A Life in Writing

Charles Champlin is best known as a columnist and film critic for the Los Angeles Times. His career as a journalist, however, has spanned decades, first as a writer for Life and later as a London-based correspondent for Time magazine. This book continues where his last memoir left off, with the author moving at the age of sixteen with his mother from Hammondsport, New York, to a village on Oneida Lake.

Turning his journalistic eye on his own life, Champlin offers a series of vivid sketches that brings to life the events and people he encounters. His interviews with Peter O’Toole and other theatrical luminaries, his experience working with Henry Luce, and his compassionate reporting are all vividly recounted, revealing the author’s personal impressions that richly detail an era. With wry insight and keen observation, Champlin narrates both the daily and the legendary events at Time, offering readers a glimpse into the world of magazine writing and publishing before the age of the computer.

Balancing self-portrait with historical narrative, Champlin presents a story of self-discovery in the larger context of a changing world. Relying on retrospection and personal and professional experience, he recalls crucial moments during WWII, the postwar years, and the sixties, reflections that will resonate with many readers. His prosespare and unpretentiousis filled with humor and reveals a veteran writer who has lost none of the wit and wisdom from his earlier memoir.