John Norris is the author of a book on
Mary McGrory that is coming out September 23 with Viking. The book is already available for pre-sale on Amazon here:
Mary McGrory: The First Queen of Journalism.
John is also doing a launch at the National Press Club at 6:30pm on the 23rd, which will be moderated by Dan Balz from the Post and might be of interest to the Stars alum. Advance tickets are available from the Press Club:
https://www.press.org/events/npc-book-rap-john-norris-mary-mcgrory-first-queen-journalism
"... one of the great pleasures of the book was getting to know bunch of Star alumni. (I used to play poker weekly with Lance Gay before he passed away, and I still miss him.)"
The book has been getting nice reviews from the trades, some snippets of which are below.
“Mary McGrory’s life as a Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington columnist is so interesting that it’s hard to understand why there hasn’t been a book about her until now. Enter Norris . . . with this balanced, page-turning biography…Ted Kennedy proclaimed [McGrory] ‘poet laureate of American journalism,’ and this nuanced portrait provides plenty of evidence.”—Kirkus (starred review)
“Sensitive and engrossing…[this] book is a rich portrait, and will likely encourage readers to seek more of McGrory’s groundbreaking writing.”—Publishers Weekly
“Few biographies are page-turners, but Norris’s vivid account of this pioneering writer so vibrantly recalls the heady heyday of op-ed journalism that readers will avidly mourn the advent of the 24/7 cable and talk radio punditry that took its place.” —Booklist (starred review)
“Norris portrays a talented and complex woman . . . Those interested in recent political history will relish the fascinating insider details.”—Library Journal
Willan has lived in the United States off and on since the 1960s and has been an American citizen since 1973. She was food editor at The Washington Star and an associate editor at Gourmet magazine — both now defunct.
