Frank Clines left a mark on this newspaper and the world around him.
 | | Frank Clines in 2013.Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times |
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Journalism lost one of its greats this week: Francis X. Clines, who spent his 59-year career at The New York Times, died on Sunday. |
In 2018, upon his retirement, Frank spoke movingly of his early days in New York and at the paper and said that from the beginning his purpose had been, simply, "to tell stories." Which he did, memorably, in many settings — from his home in New York, from London, Northern Ireland, the Middle East and Moscow and later from his perch in Opinion. I'd encourage you to read my colleague Robert McFadden's wonderful obit honoring Frank's life. |
Frank was a reporter to his core, but he also carefully crafted his stories, delighting in the use of language and lyricism, which he did beautifully. One of his first jobs as a copy boy in the late 1950s was to run errands and copy (and deliver cigars) for Charles Merz, the formidable editorial page editor who reigned supreme over the report from 1938 to 1961. I'm told that Frank got a kick out of his return four decades or so later to Times Opinion, where he'd frequently write about two passions: the questions of how to prevent gun violence and how to enact campaign finance reform. In the brief time we worked together, at the end of his career, what I admired most was Frank's kindness and mentorship toward his colleagues and his ability to find hidden treasures in everyday life, especially in his beloved New York. |
In October 2017, amid some dark days of the Trump administration, Frank pitched a short editorial on a series of murals inspired by John James Audubon that were being painted in Washington Heights. "Gleaming with avian beauty, they appear in vivid colors as multistory murals on the sides of apartment buildings," Frank wrote, "as epiphanies in alleyways and as scattered nocturnal flocks that burst into view when shopkeepers roll down security gates where they are painted." |
That afternoon, looking through the gorgeous photos that accompanied Frank's fine text, I felt a rare moment of joy and hope, and I was not alone. "What a refreshing, upbeat editorial," one commenter wrote regarding the mural story. "Please write more. America needs more cheer!" I found myself in agreement. I left the office early and went uptown to see the flora and fauna myself. |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
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