Opinion By Suzette Martinez Standring 2004-06 President National Society of Newspaper Columnists Let’s talk about needless savagery that poses as column writing. On a seesaw of best and worst, columnist Kathleen Parker of The Washington Post is a fulcrum. Hamilton Nolan of the Gawker lists her as one of “The Least Important Writers of 2013.”…
With the 2014 column contest of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists now open — see 2014 Contest Rules for details — writers interested in submitting three pieces they published or posted in 2013 might find it helpful to see what the previous winners did. Following are PDFs or links to the winning columns of…
These are the rules for the 2014 column contest, covering columns published in the 2013 calendar year. First place in each category will receive $300, second place $200 and third place $100, in addition to certificates suitable for framing. Honorable mentions receive certificates. Deadline for entries is Saturday, March 15, 2014, midnight Pacific. Update: Deadline…
John Avlon again is asking his fellow NSNC members for their choices of best columns posted or published in 2013. John will compile the list — besides the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, he is combing social media as well as polling others, in addition to his own picks — and run it at year…
Daily Diary for December This column was originally published in the December 2013 edition of The Columnist, the members’ newsletter of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. By Ben S. Pollock NSNC Director of Media I lost in “NaNoWriMo” this past month. The goal of National Novel Writing Month, held every November, is to craft…
President’s Message This column was originally published in the December 2013 edition of The Columnist, the members’ newsletter of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. By Eric Heyl President National Society of Newspaper Columnists Tis the season to be jolly? For the intrepid columnist, that’s not necessarily the case. “Dog days” refer to that particularly…
Art of Column Writing This column was originally published in the December 2013 edition of The Columnist, the members’ newsletter of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. By Suzette Martinez Standring 2004-06 President National Society of Newspaper Columnists Everything we write is based on an opinion, whether a column is hot with political passion or…
We aren’t exactly offering Santa’s mailbag, but the December 2013 edition of The Columnist has plenty of reading for columnists and bloggers: Donahue, Scottoline Headline Bombeck Workshop — That’s Phil and Lisa, respectively, along with dozens of top experts who will speak on humor, writing and humor writing — and marketing and publishing, as well.…
This Month’s Daily Diary This piece was originally published in November 2013 edition of The Columnist, the members’ newsletter of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. By Ben S. Pollock NSNC Director of Media 2010-12 NSNC president Slaves of the Internet, Unite!” Huh? A late October op-ed column in The New York Times by the…
Art of Column Writing By Suzette Martinez Standring 2004-06 President National Society of Newspaper Columnists I like the underdog. Recently, I was responsible for featuring notorious art thief Myles J. Connor Jr., age 69, at a rare public appearance that took place in Milton, Mass. Understandably, a powerful aversion to his having a public platform…
you, the columnist By Dave Lieber Columnist, The Dallas Morning News Originally published in The Columnist members-only newsletter Two months after one of the best-attended conferences in recent NSNC history, I wondered: what was the main takeaway for attendees? I polled them, and here’s what they told me: Cynthia Stead, Cape Cod Times: “Columnists are…
The guy who ‘discovered’ Dave Barry is a humor columnist, editor and Pulitzer-winning feature reporter. Twice. By Ben Pollock NSNC Director of Online Media Washington Post humor columnist Gene Weingarten has accepted the nomination to be the 2014 recipient of the Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award, according to Eric Heyl, president of the National Society…
A number of those attending the 37th annual conference of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists have reached for our own “low-hanging fruit,” the June 27-30 weekend. Indeed, creating fodder for columns and blog posts is a main purpose of programming each year. (The others include learning the latest about making and selling columns, friendship…
HARTFORD, Conn. — Chicago’s late movie critic-cum-blogger Roger Ebert has hit one last national writing contest ball out of the park. The longtime Chicago Sun-Times writer, who died of complications of cancer last April at age 70, won first place for online columns or blogs on large websites in the National Society of Newspaper Columnists…
Art of Column Writing By Suzette Martinez Standring 2004-06 President National Society of Newspaper Columnists I am curious about anyone who would fly 10,000 miles from Australia to our conference in Hartford. Annie Barr is our Down Under gal from Barham, New South Wales, and wins for the longest distance traveled. Let’s give her a…
‘The Outstanding Pitch’ with Mike Morin No one wants your new book to succeed more than you do. That’s why you need an insider’s expertise on how to make your pitch irresistible to radio, TV and print outlets. It’s free advertising, baby! Mike Morin is not only a columnist and author, but he has spent…
‘I tried to write on a level that my mother would enjoy’ Update: May 28, 2013: KTRE-TV, Lufkin, reports Mattie Dellinger died today at age 101. By Robert Haught Editor, The e-Columnist MARCH 8, 2013 — Mattie Dellinger writes a weekly column for the Shelby County Light and Champion in the East Texas town of…
