Synopses & Reviews
With the incisive pen of a newspaperman and the compassionate soul of a poet, Mike Royko was a Chicago institution who became, in Jimmy Breslin's words, "the best journalist of his time." Culled from 7500 columns and spanning four decades, from his early days to his last dispatch, the writings in this collection reflect a radically changing America as seen by a man whose keen sense of justice and humor never faltered. Faithful readers will find their old favorites and develop new ones, while the uninitiated have the enviable good fortune of experiencing this true American voice for the first time.
"A treasure trove lies between these covers. Royko was in a class by himself. He was a true original."and#8212;Ann Landers
"The joy of One More Time is Royko in his own words."and#8212;Mary Eileen O'Connell, New York Times Book Review
"Reading a collection of Royko's columns is even more of a pleasure than encountering them one by one, and that is a large remark for he rarely wrote a piece that failed to wake you up with his hard-earned moral wit. Three cheers for Royko!"and#8212;Norman Mailer
"Powerful, punchy, amazingly contemporary."and#8212;Neil A. Grauer, Cleveland Plain Dealer
"This crackling collection of his own favorite columns as well as those beloved by his fans reminds us just how much we miss the gruff, compassionate voice of Mike Royko."and#8212;Jane Sumner, Dallas Morning News
"A marvelous road map through four decades of America."and#8212;Elizabeth Taylor, Chicago Tribune Books
"Royko was an expert at finding universal truths in parochial situations, as well as in the larger issuesand#8212;war and peace, justice and injustice, wealth and povertyand#8212;he examined. Think of One More Time as one man's pungent commentary on life in these United States over the last few decades."and#8212;Booklist
"Royko was one of the most respected and admired people in the business, by readers and colleagues alike. . . . Savor [his sketches] while you can."and#8212;Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World
"Book collections of columns aren't presumed to be worth reading. This one is, whether or not you care about newspapering or Chicago."and#8212;Neil Morgan, San Diego Union-Tribune
"A treasure house for journalism students, for would-be writers, for students of writing styles, for people who just like to laugh at the absurdity of the human condition or, as Studs Terkel said, for those who will later seek to learn what it was really like in the 20th century."and#8212;Georgie Anne Geyer, Washington Times
"Full of astonishments, and the greatest of these is Royko's technical mastery as a writer."and#8212;Hendrik Hertzberg, New Yorker
"A great tribute to an American original, a contrarian blessed with a sense of irony and a way with words."and#8212;Bob Minzesheimer, USA Today
"In this posthumous collection of his columns, journalist Royko displays the breezy wit that made him so beloved in the Windy City."and#8212;People
Review
"[I]nsightful, at times amusing....[Royko's columns] are remarkable on many levels, not least for his ability to churn out five columns weekly....Royko also impresses with the breadth of his work....A terrific compendium for those who always meant to clip and save Royko's words but didn't." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Wille skillfully provides the introductions to the pieces, but, of course, the joy of One More Time is Royko in his own words....The collection shows Royko's command of a range of emotions..." Mary Eileen O'Connell, The New York Times Book Review
Review
"Here they are, all the great columns, from the very first, on the woes of a tavernkeeper, to the very last, on the woes of the Cubs." Henry Kisor, Chicago Sun-Times
Review
"The great accomplishment of this collection and Royko's work may be that both Nixon's deviousness and Billy Goat's quirky generosity are rendered with the same precision and passion." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Royko was an expert at finding universal truths in parochial situations, as well as in the larger issues war and peace, justice and injustice, wealth and poverty he examined. Think of One More Time as one man's pungent commentary on life in these United States over the last few decades." Booklist
Review
"A great tribute to an American original, a contrarian blessed with a sense of irony and a way with words." Bob Minzesheimer, USA Today
Review
"In this posthumous collection of his columns, journalist Royko displays the breezy wit that made him so beloved in the Windy City." People
Review
"Royko was one of the most respected and admired people in the business, by readers and colleagues alike....Savor [his sketches] while you can." Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World
Review
"Book collections of columns aren't presumed to be worth reading. This one is, whether or not you care about newspapering or Chicago." Neil Morgan, San Diego Union-Tribune
Review
"Full of astonishments, and the greatest of these is Royko's technical mastery as a writer." Hendrik Hertzberg, New Yorker
Review
"A treasure house for journalism students, for would-be writers, for students of writing styles, for people who just like to laugh at the absurdity of the human condition or, as Studs Terkel said, for those who will later seek to learn what it was really like in the 20th century." Georgie Anne Geyer, Washington Times
Review
"Powerful, punchy, amazingly contemporary." Neil A. Grauer, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Review
"This crackling collection of his own favorite columns as well as those beloved by his fans reminds us just how much we miss the gruff, compassionate voice of Mike Royko." Jane Sumner, Dallas Morning News
Review
"A marvelous road map through four decades of America." Elizabeth Taylor, Chicago Tribune Books
Review
"A treasure trove lies between these covers. Royko was in a class by himself. He was a true original." Ann Landers
Review
"Reading a collection of Royko's columns is even more of a pleasure than encountering them one by one, and that is a large remark for he rarely wrote a piece that failed to wake you up with his hard-earned moral wit. Three cheers for Royko!" Norman Mailer
Synopsis
With the incisive pen of a newspaperman and the compassionate soul of a poet, Mike Royko was a Chicago institution who became, in Jimmy Breslin's words, "the best journalist of his time." Royko wrote a daily column for nearly thirty-five years first for the
Chicago Daily News, then the
Sun-Times, and finally the
Tribune and his Pulitzer Prize-winning commentary was syndicated in more than 600 newspapers nationwide. Pretension and hypocrisy were his targets, and his well-aimed salvos, delivered with blunt honesty and penetrating wit, won him fans and foes alike.
One More Time collects the best of Royko's columns from his long, celebrated career.
Culled from 7500 columns and spanning four decades, from his early days to his last dispatch, the writings in this collection reflect a radically changing America as seen by a man whose keen sense of justice and humor never faltered. From the Cold War to the Persian Gulf War, from Richard J. Daley to Richard M. Daley, Royko trained his eye on it all.
This volume includes those columns he loved best as well as those loved by his readers: childhood recollections by Mike and his pal, "Slats" Grobnik; his modern-day Christmas parable of Mary and Joseph looking for a room in Chicago; "A Faceless Man's Plea," the wrenching tale that in one day had Richard Nixon publicly reversing the Veterans Administration; his account of Frank Sinatra's threat to punch him in the mouth; the hilarious column he wrote about how much he loathed his feet; his moving pieces on racism; and his scathingly funny attacks on political correctness. Putting each decade into perspective are illuminating introductions by Lois Wille, Royko's friend and colleague at all three Chicago dailies.
These essays will appeal to you like an old friend a gruff, opinionated one, perhaps, but a friend nonetheless, one who can still make you see the world a bit differently. Faithful readers will find not only their old favorites but plenty of new ones as well, while the uninitiated will have the enviable good fortune of experiencing this true American voice for the first time.
About the Author
Mike Royko was born in Chicago in 1932 and for much of his youth lived in the flat above his family's tavern on Milwaukee Avenue. Not only did he become the most widely read columnist in Chicago history, but his column was syndicated in more than 600 newspapers across the country. He was also the author of the classic account of city machine politics, Boss. Mike Royko's last column in the Chicago Tribune appeared in March 1997, a month before his death. His memorial service was held on a sunny day in Wrigley Field.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xii
Foreword xiv
Part 1 The Sixties 1
September 6, 1963 Tavern Gets Taken for a Ride, and a Taxi Driver Mourns 7
March 15, 1966 Complete Apology for Overrating the Irish Thirst 9
August 8, 1966 T-Shirted Punks Slay a Dragon 11
August 16, 1967 Picasso and the Cultural Rebirth of Chicago 13
September 14, 1967 It Wasn't Our "Clout" She Stole, But a Counterfeit 17
October 27, 1967 Let's Update City's Image 19
December 19, 1967 Mary and Joe Chicago-Style 21
March 19, 1968 Ghetto Burial for a GI Hero 23
April 2, 1968 LBJ Deserved a Better Fate 25
April 9, 1968 Million in His Firing Squad 27
April 11, 1968 Are You Really a Cubs Fan? 29
June 6, 1968 How about Gun as Our Symbol? 31
July 8, 1968 He Can Dream, Can't He? 33
July 31, 1968 The Accordion vs. The Guitar 35
August 28, 1968 Cops Threaten Law and Order 37
November 14, 1968 Haggis? Then Try Czernina! 39
November 22, 1968 Haggis Eaters Strike Back 41
July 17, 1969 He Rockets into the Past 43
December 16, 1969 A Jumbo Gripe on Airplanes 45
Part 2 The Seventies 47
January 16, 1970 The Kids Tell It Like It Is 53
July 20, 1970 A Shovelful of Bad Thinking 55
October 22, 1970 Let's All Drink to Bill Goat 57
August 20, 1971 Mighty Teddy Still the Champ 59
October 25, 1971 The Old Man and the Farm 62
February 1, 1972 The Day Slats Fell for a Girl 64
April 14, 1972 He's Convinced Archie's Real 66
October 25, 1972 Jackie's Debut a Unique Day 68
November 1, 1972 Viet Verdict: Mostly Guilty 71
November 8, 1973 Bellying Up to Success 73
November 23, 1973 Hearty "Hallo" from Greece 75
December 10, 1973 A Faceless Man's Plea 77
December 11, 1973 The VA Does a Fast Reversal 79
May 31, 1974 How This City Really "Works" 81
August 9, 1974 Let's Look at Immunity 84
December 27, 1974 How to Cure Hangover: First Try Moaning 86
September 3, 1975 A Hard Look at Mooching 89
October 8, 1975 Poverty Aid, Chicago-Style 91
January 7, 1976 Daley Always a Quota Man 93
May 5, 1976 Mr. Sinatra Sends a Letter 95
June 22, 1976 So, Let's All Pick a Quote 98
August 2, 1976 Hefner's Back--Or Wait, Is He? 100
December 21, 1976 Daley Embodied Chicago 102
February 17, 1977 Why Do Purveyors of Hate Go Untouched? 105
July 26, 1977 Image May Change, But City Keeps Its Traditions 107
April 19, 1978 Bucking Hard for the Equal Rights Amendment 109
July 7, 1978 Don't Let Food Bug You 111
August 11, 1978 The Agony of "Victory" 114
April 4, 1979 Bossy Cows the Party 117
June 13, 1979 John Wayne's True Grit 119
September 2, 1979 An Ode to the "Softies" 122
October 5, 1979 Thanks to All of You 124
November 22, 1979 A November Farewell 125
Part 3 The Eighties 129
June 3, 1980 A Poll Cut on the Bias 135
June 27, 1980 Demolition Derby 137
November 18, 1980 Time Weakens the Bond 139
January 20, 1981 Epitaph for Jimmy 142
March 17, 1981 These Feet Are Made for Nothing 144
May 13, 1981 Algren's Golden Pen 147
May 15, 1981 Dear God: Why? 150
July 30, 1981 A Pact of Cherish 152
November 22, 1981 Mike Royko High-Rise Man 155
March 7, 1982 My Belushi Pals 158
March 16, 1982 Don't Write Off Belushi 161
April 11, 1982 Survival Talk Stinks 163
February 23, 1983 Give Washington Break 166
November 2, 1983 Halas: A Classic of Grit 169
January 12, 1984 In Alien's Tongue, "I Quit" Is "Vacation" 171
March 2, 1984 A GOP Function Flush with Luxuries 173
March 9, 1984 Slats Mistakes GOP for GOD 176
September 17, 1985 A Grave Report from Medicare 178
October 17, 1985 If This Isn't Danger, What Is? 180
November 14, 1985 Abused Baby 1, System a Big 0 182
December 24, 1985 A Lovely Couple, Bound with Love 185
January 29, 1986 These Seven Were Special People 187
February 11, 1986 Sorry, Reggie, You Struck Out 189
June 23, 1987 Fred Astaire Was a Class Act until the End 191
July 9, 1987 A True Hero Puts North to the Test 192
June 27, 1988 When "Prix Fixe" Is Hard to Swallow 194
August 9, 1988 Cubs Park Wasn't Always Like This 196
October 5, 1988 Shopping Isn't Everyone's Bag 198
December 20, 1988 Daley the Elder and Daley the Younger 200
August 15, 1989 Woodstock Was Just a Muddy Memory 202
Part 4 The Nineties 205
March 16, 1990 Why Be a Writer? Think of Your Feet 211
June 1, 1990 A None Rub of Sorts for Ditzy Word Jocks 213
June 13, 1990 Flag Foes Show No Real Burning Desire 216
July 12, 1990 Message on AIDS Gets Lost in Poster 218
March 12, 1991 Kuwait's Future Brighter Than Ours 220
March 19, 1991 Ticket to Good Life Punched with Pain 223
April 23, 1991 It Didn't Take Long to Lose Euphoria 225
July 17, 1991 Sensitivity Pops Up in the Unlikeliest Place 227
December 26, 1991 David Duke Has a Partner in Slime 229
September 23, 1992 Next Time, Dan, Take Aim at Arnold 232
November 27, 1992 He Could Fill Book with Pithy Phrases 234
December 1, 1992 Parents, Not Cash, Can Enrich a School 236
December 3, 1992 Old Story Is News to Baby Boomers 238
October 7, 1993 A City in Full-Court Depression 241
November 30, 1993 Politically Incorrect, But Right on Target 243
February 1, 1994 We Love Her, We Love Her Not, We Love 246
March 9, 1994 Whitewater Almost Too Far Out There 248
June 29, 1994 EEOC Is Lacking in Wisdom Teeth 250
August 30, 1994 Not His Kind of Photog, Ferguson Is 253
January 26, 1995 Don't Bet on a Guilty Verdict for O. J. 255
February 24, 1995 Horrors of the Past Are G-Rated Today 257
October 17, 1995 Look, Up in the Sky, It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Mike! 260
October 18, 1995 Eloquence and Gall on Washington Mall 262
January 26, 1996 And It's One, Two, Three Strikes...You're Sued 264
April 10, 1996 Rostenkowski's Sin Was Not Changing with the Times 266
May 16, 1996 Clinton's Big Lead Easily Explained in Age of Indulgence 269
January 10, 1997 Arrghh! Disney Walks the Plank for Politically Correct 271
March 21, 1997 It Was Wrigley, Not Some Goat, Who Cursed the Cubs