Winchell Exclusive: Things That Happened to Me – and Me to Them
by Walter Winchell
Prentice Hall (1975)
What’s It About?: The autobiography of Walter Winchell (1897-1972), American tabloid journalist and radio news commentator, and unquestionably the most (in)famous media figure of the twentieth-century. This book was written and completed prior to his death.
My opinion: If you’ve ever wanted an example of an author writing for an audience of himself, look no further. Described by the New York Times as a “mean, ungenerous, crudely cynical book, boiling and seething with petty spite and prodigious malice – a love letter to himself, a poison-pen letter to the rest of the world.”
You might think this is an exaggeration, but I can’t think of any quote that more deftly sums up the life and works of Winchell. That being said, his autobiography is an invaluable document on the collective mindset and culture of the tabloid press of the twentieth-century. Winchell’s approach to journalism – which inspired the terms “Winchellism” and “Winchellese” – drew a lot of criticism from his peers for its overall effect on the media ecosystem. This was a time when publications such as the New York Times set themselves apart from all of this. The Times in particular, with their famous slogan, “All the news that’s fit to print,” in an effort to elevate journalism to a legitimate form of information transfer. Winchell did little to deflect such criticism; in fact, often he would go out of his way to confirm it, such as when he told St. Clair McKelway that he talked “like a high school student of journalism.”
There are times when I find this book hard to follow, due to Winchell’s bizarre syntax, which definitely takes some getting used to. But what I could make out from it was a larger-than-life figure essentially proving every negative thing ever said or written about him and his craft. His writing is meant to jump out at you, and I suppose this is what happens when a gossip columnist thinks that writing an autobiography requires the same skillset.
For all his flaws, Walter Winchell was a creative and compelling individual. Winchell Exclusive is a fascinating read, essential for anyone looking to learn about the history of media, and definitely one of the more unique autobiographies out there.
It is also out of print, but if you can find a used copy, get it. The man may be many things, but boring is not one of them.
Lawrence Deveney 