2008 Woodie Awards
The man behind the column
Who is Sylvester Brown, Jr.?
Regina LaRose, Sean Zollner, Katherine Easter, James Williams
Issue date: 3/5/08 Section: News
Sylvester Brown Jr. is a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He is the guest speaker at the Michael Davis Lecture series in Rose Theater. The event was rescheduled from its previous time to Wednesday, March 19, 2008, due to weather conflicts.
Inspiration:
Brown dreamed of becoming a cartoonist, "throughout my youth, I created cartoon characters and my own comic strips. Looking back, it was a sort of journaling with humor. By changing the names and exaggerating the circumstances, I was able to put a humorous spin on the poverty and chaos of my young life."
Beginning his career:
"I went to Forest Park Community College to study fine art, then I switched to commercial art. I stumbled into the newspaper business by volunteering my services to a locally-owned tabloid publication. I started 'Take Five' during my last year at Forest Park. I learned journalism through trial and error and the talented writers who contributed their work to 'Take Five.'"
Biggest challenge:
With over 20 years of writing experience and 50 years of life experience, Brown enjoys his work. "Communicating with readers who do not share my life experiences, that is my biggest challenge and my greatest joy," Brown said.
Coolest year:
Brown has been on O'Reilly's show, Al Franken's Show, "The Tavis Smiley Show," "The Michael Eric Dyson program" and "Nightline." Of these appearances Brown enjoyed "The O'Reilly Factor" the most. "This was the most challenging and raw. He did his abusive thing, I buckled but was able to go toe-to-toe, on national TV, no less and come out the victor. He denied doing something I accused him of doing. He wagered me a dinner at Tony's in St. Louis if he were wrong. He was and reneged on the bet. The story went national and still lives on the Internet and I was able to poke fun at O'Reilly for about a year. COOLNESS!"
Proudest award:
Brown received 35 awards for his magazine "Take Five," such as best column and best series awards and the Terry Hughes award. When asked about his favorite he said, "I suppose the Terry Hughes award. As a columnist she brought so much passion and perspective to her writing. I was honored to receive the award because it was awarded based on the review of my peers."
Kirkwood tragedy:
When asked if he would like to comment on the Kirkwood/Thornton shooting Brown said, "it was an extreme tragedy. It speaks to the real work we need to do in this country to dialog, address the racial inequities and take a critical look at how we treat our fellow man and woman."
Wednesday's speech:
"Speaking Truth to Silence"
Second favorite newspaper:
"The New York Times"
Favorite television show:
"That's a tough one. I like to laugh, I like politics and I shamefully admit, bawdy humor, so 'Family Guy,' 'The Simpsons,' 'The Daily Show' and Bill Maher's show I guess are among my top picks."
Favorite type of music and song:
"I am all over the place with music; Wyclef Jean, Akon, Andre Bocelli, Elvis, Macy Gray, Nat King Cole, anything Creole, etc., etc.,"
Favorite book:
"The Man Who Cried I am" by John A. Williams, "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving, "Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini and anything by Stephen King and Walter Mosley.
Favorite website:
"STLtoday, of course."
Favorite restaurant:
"I like Bar Italia in the Central West End."
Beverage of choice:
"Water for refreshment, Cognac for enjoyment."
Hobbies:
"Other than writing-I don't have any real hobbies, other than hanging out with my wife Vicki and two girls Lexi, 12 and Kyra, 7."
Inspiration:
Brown dreamed of becoming a cartoonist, "throughout my youth, I created cartoon characters and my own comic strips. Looking back, it was a sort of journaling with humor. By changing the names and exaggerating the circumstances, I was able to put a humorous spin on the poverty and chaos of my young life."
Beginning his career:
"I went to Forest Park Community College to study fine art, then I switched to commercial art. I stumbled into the newspaper business by volunteering my services to a locally-owned tabloid publication. I started 'Take Five' during my last year at Forest Park. I learned journalism through trial and error and the talented writers who contributed their work to 'Take Five.'"
Biggest challenge:
With over 20 years of writing experience and 50 years of life experience, Brown enjoys his work. "Communicating with readers who do not share my life experiences, that is my biggest challenge and my greatest joy," Brown said.
Coolest year:
Brown has been on O'Reilly's show, Al Franken's Show, "The Tavis Smiley Show," "The Michael Eric Dyson program" and "Nightline." Of these appearances Brown enjoyed "The O'Reilly Factor" the most. "This was the most challenging and raw. He did his abusive thing, I buckled but was able to go toe-to-toe, on national TV, no less and come out the victor. He denied doing something I accused him of doing. He wagered me a dinner at Tony's in St. Louis if he were wrong. He was and reneged on the bet. The story went national and still lives on the Internet and I was able to poke fun at O'Reilly for about a year. COOLNESS!"
Proudest award:
Brown received 35 awards for his magazine "Take Five," such as best column and best series awards and the Terry Hughes award. When asked about his favorite he said, "I suppose the Terry Hughes award. As a columnist she brought so much passion and perspective to her writing. I was honored to receive the award because it was awarded based on the review of my peers."
Kirkwood tragedy:
When asked if he would like to comment on the Kirkwood/Thornton shooting Brown said, "it was an extreme tragedy. It speaks to the real work we need to do in this country to dialog, address the racial inequities and take a critical look at how we treat our fellow man and woman."
Wednesday's speech:
"Speaking Truth to Silence"
Second favorite newspaper:
"The New York Times"
Favorite television show:
"That's a tough one. I like to laugh, I like politics and I shamefully admit, bawdy humor, so 'Family Guy,' 'The Simpsons,' 'The Daily Show' and Bill Maher's show I guess are among my top picks."
Favorite type of music and song:
"I am all over the place with music; Wyclef Jean, Akon, Andre Bocelli, Elvis, Macy Gray, Nat King Cole, anything Creole, etc., etc.,"
Favorite book:
"The Man Who Cried I am" by John A. Williams, "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving, "Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini and anything by Stephen King and Walter Mosley.
Favorite website:
"STLtoday, of course."
Favorite restaurant:
"I like Bar Italia in the Central West End."
Beverage of choice:
"Water for refreshment, Cognac for enjoyment."
Hobbies:
"Other than writing-I don't have any real hobbies, other than hanging out with my wife Vicki and two girls Lexi, 12 and Kyra, 7."
Be the first to comment on this story