Making News

After 17 years away, my name is back on the pages of the Martinez News-Gazette.

The Gazette, a daily based in Martinez, Calif., was the place where I began my first career, as a journalist. Way back in 1986, the News-Gazette's managing editor at the time, Robert Osmond, took a chance on me and put me on the Contra Costa County beat.  Looking back on it, I don't know how big of a chance he took, considering that he was paying me just $200 a week. But it was a job. And, at the time, that's all that mattered.

I continued to work at the News-Gazette for two years and covered some significant stories during that time. I developed a particular interest in environmental issues and wrote recurring stories and columns about a devastating oil spill from the Shell Oil refinery in Martinez and the closure of the IT Corp. toxic waste dump there. I made some good friends while working there and look back fondly on those days.

Now the News-Gazette is the first newspaper that I know of to write about my fiction debut, Lost in the Ivy.  The story, by reporter Catherine Hess, under the headline, "Two former Gazette reporters publish books," appeared on the front page (yes, THE FRONT PAGE) of The Gazette's Weekend Edition, July 16-17, 2005. Hess wrote:

For readers, community newspapers deliver local stories. For writers, a newspaper such as the Gazette often serves as a launching pad for careers as writers.

Two former News-Gazette reporters have recently published their first books. Randy Richardson, who covered the Contra Costa County beat from 1986 to 1988, is based in Illinois. His novel, Lost in the Ivy, was published last month by PublishAmerica.

The story goes on to tell more about me and my book. Many thanks to The Gazette for the story and for bringing back some great memories.

My little book is making more news. In the coming days I expect to be telling you more stories about that, as those stories emerge.