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A New Chapter
Saturday, February 03, 2007
At The Philadelphia Inquirer, where I have worked as a columnist since 2002, I occupied a tiny, windowless office. Over the years I made it as cheery as I could, putting up posters and photographs and paintings and plaques on the walls. It felt a little odd yesterday as I pulled everything off the walls and out of my drawers and loaded it into the trunk of my car. The end of one chapter, and the beginning of the next.
Friday was my last day as an Inquirer staff columnist, and I wrote my goodbye at the end of my last column. You can read it at: http://go.philly.com/grogan .
As I say in the column, I resigned mostly because I need to put some balance back into my life and find more time for book-writing projects. Since Marley & Me came out in October 2005, my life has been a blur, and I essentially have been working two -- or possibly three -- fulltime jobs as I juggled book publicity, column writing, book-tour travel, and everything else that has gone with this whirlwind. It's been wonderful, the experience of a lifetime, but I knew something had to give eventually.
The reason I am doing this now rather than, say, six months from now, is because of a series of layoffs at my paper. The Inquirer, like many American newspapers, has been going through a lot of turmoil lately as it tries to figure out how to survive in the new media economy. Circulation has been dropping as more and more readers simply choose to read newspapers online for free, and advertisers increasingly are putting their dollars into other media. So it's been a tough time. A few weeks ago, 70 of my newsroom colleagues were handed layoff notices. Many of them were reporters and copy editors who started at the same time I did, during a big staff expansion four years ago. My position was spared, but still... I came in with them; it just felt right that I should go out with them, too. By resigning now, I can at least know that my position will go toward the total body count the paper needed to lose. Who knows, maybe someone's job will be saved as a result. That's my hope, anyway.
I wish The Inquirer the best of luck as it moves forward. It is a great paper with a great past, and, I remain hopeful, a bright future.
I've always said -- and wrote in the book, too -- that one of the most rewarding parts of being a newspaper columnist is the great relationship between the writer and readers. You file a column at 6 p.m. and go home; the next morning dozens, sometimes hundreds, of readers have called or emailed to tell you what they thought. With few exceptions, I've always been impressed at the intelligence and sensitivity of these responses -- and sometimes the sheer kindness. Yesterday, following my final column, was no exception. Just like after I wrote about Marley's death, they poured in. I started out trying to answer each one individually, but have not been able to keep up. So let me thank you here for taking the time to shower me with your farewell notes. They mean a lot to me.
Here's a sampling from my mailbox:
Dear John,
Do you know that I read your last column from the same place I was when I read your first? I was commuting to Center City on the train when you came on board and wondered if the new guy would be any good. Reading a new column is like buying a new pair of shoes. You wonder how long before they feel comfortable. Before long, you wonder how you ever lived without it. Well, the new guy turned out to be pretty good after all, and I looked forward to every column.
What good times we had on the morning commute: stupid contests, angry columns, funny columns, stories about your silly dog, and sad columns. Some of them moved me to tears, but today's took my breath away. Oh, and also moved me to tears again. I'm sure you'll hear from many of your readers, but you'll never know how much your words meant and how much you'll be missed. Take care of your family, especially the boys who thought Pennsylvania was filled with pencils!
Terri Ventresca
Dear Mr Grogan,
How can you leave us?! How I will miss your wonderfully written columns, and
of course today you show us so beautifully what we will be missing with the
soldier's homecoming story. Once again you made me cry. How many times has
your writing touched me or made me laugh? There are too many to count.
I hated when you were away from the Inquirer pages on your book tour. How
will I handle not ever being able to read your column again? I wish you well in your new life adventure. Thank you for all the wonderful columns you have written for us. You will be greatly missed.
Elizabeth Carney
Dear Mr. Grogan:
I was just thinking about the photo of your parents you had put in the paper, right before your father died. I wrote you because I was going through similar times with the opposite parent. I found the saved e-mail and response from you and re-read them just this week. How prescient! I had noticed your absence from the pages of this paper lately and I guess intuitively I suspected something was up. How sad I am to be correct. We in the Philadelphia metropolitan area have been lucky to have some amazing columnists over the years. But they always leave. I can still remember reading Steve Lopez as he took on the city government. Now you are gone and your absence is palpable and heartbreaking.
Debbie Oliver
Churchville, PA
Dear John,
Have tremendously enjoyed your column. Will miss it greatly. Cried and laughed through Marley and Me. Best of luck to you.
Donna Dickerson
Since the great McDonalds boycott, I have looked forward to reading each and every one of your columns with rapt anticipation. Thank you for helping me take a broader perspective in evaluating the news, current events, social and political issues. Most importantly, thanks for helping me to take time every day to take notice the little things in life, because they are the biggest things when everything is said and done. I'll miss you.
John Morton
Kennett Square, PA
Dear John,
From your first column, I've felt like you're an old (i.e., long-time!) friend. You let me and all your readers into your life, your mind, and your heart. I don't know if I've written to you or called you before to comment on any of your columns, but I know I've written many a reply to you in my head.
So, I was very sorry to read in this morning's paper that today is your last column. I have enjoyed them all from the very beginning and eagerly looked forward to reading them each week. I thank you for brightening my mornings. There will definitely be a void there now.
Your faithful reader,
Lynne Kalish
posted by John Grogan at 8:51 AM
 
7 Comments:
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Hi, John! Well, you don't know me, but after reading your book I feel so close to you as if we were friends, and that makes me feel confortable enough to treat you as if it was true.
After reading your book (which I bought for luck in a bookstore and I'm glad I did it), I came to the internet to read more about you, and more of your writings. Suddenly I found you saying goodbye! Just when I found you!? ;)
Wish you all the best, and I'm sure I'll have some of your words on the internet for my personal delight when I keep waiting for you next book.
Thanks you for the tears and laughs you brought to my life. You're GREAT!
Best regards from your Brazilian fan.
Thanks so much, Rose!
John
John,
I am sure that you will find my email to you regarding your departure from the Inquirer, but let me again say that you will be missed by the paper readers. My father and I would often discuss your columns, and appreciated how you were able to make us more aware of what was going on around us.
Thank you, and I will see you in May!
I've read the book (and loved it!) but it was your column that brought me here. I'm going to miss it, so you better keep up on this blog. (Sorry, that sounded like a threat. I didn't mean it that way.)
However, as a struggling writer (www.bryancatherman.com), I understand your decision. You're living my dream. Best of luck with the new book pursuits.
Best of luck John. Please keep us in the loop as to where life's travels take you.
Does this mean more blog entries? :)
Hi John !
My name is David, I'm from Brazil, sorry if my english is not too good, but I have to tell you something...
I have a dog, she´s name is Potira, she has 1.1/2 year old and she had 7 little dogs about 3 mounths ago.
My home is under construction and the bricklayer worker there left a wash basin placed against my home´s wall.
Then Potira and one of your childs (Lu) whas playng on the back yard and Lu bumb in the wahs basin and the wash basin fall on top of Lu.
She die almost in same time... but Potira (the mother) had a amazing reaction seyng her baby died.
She tryed to animate Lu from diferent forms, give her toys, pushing criyng around Lu, and ever many other things to awake Lu.
Me and my family remains impressionated whit the humanity from Potira, now, 4 weeks later that happens, Potira cry alone sometimes, and she is on depress.
If you got anything when you come home, she looks for Lu, always.
I know about your book, and I think your history amazing, and I thougt that you wold like to know about Potira.
Very large hug for you. Good night!
I forgot...
my e-mail is dtfilho@hotmail.com
if you whant something about Potira and she´s 6 little child´s