If today’s celebrity profiling/entertainment writers wrote their articles like Gay Talese did, I might keep up with celebrities; not to follow the subject matter of the article, but to simply to enjoy the way the stories would read because of a masterful author.
Talese revolutionized journalism through his literary style. He employed a storytelling method instead of a hard news reporting and yet he also incorporated classical literary devices into his writing. In Frank Sinatra Has a Cold, Talese begins the story in medias res, Latin for “into the middle of things.” This is exactly how Virgil begins his epic poem The Aeneid. Talese shows his brilliance by placing a classical literary element into an article that reads just like an epic story.
I couldn’t put down Talese’s story. His elegant sentences, clear observations and his conversational and storytelling measures make the story personal. Instead of reading an article about Frank Sinatra – a man whom I know very little about – I felt like I was there observing Sinatra with Talese. I became so caught up that I forgot I was reading.
Today’s journalists focus heavily on hard news and quick stories planned and written after one or two interviews with a celebrity. By following Sinatra around, listening to him, paying attention to the small details and research, Talese seems to capture Sinatra’s essence in his article. It is not another boring article about a celebrity rear-ending another SUV; it is a well crafted, clearly written work, worthy of multiple re-readings.
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