Columnist, Chicago Tribune
She asked what I wanted from my Nieman time, I heard myself say something I’d never articulated about the job: “Courage.” I meant the courage to express my opinions, and to refrain from an opinion when I didn’t have a clear one…Looking back, I think courage is too grand a word. What I meant were the less exalted attributes of confidence and stamina…When I went back to my job…I carried the word “courage” with me like a lucky charm, and to this day I’m fortified by the people who during my Nieman year helped me find it.
- Nieman Moment
- Twitter: @MarySchmich
- Professional profile
- From Nieman Storyboard, 23 Things I’ve Learned from (Not) Being a Columnist: Lessons on column writing from Pulitzer Prize-winner Mary Schmich’s 23 years at the Chicago Tribune
- Storyboard Featured Fellow: Mary Schmich
- The Journey of Judge Joan Lefkow, a Nieman Storyboard Notable Narrative from 2006
- Schmich is author of Even the Terrible Things Seem Beautiful to Me Now and Wear Sunscreen: A Primer for Real Life
- Living inside Brenda Starr’s head for 25 years: Strip’s writer explains why the sassy reporter is meeting her last deadline