There was a time every young television reporter dreamed of getting a call from the network offering a job. Mine came in 1971.

Off I went to ABC News’ New York City offices in Manhattan on west 66th. Executive producer Av Westin’s office left one memorable impression – a large 5-foot framed French poster as background behind his desk. We talked about salary and contracts but I was drawn to the French poster.

Av Westin was a star in the television news business, but I didn’t know it back then. 

Reasoner was one of my writing heroes (along with Charles Kuralt). Harry and I had a glass of wine or two together in the basement of the building where ABC News was broadcast from New York City in the early 70’s. He was not as erudite at this meeting, as I remember, especially as he was supposed to be talking me into working for ABC News. He never dropped one of his acerbic asides such as “Journalism is a kind of profession or craft or racket for people who never wanted to grow up and go into the real world” – no, he stared vacantly into his white wine and let me revel in his presence.

While the yearning was there, facing the proverbial fork in the road, I chose to stay in New Orleans.