A Voice From the Past
About 30 years ago, more or less, I submitted a brief story to the Chicago Tribune Travel Section. It was titled something like, “If You’re a Kid, the Best Parts of a Trip are the Souvenir Stands,” and it was about some of the wonderful places to buy junk and memorabilia along Route 66. I also mentioned to the editor that I had a book in the works. The Tribune rejected that article, but Harriet Choice, the Travel Editor, called me (that was in the days before email) and asked if I’d do a big article on Route 66. The end result was almost an entire Travel Section on Route 66. Harriet and I corresponded a bit, but I lost touch with her even before my first book came out. Fast forward 30 years more or less, and another Tribune luminary, entertainment writer Rick Kogan, has written a story about Route 66 and my books. Probably not coincidently, but certainly surprising to me, I received a request to be Facebook Friends from Harriet Choice. I don’t think she has been following Route 66 for all these years, but it certainly has given me a good feeling to be reconnected with someone who was Really Important to the country’s growing interest in the old highway. Harriet, I do hope you’ve seen Rick’s article. (see review page)