was co-written and narrated by Indiana humorist Jean Shepherd, little Ralphie Parker wants nothing more than a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. His efforts are initially thwarted by his mother, his teacher and…
