Like many writers, I receive a lot of email and posts from readers, sources, collaborators and subjects of stories. A few are unprintable; many more are like these:
"Hi, John, what a wonderful piece! Really brilliant—you should have written the book!"
—Historian and author Rebecca Frazer, quoted in my Smithsonian story on Pilgrim leader Edward Winslow, November 2016
“WONDERFUL ARTICLE! You are the man!”
—LIRR historian and author Dave Morrison, profiled in the Newsday, “Act 2” section, January 2017
“You did a lovely, smart job. The symmetry of the piece is striking, where you open by quoting the appeal and close by quoting the appeal. The old saying: any coverage is good coverage. But this is such an intelligent piece of reporting. I know how much digging went into it. You deserve applause.”
—Fund-raising writer Tom Ahern, quoted in a story on the language of giving in The New York Times, October 2016
“You are an extremely talented writer. I believe that no matter how much someone practices they really couldn't write like you...it is something else!”
—Frank Prestia, father of three young chess-playing prodigies I profiled in Newsday’s “LI Life” section, September 2016
“It's always a pleasure to be a source for one of your pieces.”
—Master personal trainer Peter McCall, quoted in stories of mine in Newsday and Certified, the American Council on Exercise’s magazine for fitness professionals, in 2016 and 2017.