Moments of sadness and joy last week. First, a farewell to Peter Kaplan, the late, great editor of The New York Observer, whose snappy journalism sensibilities influenced, oh, only everyone in American publishing these past 25 years. Dead at 59 from cancer. Damn you, God, for taking him. At the funeral last Tuesday, a rabbi offered beautifully comforting words for Peter’s family, including his widow, a friend of mine since college days, and her now-fatherless 9-year-old boy. It’s hard to imagine a sadder sight, hard for thoughts not to drift: your own family, your own fear of loss, your own appreciation of life and its satisfactions (God willing) in the years to come.And so, the next moment: a “Get well” to Frederick Gabriel, the editor of Crain’s sibling publication InvestmentNews, whose remarkable generosity I will now tell you about, with neither his knowledge nor consent. Fred donated a kidney last week to a fellow colleague in our New York offices, and both are recuperating from their surgeries. Word last Thursday of their progress produced an instant flashback to when Fred informed me and another editor over breakfast last month about his plan. He was giving up a kidney not because of any unusually close bond with the recipient, a rather crusty character in our workplace. He was doing it simply because he could. The two are a genetic match, kidney-wise. The tests also showed that Fred could never help his partner or their children, all adopted, should (God forbid)... Continue reading at 'Crains New York'
[ Crains New York | 2013-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]