I love to read well-written history books and insightful political journalism. Perhaps that’s why I have always been such a fan of Eric Black, who today announces his retirement as a MinnPost columnist.
Eric first worked for me when I was the editor of the Star Tribune, in the 1980s. During his Strib tenure, he produced — among other things — three great series putting modern events into historical context:
- “Our Constitution: The Myth that Binds Us”
- “Parallel Realities: A Jewish/Arab History of Israel/Palestine”
- “Rethinking the Cold War”
They were all turned into books. They are all still worth reading.
I was thrilled when then-managing editor Roger Buoen snagged Eric for MinnPost after he left the Strib. Here, he informed and entertained readers with his essays on everything from the ills of the Electoral College to the increasing partisanship of the Supreme Court and the failures of journalistic objectivity. Always, he put what happened yesterday (the meat of the journalism game) into the context of what happened long before yesterday. For his efforts, he won a national Sigma Delta Chi award for online column writing.
Eric had a loyal following at MinnPost. His pieces were among the most commented-upon, and the comments (for the most part) added further insight about the world we live in and the divisiveness of our politics.
On a personal level, I always found Eric to be extremely modest about his skills and accomplishments, and very respectful of those who see the world differently than he does. Good traits, both.
Congratulations, Eric, on a distinguished career. You have served Minnesota well.
If you’d like to send Eric a note of appreciation, you can do so here.
