The following article is based on the 1990 Villard Books best seller “If I Ever Get Back to Georgia, I’m Gonna Nail My Feet to the Ground” by Lewis Grizzard. Like prior articles this one includes specific excerpts out of the book of 309 pages tracing his career as a newspaper reporter from the age of 10 until his death in 1994 at the age of 47.
The back inside cover describes that lifelong newspaper journey and includes his experience in Chicago, a sanctuary city (more to come), prior to his return to the Peach State:
“Lewis also learned how to cover stories about chickens getting stuck in trees, how to confront small-town Southern sheriffs on their running of speed traps, how to write about a catfish with false teeth, how to drink, how not to stay married, and how to handle what surely must be the funniest, smartest, most interesting group of people ever to work in one building.
After college at Athens it's on to Atlanta, where, as all Grizzard fans know, history was made. And then three long winters in Chicago as sports editor of the Chicago Sun-Times, years in which Grizzard lost his second wife, his cool, and very nearly his sanity. It was a time of lawsuits, of freezing cold blizzards, and of learning an awful lot about life, liberty, and the pursuit of his own happiness.”
LG’s first writing assignment came as a youngster when he was reporting on a Boy’s Church League team for the Newnan (Georgia) Times-Herald.
At an early age he displayed a certain degree of modesty as he was also the star pitcher on that same team and his first published account of a sports event demonstrated his humble style of objective coverage of the game in question:
"MORELAND'S LEWIS GRIZZARD NO-HITS MACEDONIA
14-0 by Lewis Grizzard
Brilliant Moreland right-hander Lewis Grizzard, in his first start in organized baseball, baffled the visiting Macedonia Baptist nine Saturday afternoon with a no-hitter. Dudley Stamps, in a lesser role, had three home runs in the 14-0 romp.”
As further stated “from that triumph of content and style” he would become sports editor of the University of Georgia paper and the rest is history (old cliché).
The 475 syndicated newspapers, 25 published books, and success as a comedy speaker established his place as a newspaper columnist (also more to come!)
His career in the Windy City were not the most enjoyable of his literacy career!
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You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com
Jerry Summers