Tom Wolfe and New Journalism

- Courtesy New York Times

Today, I read about the passing of Tom Wolfe, mostly known for his exhaustive non-fiction works such as "The Right Stuff" and “The Bonfire of the Vanities.” Bonfire came closest to his roots: chronicling the excess of America's richest generation.

He started as a journalist fascinated with the social quirks of the people of New York and he took that training with him when he wrote his non-fiction books. He was one of the originators of New Journalism, where you took the techniques of journalism, e.g., who, what, why, etc., and merged them with the storytelling of fiction, to craft engaging writing.

He was a mentor, albeit far removed.

I often used his narrative style in my own writing for television and magazines. He taught me how to tell a story that grabbed the reader and made them want to share it.

I thank him for showing me the way and keeping writing alive.