that you see columns at their peak of influence around 1890 with richard harding davis who really creates theater russo by chronicling his charge up san juan hill. and really sets a model that people like hemingway would follow that globe trotting journalist who is a figure in his own right. but the apex of thomas in the 30s, 40s 50s and 60s these folks had a direct impact on policy whether railing from the outside or people from within. >> page 47, steve hamill's column from september 12, 2001, at death takes hold among the living. weiss is included in your book? >> this is a great example of why we call the book "deadline artists." at the end of the day this is a creative process and it is written under a deadline. pete hamill wrote that column on 9/11. he writes it from that perspective it being downtown blocks away when the planes hit the world trade center and the trade center collapses. its history written in the present tense. that is one of the things that deadline artist does, and you see it again and again. when jimmy breslin is writing the column after john lennon's assassinati