Star-Ledger Death Watch: Part 2

Although yesterday I cited sports columnist Jerry Izenberg's retirement from the Ledger (which was clearly not a case of "did he fall or was he pushed" given his subsequent continuance there as "columnist emeritus") as when I first noticed that the Ledger was clearly in terminal decline, I should also mention something which occurred long  before that which gave me pause. Told me that the Ledger was extremely indulgent with its pets even as 'Rome" (aka NJ's cities) burned.

For a few years in the mid-80's, the Ledger ran a weekly series of turgid, somewhat simple-minded essays about what the Ledger referred to as "Gems of New Jersey." (They made your average Izenberg columnar jumble read like "Middlemarch".) And they ran on and on...and then on some more. They were all by then-columnist  Gordon Bishop.

Eventually, the Ledger collected and published them, along with a lot of nice photographs, in a hardcover book via Prentice-Hall. I recall it as going at the time for $39.95, but I could be wrong. At any rate, you can now find a used copy online for a buck.

Just a minor pr move by what was then an advertising-fat, extremely profitable newspaper, you might say. Yes, but also a waste of newsprint. Really, that someone could be purposely detailed to produce such astoundingly smug prose, it baffled me. Showed that in its "fatness" the Ledger had become arrogant and otiose and more than a little pompouse. (That said "gems" did not include either Rutt's Hut or East Rutherford's then-notorious Raven Lounge also offended me no end.)

According to a bio I found of Bishop at the very nicely done online Atlantic Highlands Herald (it's actually even credited as "by Gordon Bishop,"which may explain its length), Bishop's book upon its appearance was declared this state's "first official State book." Whatever the hell that really means. (Maybe it was just a slow legislative day at the statehouse in Trenton?)  But I think said declaration, if in fact it's true, indicates the Ledger's statewide influence at the time was considerable to have such instant sleepytime noted as an "official State book," let alone the first such. Times sure have changed since then.

(I also learned from Bishop's bio that in 1989 he authored something called "Greater Newark - A Microcosm of America." Gee, now did I miss that one? While I thus have no idea if this book is also a collection of Bishop columns, one could certainly have a great deal of cruel fun by comparing the book's 1989 positions and predictions  -  remember former mayor Ken Gibson's widely reported comment that "Wherever America's cities are going, Newark will get there first" or some such? I wonder if anyone who fell for such solely-of-the-time drivel has since realized that, actually, in strictly Jersey-type terms, no, it was actually Camden which got there first, with perhaps Paterson nipping at its heels  -  with today's likely grimmer realities.)