Bob Greene
MoveCloseDeleteAdmin

TV ClubHouse: archive: Library - Miscellaneous thru May 2003: Bob Greene

Marysafan

Monday, September 16, 2002 - 08:40 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Bob Greene is my very favorite writer. I have a copy of every book he has ever written except his lastest one,and have read most of them. I am a regular reader of his column via the internet, and will go out of my way to catch him when he appears on tv.

The first book I read of his was "Be True to Your School", which was his journal that he kept in High school for the year 1964. I recommend it highly to every one who is or ever was a teenager and especially if you have one living in your house.

So because I have been reading him for so long, and because much of what he writes comes from his personal experience or is a part of our every day lives, when I heard the news about his dimissal from the Chicago Tribune this weekend, and the circumstances surrounding it, needless to say it felt like a kick in the stomach.

I don't know what comes next for Bob Greene. I don't even pretend to know what should come next. I just know that when I clicked on his website this morning and found that he wasn't there...things were different in my world...and I didn't like it.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/chi-0209160216sep16.story?coll=chi%2Dprintnews%2Dhed

Babyruth

Monday, September 16, 2002 - 09:09 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Mary,

Thanks for your interesting post. I've never read his books, but I just now looked up some info at Amazon on them. "Be True to Your School" looks particularly good--I will check it out from the library. Thanks for sharing!

Why is he no longer at the Tribune?

Car54

Monday, September 16, 2002 - 10:16 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Marysafan, I heard something on the news about him...I grew up in Chicago and like you he has always been someone I enjoyed...

I did not hear the story...just the tag at the end...what happened?

Marysafan

Monday, September 16, 2002 - 10:34 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Apparently, 10 years or so ago,(he would have been about 45) a high school student was involved in a project that brought her to Bob Greene's office. That is how the initial contact began. Those in the know, claim he even wrote an article about her. He invited her to dinner and afterwards there was sexual contact. He claims she was of legal age at the time. (which I was very relieved to know as it is bad enough without being a crime too.)

Now, twice in the last the last year this woman has called Bob Greene. The day after the second call she claims to have received a call from an FBI agent asking her if her behavior could be considered a threat to the columnist.

She contacted the newspaper on Monday via an anonymous email. The email was turned over to the editor on Tuesday. An internal invesigation began. ON Thursday a meeting was held with Bob Greene where he was suspended. The editors met with the woman on Saturday, after which two more meetings were held with Bob Greene where he tended his resignation.

There is probably much more to this story than we will ever know...(or want to know), but the result is no more Bob Greene at the Tribune.

One note of pure speculation here. In the book "Be True to your School", Bob Greene has four friends who make up their "clique" ABCD & J.
That stands for: Alan, Bob, Chuck, Dan, and Jack. I believe it is Jack that grew up to become an FBI officer. Bob mentions him several times in his books throughout the years.

When I heard about the call from an "FBI agent"...bells went off in my head.

Car54

Monday, September 16, 2002 - 11:29 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks, Mary. This is very sad for everyone involved.

When I am in a big city that has out of town newspapers, I always still read the Trib and will miss him.

Sounds like there is a lot more to this story.