This past Friday, a well-known columnist of the New York Times died. Carr was a heavy cocaine addict, but this did not deter him from becoming “the embodiment of the New York Times” (Goldstein). He made an impeccable climb from his history of drug abuse to become one of the most celebrated columnists at The New York Times. Overcoming his struggles and building a strong reputation as columnist is what made him truly inspiring. His credentials were always there but as he wrote in his memoir “The Night of the Gun,” it was an unexpected turn from were his life was at the moment.
I did not know of Carr before this past week. Throughout Tuesday and Thursday I was able to watch Page One, which is a documentary of the inner workings of the New York Times. In watching the documentary I instantly connected with Carr. He had such a lovable personality. He was humorous and sassy.
In a speech that he gave to the Journalism School at Berkeley, he encouraged up and coming journalists to be present, attentive, and willing. Instead of filling his speech with exhausted advice, he gave a fresh spin to how these journalists should approach their careers and life in general. What I will remember from that speech is that if you think you can find a story in something you feel is important you should pursue it, or in his own words: “someone should write a story about that.”