tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290152190457552426.post6971364990571205687..comments2024-03-21T05:28:43.658-04:00Comments on Pressing Issues: Richard Ben Cramer Dies at 62Greg Mitchell http://www.blogger.com/profile/05627773627527089158noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290152190457552426.post-76678593641031478512013-01-07T23:10:31.863-05:002013-01-07T23:10:31.863-05:00Many great Richard Ben Cramer stories in the offin... Many great Richard Ben Cramer stories in the offing. Thirty-five years ago Cramer goes on his long and open-ended first tour as a foreign correspondent for the Philadelphia Inquirer in the Middle East. (Jim Naughton had to fake a $15,000 capital expense item to cover Cramer's bills). Anyway Richard is wandering in the Gaza and falls upon a Bedouin. Said Bedouin starts to tell the story of his life. Bedouin wails, argues with God, falls on his knees, draws pix in the sand, goes on for 15 minutes. Richard turns to his newly hired translator and says: "Wha'd he say?" Translator looks back blankly. "He says he is very sad." Richard was masterful at filling in the blanks. Great guy, wonderful reporter, chain-smoked a shit-load of Camels, and more's the pity....tim weinernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290152190457552426.post-60469828078784443632013-01-07T22:53:50.357-05:002013-01-07T22:53:50.357-05:00I was on the foreign desk of the Philadelphia Inqu...I was on the foreign desk of the Philadelphia Inquirer when Richard Ben covered the Lebanon invasion from an Israeli taxi. You could tell how good the story he was going to send by how much he badmouthed it before it got to Philadelphia. If he said he hated it, we cleared the front page.Joel Shurkinnoreply@blogger.com