Farewell Shamsur Rahman Faruqi: The Sun That Set in the Earth - The Wire

Farewell Shamsur Rahman Faruqi: The Sun That Set in the Earth - The Wire
Richmond native translates awardwinning novel | Kentucky - Richmond Register
Coeur d'Alene Press - Coeur d'Alene Press
Dave McNary Dies: Long-Time Variety Film Reporter Was 69 - Deadline

Posted: 27 Dec 2020 02:30 AM PST

Ab ke dhuen mein khoon ki surkhi ka rang hai
Yoon in gharon mein pehle bhi lagti rahi hai aag
(This time around the smoke carries the blood's red colour
These homes before too have been burnt by fire)

– Shamsur Rahman Faruqi

Shamsur Rahman Faruqi (1935-2020), the famous critic and researcher of Urdu literature, passed away on December 25 at the age of 85 in Allahabad. Not Prayagraj but the historic city made famous by Allahabadi surkha guava, and even more famous by iconic Urdu and Hindi litterateurs like Akbar Allahabadi, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Dharamvir Bharati, Rafiq Husain, Ibne Safi and Mustafa Zaidi. He began his literary journey with criticism. He issued the literary journal Shabkhoon (Night Ambush) from Allahabad which was deemed the forerunner of modernity. This journal guided two generations of Urdu writers.

Faruqi also composed poetry, then turned towards lexicography and research. When he developed a passion for writing short stories, he wrote many, one after the other, under fictitious names in Shabkhoon, which were extremely popular. In 2006, he wrote a novel Kai Chaand The Sar-e-Aasmaan (which he himself translated into English as The Mirror of Beauty) which was greatly praised. In addition, he was generally deemed to be one of the most important prosodists in the Urdu-speaking world. In short, it is difficult to find an example of a multifaceted personality like Faruqi in the history of Urdu literature.

Faruqi's name illuminated the literary horizon of the Indian subcontinent with its distinct majesty for more than 50 years. Suffice it to say that his personality was like a chandelier, within which the lit bulbs continuously illuminated the soirees of knowledge and literature. His personality was like a rainbow, God knows how many colours of which shone in Urdu literature. The expression of his extraordinary creative, critical abilities occurred in almost all the genres of Urdu prose and poetry with distinctive grandeur.

He was simultaneously a high-quality writer, competent critic, respected poet, high-ranking short-story writer, authentic researcher, expert of prosody and grammar and acquainted with the lexicon. And everywhere he showed such consummate skill and matchless artistry that one did not see anyone of similar stature among his peers.

A fine balance

Faruqi was born on September 30, 1935 in Kalakankar House, Pratapgarh, at the home of his maternal grandfather's, Khan Bahadur Muhammad Nazeer. Kalakankar House was the mansion of the Maharaja of Pratapgarh and Nazeer was the Special Manager, Court of Wards in those days. His home was actually in Koiriyapar village, Azamgarh district.

He started his education at Wellesley High School, Azamgarh. He was extremely fond of reading books since childhood. Such was the state of his fondness that there was the shop of a bookbinder in front of his school where Urdu books too came for bookbinding; he used to remain busy in studying these books at the same shop so much so that he would not relent despite being forbidden by his family. As a result, when he turned 13 or 14, the intensity of reading forced him to wear spectacles.

In 1949, Faruqi passed the 10th grade exam in First Division from the Government Jubilee High School, Gorakhpur, and then took admission in Mian George Islamia Inter College, Gorakhpur. Here, he was very impressed with his English teacher Mustafa Khan Rashidi. Rashidi urged him to read English books as much as possible. Faruqi had started participating in literary sittings and reciting his poems and ghazals as well since his college days.

After passing his Intermediate in 1951, Faruqi got admission at Maharana Pratap College Gorakhpur for his BA. The college was not very far from his home so he used to come and go with his friends on foot; and even on the road used to be so busy in reading one book or the other that he did not remain aware at all of the vehicles coming and going on the roads and often his friends saved him from running into cars.

Also read: Asif Farrukhi: A Literary All-Rounder Who Deserved A Century

During his BA, Faruqi would spend his free time at the famous Vahid Library of Gorakhpur. Initially he read every sort of book but gradually his interest towards literature rose and he became obsessed with Urdu literature.

In 1955, after doing his MA at Allahabad University, Faruqi was joined Satish Chandra Degree College at Ballia as an English lecturer. Here, after performing his duties for a year, he went to Shibli College Azamgarh. In the meantime, he also started preparing for the civil service examinations. For preparation, he did not take leave from work but studied whenever he got some free time from his official duties.

In 1957, he succeeded in this exam at his first attempt and in 1958, he was posted as Superintendent Post Offices in Guwahati. After this, he was posted as Deputy Director General Personnel in New Delhi, then as Chief Postmaster-General (UP) in Allahabad, and finally as Member, Postal Services Board New Delhi. In 1994, he retired from employment. In addition to this job, he was invited many times in India and abroad for the position of Urdu professor, which include Aligarh Muslim University, University of Hyderabad, Jammu University, University of British Columbia (Canada), University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) and the University of Chicago.

Faruqi's library of work

Faruqi began his literary journey with short stories, but soon was inclined towards poetry and expressed his artistic abilities in ghazals and poems. Gradually, his critical consciousness reduced his interest in poetry and inclined him towards criticism and till the end of his life he stamped his authority as an ideologist of modern criticism.

Though Faruqi had had his importance acknowledged as a critic with his essays in Lafz-o-Maani (Word and Meaning) but the fine perception with which he had brought the topic under discussion in Sher, Ghair Sher Aur Nasr (Verse, Non-Verse and Prose), such discussions were extinct in Urdu criticism before this. The aspect of identifying the form, prosody and metre of a verse which he introduced in this work still carries a distinctive stamp.

In Tafheem-e-Ghalib (Understanding Ghalib) and Sher-e-Shor Angez (The Tumultuous Verse), Faruqi presented the explanation, interpretation and analysis of the poetry of Mirza Ghalib and Mir Taqi Mir in a totally unique and unusual manner. Before Tafheem-e-Ghalib, numerous commentaries had been written on the poetry of Ghalib. But Faruqi's unbiased and decisive comment on the poetry of Ghalib on the basis of proofs and reason made his work stand out.

Also read: Krishan Chander's 'Jamun Ka Ped' Is a Testament to His Abiding Relevance

Faruqi commented with great perception about the magic of Mir's poetry in the four volumes of Sher-e-Shor Angez in a heart-touching manner. In this book, he presented the explanation of the classic poetic traditions with great clarity, definitiveness and comprehensiveness while discussing every aspect of Mir's poetry in detail. And undoubtedly, it is an immortal achievement of Urdu literature. For the first time, he made a detailed and complete commentary on the poetics of daastaan in Sahiri, Shahi Aur Sahib-e-Qirani (Sorcery, Royalty and the Auspicious Planetary Conjunction) with respect to the Daastaan-e-Amir Hamza. In addition, his works Tanqeedi Afkaar (Critical Thoughts), Asbaat-o-Nafi (Confirmation and Denial), Ghalib Parchaar Tehreeren (Writings Publicizing Ghalib), Urdu Ghazal Ke Ahm Mod (The Important Turns of Urdu Ghazal), Urooz, Aahang Aur Bayaan (Prosody, Rhythm and Narration), Dars-e-Balaaghat (The Lesson of Rhetoric), etc are milestones of Urdu criticism. He also translated Muhammad Husain Azad's famous book Aaab-e-Hayat (The Elixir of Life) into English and wrote many books on modern Indian literature, etc in English.

In addition to criticism, Faruqi created a new poetic tradition in his collections Ganj-e-Sokhta (Burnt Treasure), Sabz Andar Sabz (Green Within Green) and Aasmaan Mehraab (Sky Arch), and enriched Urdu poetry with his diction and ideas. And like this he rendered superb services to the progress and strength of modernity. Under this initiative, he started issuing a journal Shabkhoon from Allahabad in 1966. This journal was the spokesperson of literary ideologies and imagination. It continuously gave opportunities to new artists and Faruqi tried as hard as he could to enourage anybody with even a bit of creative and critical ability. This was the reason many new poets and writers became famous in the literary world through his journal and this connection carried on till the journal sadly became defunct in 2006.

During employment, Faruqi also visited sittings and conferences of Urdu literature in India and abroad. In this connection, he represented India and gave lectures in educational and literary gatherings many times in the US, the UK, the Soviet Union, Western Europe, New Zealand, Thailand, Canada, Pakistan and Singapore etc.

Also read: Fahmida Riaz Has Left Behind 'A World of Possibilities'

Faruqi was among those fortunate artists who had reached the zenith of fame and popularity in their lives. He was awarded all those national and international honours of the literary world which are considered a cause of esteem and distinction. He was awarded the UP Urdu Academy Award three times in 1972, 1974 and 1978; the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1986; India's biggest literary award, the Saraswati Samman in 1996; and the Padma Shri in 2009, among many others.

So Faruqi's aforementioned educational and literary abilities, activities, engagements, honours and awards made him an unforgettable part of Urdu language and literature.

Most people in the Urdu speaking world were preoccupied by COVID-19 and Christmas when news of Faruqi's death began pouring in on social media on December 25. Only a day before, a Facebook acquaintance had asked friends to pray for Faruqi's health since he had recovered from COVID-19, but was still not well. However, in the event Faruqi was in good company as he chose to depart on the day when another distinguished fellow editor of a prestigious longtime literary journal – the monthly Afkaar – as well as poet and writer Sehba Lakhnavi celebrated the end of his birth centenary celebrations, turning 101. How would Faruqi react to being trapped with a Progressive? Perhaps they would have struck up a conversation about Iqbal and Manto, those two Kashmiri mavericks on which both Faruqi and Lakhnavi had authored their own books.

Faruqi leaves behind a huge gap in Urdu letters; and there is no need to worry about who will fill it for now. There are his surviving peers in the realm of criticism: Gopi Chand Narang (who will become a nonagenarian early next year), Shamim Hanfi and C.M. Naim, who are all as popular in India as they are in Pakistan.

Then there are the younger batch of critics: Faruqi's own daughter Mehr Afshan Faruqi admirably soldiers on with her paternal tradition; however it is somewhat both ironical and heartbreaking that Faruqi senior will not be alive to see the publication of his daughter's much-anticipated critical biography of Ghalib in early 2021; as well as missing the centenary of the death of Allahabad's formerly most famous literary resident, the poet Akbar Allahabadi next September).

In Pakistan, one of Faruqi's ablest successors, Asif Farrukhi – who like Faruqi was also born in September – passed away in his prime from COVID-19 related complications earlier this year in June. Farrukhi's peer Nasir Abbas Nayyar is still young and energetic, and like Faruqi and Farrukhi, equally at home with writing fiction as in writing criticism. However Faruqi's unfavourable opinions about Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Sahir Ludhianvi and even his fellow anti-Progressive Quratulain Hyder do not hold up to closer scrutiny and will not stand the test of time. Faruqi himself used to say:

Banayen ge nayi duniya hum apni
Teri duniya men ab rehna nahi hai
(We will make our own world
We do not wish to remain in yours)

Note: All translations are by the writer.

Raza Naeem is a Pakistani social scientist, book critic and award-winning translator and dramatic reader, currently based in Lahore, where he is also the president of the Progressive Writers Association. He can be reached at razanaeem@hotmail.com.

Richmond native translates awardwinning novel | Kentucky - Richmond Register

Posted: 26 Dec 2020 04:30 PM PST

A 2001 community exchange trip to Japan as a middle school student set Richmond native Morgan Giles on a path which led her translating from Japanese the novel that won the National Book AwardforTranslated Literature this year.

The National Book Awards rank in significance with the Pulitzer Prizes, but the Pulitzers give no prize for translated literature. Thus, the NBA is the highest recognition in that category. The awards were announced Nov. 18 just before Giles flew from her home in London, England, to visit with her parents in Richmond.

Giles, 33, comes by her interest in books and writing naturally.

Her grandmother, the late Helen Winburn who retired in the early 1980s, was the society/ lifestyles editor of the Richmond Register for nearly 35 years. No other Register news/editorial employee has come close to matching her length of service. Giles' mother, Jenny Winburn Giles, is a retired school librarian. Her father, Bob Giles, is a businessman.

The 12-year-old Giles' Japan trip was intended to unveil new horizons. However, it proved life-changing in an unexpected, if a bit frightening way.

Not long after arriving in Japan, the Model Laboratory School student contracted pneumonia and had to be hospitalized. Relying on translators as she lay in a hospital bed made her realize the importance of learning other languages, she explained.

As a Model Lab High School student, Giles began taking Japanese courses at Eastern Kentucky University, where she was mentored by Prof. Michiko Kwak, who now lives in Los Angeles. After taking all of EKU's Japanese classes, Giles said Kwak suggested she read a Japanese novel. So she did — making notes in the book's margins. Those notes were her first attempt at literary translation, she recalled in a socially distanced interview on the porch of her parents' home.

After graduating from Model in 2006, Giles enrolled at Indiana University because of its top-ranked international language programs. Upon receiving a degree in Japanese with a minor in linguistics, Giles moved to England, where she began working for a firm that moderates websites while working privately on translating a Japanese short story. Relocating to London, one of the world's greatest publishing centers, proved fruitful for Giles. She got involved with the British Center for Literary Translations and enrolled in one of its summer programs, which resulted in the 2015 publication of her short story. That initial success "really clicked for me," Giles said. Translating "let me play with words, which is something I've always loved," she explained. And it clarified her career ambition.

She began reading an array of Japanese novels, looking for one she thought would appeal to English readers. One "really jumped out at me," Giles said. It was "Tokyo Ueno Station: A Novel" by Yu Mir, published in 2014. "It's about people who have worked hard all their lives and (end up with) almost nothing," she explained.

While telling one man's life story, the novel also broadly recounts the suffering of people in the region around the Fukushima nuclear electricity generation plant that melted down in 2011. An earthquake that violently shook the region was followed by a tsunami that overwhelmed the coastal area, causing widespread damage. The combined forces breached the nuclear reactor and released radioactive contamination. Nearly 16,000 people were killed, with more than 2,500 still missing. Damage was estimated at nearly $200 billion.

Most of the electricity generated by the Fukushima plant went to Tokyo and provided little benefit for the people who lived around it, according to the book.

Giles saw a parallel with eastern Kentucky, where coal is stripmined to generate power for prosperous cities such as Lexington, while wreaking havoc on the land and leaving coalfield communities "to rot" whenever the coal economy collapses. That gave her a personal, emotional connection to the story, she said.

Thus, the book is "not just about one unfortunate man in Japan," Giles said. "It has a broader connection to our world," Kentucky as well as Japan, or anywhere peoples' lives are upended when a region is economically exploited.

"I feel really lucky they let me translate this book," Giles said of the author and her publisher.

During the translation project, Giles received a fellowship from the Japanese government to study contemporary Japanese literature at Waseda University from 2017-2019.

While there, Giles met and was befriended by the author. The two became so close that Yu Mir, now 52, served as a witness for Giles' wedding when her fiance came to Japan for the ceremony. (Giles holds citizenship in both the United States and Britain and resides with her husband in London.)

"Tokyo Ueno Station" was popular and well reviewed in Japan, and the English version has won praise from reviewers in the United States and Britain. The Guardian newspaper of Britain described it as "poetic." How the protagonist "comes to be homeless, and then to haunt the park (next to the train station where the 1964 Tokyo Olympics took place and where he died), is what keeps us reading, trying to understand the tragedy of this ghostly everyman," according to an excerpt from its review on Amazon. "Deftly translated by Morgan Giles... It is an urgent reminder of the radical divide between rich and poor in postwar Japan," the review adds.

The publication Booklist calls the book "a surreal fable of splintered families, disintegrating relationships, and the casual devaluation of humanity." It praises Giles for giving the work "fluent accessibility" in translation.

The Japanese press has taken a renewed interest in "Tokyo Ueno Station" since it won the American award. The same week Giles was interviewed by The Register, a New York City-based Japanese journalist flew to Kentucky and then came to Richmond where he and Giles talked for about three hours, she said. Giles said she believes American readers are interested in hearing stories about life in other lands and cultures, despite the apparent lack of translated contemporary literature on bookstore and library shelves. Even in a story from another culture, translated from another language, a reader can connect to fictional characters' common humanity, Giles said. The translator's challenge is to convey that bond while presenting a clear portrait of the other culture, she said.

Instead of focusing directly on translating words or even idioms, Giles said she seeks "to replicate the feeling of what I'm translating." Making the English reader feel what the Japanese reader would feel is at the heart of her effort.

Reading books written in other languages provides a window into other cultures that lets us see how alike we are despite our differences, Giles continued. That connection and understanding is even more important now that international travel has been curtailed, she added.

"A novel allows you to see inside someone's mind," Giles said. "It lets us get close to people in a way we wouldn't be able to in face to face conversation."

Even before the National Book Awards were announced, Giles was at work translating another book by Yu Miri called "The End of August." It is considered her masterpiece, she said.

Giles describes this book as "an epic, multi-generational, semi-biographical novel." It tells the story of Yu Miri's grandfather who was a marathon runner in the 1930s when Korea was occupied by Japan. He likely would have represented Japan in the 1940 Tokyo Olympics had the games not been canceled because of the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

Yu Miri's family is part of Japan's ethnic Korean minority, and the novel's backdrop is the bitter history of the two countries. It begins with the Japanese occupation of Korea that began before World War I and continued through World War II. Part of that story centers around the Koreans who came to live in Japan and still do, including Yu Miri and her family.

"I'm really blown away that my first fulllength book translation won this award," Giles said.

Back in March she won the British Translators Association award for a debut translator, which she received at a ceremony in London. However, the National Book Awards ceremony that would have taken place in New York City was canceled because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Giles hopes the ceremony will be rescheduled or the 2020 winners will be honored at the 2021 ceremony.

"Tokyo Euno Station: A Novel" is in the collection of the Madison County Public Library's Richmond branch. It can be purchased in the Kindle electronic format on amazon.com or ordered in hardback for January delivery.

Coeur d'Alene Press - Coeur d'Alene Press

Posted: 27 Dec 2020 01:20 AM PST

Pandemic, protests, planes crashing - and mashed potatoes for your Thanksgiving pleasure.

What a year it's been.

Near the end of each December, The Press dives into digital data to see which articles that year attracted the most eyeballs. Usually, the worse the news, the more eyeballs - somewhat in contrast to what many print subscribers say they want to read.

But news, like something unsavory that starts with an "s," happens. And in 2020, it happened a lot.

According to Google analytics, The Press website and app generated 12,687,526 unique page views through Dec. 23. From that massive sum, these are the 10 most-read articles.

Later this week we'll explore the Top 10 local topics for the year.

1. June 2 - Armed 'Patriots' patrol Coeur d'Alene.

While sometimes-violent protests were breaking out across America, a small army of heavily armed citizens responded locally, mostly packing into corridors of downtown Coeur d'Alene.

"I heard there are some people on the way who shouldn't be here,"

Dan Carson told reporter Bill Buley that evening. Carson was packing an AR-12 across his chest, an AR-15 strapped to his back, two 9mm handguns holstered and a .38 special, too.

Carson said he supports the right to protest and was also upset about the death of George Floyd, which triggered the national unrest.

"By all means, I'm on their side. I disagree with what happened," he said. "What I don't agree with is when you turn to violence, and you start rioting and destroying businesses and hurting people who have nothing

to do with anything.

"That's what I'm here to hopefully prevent. I'm not going to be alone. There's a lot more on the way."

The rumors of militants being en route proved unfounded, but the region was gripped for several days by the protests that ultimately proved peaceful.

2. Nov. 17 - Walmart covering the cost of Thanksgiving

Apparently, it's hard to beat Walmart and free stuff when it comes to those living in the digital information sphere.

CDAPress.com was one of the first news outlets to report that, with a digital string attached, Walmart was giving away Thanksgiving feast stuff at no charge.

The article by Craig Northrup detailed how all 4,700-plus Walmarts would reimburse customers for the cost of specific purchases, including Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, a big bottle of Coke, a 3-pound Butterball turkey roast, turkey gravy, stuffing, green beans, crispy onions, cranberry sauce - and of course, Idahoan instant mashed taters.

The deal was made possible through a digital partnership with Ibotta.

3. April 23 - Little re-opening starts May 1

The news broke on the Press website and the next-day banner headline in The Press read, Re-opening Idaho: Governor unveils plan in two-week stages.

That chunk of good news was eagerly consumed by readers who had been feeling the shattering impacts of COVID-19 for weeks.

"We have reached a prolonged downward decline in new and severe cases [because of those] working to flatten the curve," Little said in the article reported by Craig Northrup.

The governor outlined his plan to open the state back up in two-week stages until most of the state would be open by the end of June - a target the governor and Idahoans hit together.

Little started by re-opening church gatherings so long as they adhered

to strict physical distancing, sanitation protocols and other guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control.

4. March 19 - First COVID-19 case in Kootenai County

The patient who first brought home the global pandemic to Kootenai County was identified as a man over 60 with an extensive travel history.

According to the article by Bill Buley, the man was self-isolating in another state while experiencing mild symptoms.

Kootenai County's first case was the 12th reported in the state - until the south central health district reported 12 new cases of its own late that day.

"There is no need to panic," said Panhandle Health District director Lora Whalen said. "Now more than ever, it is time for each of us to consider our part, what role we play in stopping the threat of this virus in our community."

5. Jan. 22 - Golden Corral closes its Coeur d'Alene doors

Stop the presses! When it comes to our bellies, closure of a favored buffet is pretty damned big news. And this one caused more than a little gastrointestinal distress based on the number of readers who filled their plates with the sad news of its closure.

The article no doubt got a belt-busting boost by Press Facebook page link that ended up reaching 78,261 people with 20,594 engagements and 343 comments.

And maybe a burp or two.

6. June 14 - History Corner - The Acadians' 400-year journey

Who says history is dead? Not when Syd Albright is writing about it, it's not.

Albright, a former UCLA instructor who pens his popular History Corner columns for every Press Sunday edition, struck digital gold with his tale of the Acadians' venture to the Cajun Bayous of Louisiana after they were virtually unwanted elsewhere.

Albright's engaging writing style and exhaustive research through photo archives has made has made his forays into the past must-read material for Press subscribers - and apparently, for digital readers, as well.

Albright, of Post Falls, now leads his History Club every Wednesday morning at IHOP on Fourth Street. Interested in attending? Contact Syd at: silverflix@roadrunner.com

7. July 21 - Kootenai Health ICU at capacity

Putting the pandemic in local perspective, this article drove home the reality that the virus is real and that it was creating an untenable treatment plan at North Idaho's largest hospital.

The sub-headline also spotlighted a political reality: Hospitalizations rise to 19; mayors say they don't support issuing mask mandate

Yes, you read that right. Hospitalizations before Kootenai Health created its COVID-19 unit were restricted to the ICU, which could handle fewer than 20 patients. Now, COVID patient counts around 100 are stressing the hospital more than the July ICU crisis.

In the article, KH spokesperson Kim Anderson wrote to area mayors:

"We are increasingly concerned that without a community-wide masking mandate, our health care community (and eventually our businesses and schools) will soon be in an impossible situation."

She wrote that longterm care facilities are refusing to accept COVID-19 patients because they do not want the disease to spread to other residents. Because patients cannot be discharged without a plan for continuing care, without a place that will accept them, "we cannot discharge these patients so their bed can be used for someone who requires hospitalization."

Sound familiar? Yet the beat goes on.

8. July 6 - Two dead, others missing after planes crash

On a gorgeous Sunday summer afternoon, tragedy rocked the community when two planes collided over Lake Coeur d'Alene. The planes were located in 127 feet of water by the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office sonar team, and the results were heartbreaking: Eight dead, including beloved local pilot Neil Lunt and three children.

The crash had involved a Brooks Seaplane charter piloted by owner Lunt and carrying five passengers, and a Cessna with pilot and one passenger that had taken off from Felts Field in Spokane.

Witnesses described a fireball in the sky before both planes crashed into the water between Powderhorn Bay and Black Bay and sank quickly.

9. Rathdrum man accused of stabbing mother

According to police, an 18-year-old admitted to stabbing his mother multiple times with a kitchen knife, believing he left her for dead.

While the suspect faces a substantial prison sentence if convicted on two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, the mother reportedly has recovered.

10. June 16 - It's better to give than to receive

If you don't believe it, then you really should read this article. Its headline pretty much told the story: Prize car gifted twice.

Bill Buley's opening then filled in the blanks.

"With a turn of a key, Brian Hansen won a 2019 Chevrolet Trax on Thursday night at Knudtsen Chevrolet.

"A minute later, the 2020 Post Falls High School graduate gave it away.

"And the crowd of about 100 was a mix of stunned and admiring."

For years, Eve Knudtsen & Co. have been giving away a new car to one of a handful of outstanding local high school graduates. Long story short, young Mr. Hansen had noticed that Timberlake High grad Amy Palmer had simply not followed completely through on her attempt at the car, so the better part of honesty and valor won out - and Amy drove away in the $26,000 SUV.

"My faith in a younger generation is so restored," Knudtsen said. "I think those parents in Post Falls are definitely doing something right."

There now. How's that for a happy ending to the story of 2020?

Dave McNary Dies: Long-Time Variety Film Reporter Was 69 - Deadline

Posted: 26 Dec 2020 10:21 AM PST

Dave McNary, the veteran film reporter who covered the industry for more then two decades at Variety and was a friend to many of us at Deadline, has died at 69. His wife, Sharon McNary, veteran journalist and KPCC-FM infrastructure correspondent, confirmed the news on Saturday morning.

McNary suffered a stroke on December 19 and was rushed to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, passing away from complications.

McNary started his long career at Variety in 1999, where he covered everything from the Guilds to various studios, including Warner Bros. Many of us at Deadline had the opportunity to work side by side with Dave over the years, including Ted Johnson, Anthony D'Alessandro, Mike Fleming, and Peter Bart, the long-time Editor-In-Chief at Variety, who hired McNary in 1999.

"Dave McNary epitomized the passionate newsman," Bart said. "He loved breaking stories. And he was meticulously fair minded, for example, when covering the battles of the Writers Guild, seeking to understand all sides of the issue. Even when people were yelling at him he responded with a patient smile and a calm retort."

McNary had a more than 40-year career in journalism, much of it spent as an entertainment industry business reporter. He worked for UPI, the Los Angeles Daily News, Pasadena Star-News and others before joining Variety in late 1999.

He was a prolific reporter who filed dozens of stories a week, mostly focusing on the independent film business, box office, production in Southern California as well as SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, the Writers Guild of America, the Directors Guild of America and Producers Guild of America. He was known throughout Hollywood's guild community simply as "Dave" and it was recognized that he understood the inner workings of unions better than many guild employees.

McNary had a busy second career in comedy. For three decades, he hosted a Sunday standup comedy showcase at the famed Ice House venue in Pasadena, where he auditioned and booked numerous comics who have gone on to careers in the industry. In the 1970s, he did some work with the Groundlings and with acting coach Gary Austin. He was part of a comedy troupe dubbed the Procrastinators, who made appearances on "The Gong Show" doing out-there acts such as the surf tune "Wipeout" on belly bongos or "Rawhide" on stick horses.

Born David Nathan McNary in Berkeley, Calif., he grew up in San Rafael and Woodland as the oldest of five children. During his middle school years, the family lived in Barcelona, Spain, which left McNary fluent in Spanish. As a youth he was involved in the Boy Scouts and achieved the top rank of Eagle Scout.

After returning to California, McNary wrote for his high school paper and made his way to UCLA. He earned a degree in history and also rose through the ranks to become editor of the Daily Bruin newspaper. He remained an enthusiastic Bruin booster and continued to speak at events for alumni of the Daily Bruin.

It cannot go without saying the effect McNary had on so many young reporters who have or are still covering the industry today. I, like so many other young reporters at Variety, had the great honor of learning how to cover the business from him when I first started as Intern in 2008. That was the thing about Dave, no matter how busy he was covering the latest issue with the guilds or posting a piece of big development news, he always had the time to chat whether it be who we should reach out to to confirm a story, to simply gloating about his beloved San Francisco Giants winning a big playoff game.

He was known for asking interns if they would like to be his plus one for the DGA awards and then laughing the next day with them at how long the event went on for. It wasn't just his friends and colleagues that love and appreciated Dave, but an a number of publicists, agents, execs and talent who worked with him and grew to appreciate how professional he was on whatever it was he was working on.

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