Something special

I was saddened to learn of the death of Dick McCord, co-founder and editor of the Santa Fe Reporter, earlier this year.

In 1978, a few months after moving to Santa Fe, I made an appointment to see McCord to discuss writing a column for his paper. At that time, in the first home of the Reporter, one had to step over numerous cables on the basement floor in a crowded room to reach his office. Since I was going to propose to him that I write a humor column, it would have been appropriate if I had displayed my usual clumsy self by tripping and falling. Instead, I made it safely to his office, suggested the column, and accepted his request for six 500-word samples. He, in turn, after reading them, accepted them and “Generally Sherman” began to appear in the paper. It ran for six years. In today’s world, it’s hard to believe these were written on a typewriter and hand-delivered by deadline, to be typeset and pasted up. Both staffers and freelancers knew there was something special about the Reporter. We gathered as a group at the annual Christmas party held in the spring. Too busy at the holidays!

I last saw Dick five years ago in Santa Fe. I told him a story that I’d never shared: One night, I had just gone to bed, very tired — kids asleep, papers graded for my students, etc. — when I suddenly realized, after writing the column every Wednesday evening for years, that I had forgotten to do so. I was in shock. But, of course, I got up, got the usual stiff glass of ice-cold water, and wrote 500 words, which I dropped off early the next morning, as always. It never occurred to me that there were options. You had a deadline. You made it.

It would never have occurred to Dick, either.

John Sherman Indianapolis