Peter Y. Sussman is a Berkeley, Calif., journalist and author. He spent 29 years as an editor at the San Francisco Chronicle and has subsequently concentrated on books and freelance journalism. His most recent book is Decca: The Letters of Jessica Mitford (Knopf, 2006), which he edited. He previously co-authored Committing Journalism (W.W. Norton, 1993) with prison writer Dannie M. Martin. Details at www.peterysussman.com.

Blog Entries by Peter Y. Sussman

Gatesgate: A lesson plan

6 Comments | Posted July 25, 2009 | 10:33 AM (EST)


The police officer who arrested eminent Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. is said to be an excellent and sensitive cop. He teaches a class in racial profiling. Here are a few discussion points he might want to add to the syllabus. They come from a white layperson who has...

Read Post

Take Me to Your Editor

1 Comments | Posted May 4, 2009 | 12:20 PM (EST)


Huffington Post is a noble and necessary experiment in citizen journalism -- and indeed in journalism itself -- and I have been pleased to be a contributor, however infrequent. But like all path-breaking experiments, it can be led astray by its very success, and I wonder if it is now...

Read Post

Bye Bye Bush: The Shoe

Posted January 14, 2009 | 06:51 PM (EST)


It may have been the most important product placement in history, surpassing the American colonists' dumping of crates of East India tea into Boston Harbor 235 years ago. When journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi crystallized world opinion by hurling his shoes at American President George Bush during a news conference in Baghdad...

Read Post

McCain's Week Of Theatrics Offers Insight Into His Management Style

Posted September 29, 2008 | 09:02 AM (EST)


Before participating in the first presidential debate of the campaign, John McCain dropped a bomb on the political process by announcing unilaterally that he was suspending his campaign activities and canceling his debate participation until he could help fashion a "bailout" agreement. That he ended up doing neither is immaterial;...

Read Post