A Vivacious Testimony. June 2010

My Times in Black and White: Race and Power at the New York Times by Gerald M. Boyd

Difficult to put down.

From the beginning I couldn't help but imagine moving like a tennis PRO, watching balls coming at me left and right, from dozens of opponents playing me at once. Yes, it felt like a frenzied tennis match, as one of the balls coming at me was black, though it wasn't the ball I kept the closet eye on.

In short, there are so many caveats embedded in this account (leadership, governance, family values, race relations, politics...) that the historical importance of this telling experience might needle more debates than contemplative inspection. The latter it truly deserves.

Gerald is a trailblazer, a pioneer. Nearly every page rocks with raw emotion, though what stood out almost immediately was this immense sense of naivety... strikingly overwhelming, though not nearly as remarkably overwhelming as the passion he held out for journalism and the New York Times. I must admit however, though I shook my head frequently and challenged myself keeping up with the shifting timelines, it was this feverish enthusiasm for journalism that touched me most. Certainly kept me on my toes, and I picked up quite a few valuable `editorial' faux pas along the way too. Significant work.

My Times in Black and White is my top pick yet of 2010!