[Editor’s Note: Mr. Fry, a longtime colleague of Glenn Esterly, composed this essay after Mr. Esterly’s death this week.]
I had contributed reviews and feature articles to the Culver City News and Blue Pacific News from about 2002, after retiring from a long career at UCLA.
When Glenn was hired as editor of the News in 2003, he wanted to amass a panel of local columnists and news writers to create a paper truly reflecting the local community.
He asked me to contribute a weekly column on music, which we titled "Music To My Ears."
Subsequently, he drew a small army of columnists and feature writers to the paper, developing an excellent local publication and news source.
Glenn and I both grew up on farms, sitting on tractors 10 hours a day as kids, and subsequently leaving this environment for college.
We developed a personal friendship as well as a mutually appreciative working relationship.
I admired his writing ability, terse balanced style, and his vision. I was inspired by his editing skills and integrity.
Associated Press trained, Glenn had worked for a variety of newspapers and magazines.
He was most proud, I think, for his no-holds-barred interview of the notorious American poet Charles Bukowski in Rolling Stone ("The Pock-marked Poetry of Charles Bukowski: Notes of a Dirty Old Mankind," in Rolling Stone, no. 215, June 17, 1976, pp. 28-34.), and his editorial writing for TV Guide.
He also contributed to the TV Guide Collector's Edition: TV Celebrity Cookbook (News America Publications, 1994).
Glenn was the best editor I've ever worked with, and I will miss him greatly.
Mr. Fry may be contacted at smfry@ucla.edu
