|
|
Post by howard lee on Jul 20, 2024 8:33:07 GMT -5
Today would have been the birthday of one of our lost members, Chesapeake.
Any memories you'd care to share?
From his profile on LinkedIn.com:
About
Donald Smith is a Washington, D.C.-based writer, broadcaster, and radio-TV producer. He is author of the widely acclaimed historical mystery novel "The Constable's Tale" (Pegasus Books, September 2015). His articles have appeared in The Atlantic, Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, National Geographic magazine and website, and in major newspapers including The Washington Post, LA Times, Milwaukee Journal and Chicago Tribune. He was executive co-producer of Radio Expeditions, the duPont award-winning National Geographic - NPR production. He was editorial director and chief writer for the Morning Edition weekly series "The Geographic Century" - great moments of exploration and discovery during the 20th century.
Before coming to National Geographic he was the White House correspondent for Congressional Quarterly, director of CQ newsletters and executive producer of the weekly PBS series "Congressional Outlook" featuring looks at upcoming Capitol Hill issues. He serves on the screening board of the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Radio-TV Awards Program. He is co-author (with Bradford Washburn) of On High: The Adventures of Legendary Mountaineer, Photographer, and Scientist Brad Washburn (National Geographic Books, 2002); and (with aviator Linda Finch) of No Limits, a biography of Amelia Earhart (1997, World Flight, Inc.).
From 1978 to 1999 he hosted "Report on Congress," a summary and analysis of congressional activities, Washington's WGMS-FM 103.5. Beginning as a reporter at the Washington Evening Star, where he was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he later served as managing editor of The Washington Post Magazine. As a National Geographic senior staff writer from 1987 to 1995 he roamed the world on assignment for the NGS News Service. His writings and photographs on subjects of adventure, exploration and geopolitics were distributed by AP and the New York Times Syndicate in newspapers and magazines worldwide.
|
|
|
|
Post by John B on Jul 20, 2024 10:09:03 GMT -5
I enjoyed "The Constable's Tale," written by Don in 2015 (well, at least published then). I might pull it down from the shelf and give it a re-read in his honor.
I always enjoyed his thoughtful, reasoned commentary. Most I agreed with, some that I didn't, but most I did. And I enjoyed hearing tales from his working life. He lived well.
|
|
Dub
Administrator
I'm gettin' so the past is the only thing I can remember.
Posts: 20,477 
|
Post by Dub on Jul 20, 2024 10:53:55 GMT -5
Don was someone I had really hoped to meet. For all his accomplishments, the thing he was proud to discuss was his role in researching and preparing displays for the Earl Scruggs museum. Don and his wife had a fancy B&B in a posh area of Washington D.C. At the time a cousin of mine and his wife were spending a lot of time in DC on business, enough time to need accommodations. I always hoped to get them to stay with Don but it didn’t work out and Don passed before they could get there.
I used to try to get Don to Idiot Jam. He seemed receptive to the idea but travel was a barrier. I’m guessing the illness he never mentioned here on the SoundHole kept him from traveling.
He had been working on a follow-up toThe Constable’s Tale and I was really looking forward to reading that.
I miss Don and think of him often.
On thing that surprised me was to learn that Don was a couple of years older than me. I had always pictured him as younger.
|
|
|
|
Post by howard lee on Jul 20, 2024 11:12:59 GMT -5
His B&B was formerly the Chester A. Arthur House.
|
|
Dub
Administrator
I'm gettin' so the past is the only thing I can remember.
Posts: 20,477
|
Post by Dub on Jul 20, 2024 12:09:34 GMT -5
His B&B was formerly the Chester A. Arthur House. Were you ever there? |
|
|
|
Post by howard lee on Jul 20, 2024 12:29:27 GMT -5
His B&B was formerly the Chester A. Arthur House. Were you ever there?
I have been to DC on numerous occasions but never to the Chester A. Arthur House B&B, nor did I have the pleasure of meeting Donald Smith.
Those aren't my photos; I nicked them from the Web.
|
|
|
|
Post by billhammond on Jul 20, 2024 13:05:34 GMT -5
His B&B was formerly the Chester A. Arthur House. Were you ever there? I stayed there once, and Don and his wife could not have been more gracious, threw a big dinner party and invited journalist friends, including a couple with MN connections, so the conversation was sterling. |
|
|
|
Post by theevan on Jul 20, 2024 14:14:25 GMT -5
What an amazing CV!
I remember Bill visiting and staying their B&B. Gorgeous place.
|
|
|
|
Post by millring on Jul 21, 2024 11:16:32 GMT -5
Today would have been the birthday of one of our lost members, Chesapeake. I think about Don quite often as he introduced me to a facebook friend who has been a source of both great interest and warm encouragement. Without Don I'd have never made the connection to a fellow traveler in the dual world of guitar and creative pursuit. I was thankful for Don's participation here. He was the rarest of birds -- one who could disagree amiably. |
|
|
|
Post by Marshall on Jul 21, 2024 16:58:41 GMT -5
His B&B was formerly the Chester A. Arthur House. Could use a little remodeling, don’t you think? (Just kidding) |
|
|
|
Post by billhammond on Jul 21, 2024 17:05:01 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by RickW on Jul 22, 2024 15:15:03 GMT -5
When I first got back into writing fiction, I communicated with Don about his journey. I’m not sure where writing his novel sat in the list of his creative accomplishments, but I can tell you he was very proud of it, and it was a good book. We had a few discussions about publishing paths and the business, and he was always more than willing to share his thoughts and experiences. I wonder where he’d have been at now if he’d been able to continue.
|
|
|
|
Post by david on Jul 22, 2024 20:31:48 GMT -5
I was impressed with Don, as I am with many on this board who have unique abilities and insights, and whom still have an interest in communicating with those of us with diverse, and less popular abilities. That is, a willingness to share views and life experiences. I always think of him as a gentleman and a scholar.
Like Millring, I appreciated (and in my case envied) his ability to amiably disagree.
|
|
|
|
Post by aquaduct on Jul 22, 2024 21:33:48 GMT -5
Helluva guy. He and his wife managed to get out to one of our gigs one afternoon. Unannounced natch.
Never let disagreements ruin a relationship.
Thanks for the reminder.
|
|
|
|
Post by Village Idiot on Jul 24, 2024 8:55:54 GMT -5
I never met the guy, but somehow we communicated quite a bit off-forum, where he learned that my family has a cabin in an area called Scientists Cliffs on the Chesapeake Bay, he had been there often himself, and kept his sailboat in a tiny harbor about a mile from their place. I can't remember how that conversation got started.
One morning I got an email from my folks who mentioned that this very nice guy was at the community center there to give a book talk on "Constable's Tale", and got to meet Don. Apparently he had shown up early to meet them, and they chatted for a bit. The same day Don sent a message to me saying he had met my folks. Quite a nice guy, I wish I had met him in person.
By the way, my Dad and I trade books all the time, so they had both finished reading "The Constable's Tale" before the book talk.
|
|
