Veteran Reading Eagle reporter Steven Henshaw has released a book titled, “15000 Bylines: My Bumpy, Smoky, Fulfilling Newspaper Journey.”
Henshaw describes his book as both a memoir and chronicle of the final two decades of the Reading Eagle under private, independent ownership. It provides a fly-on-the-wall perspective of events surrounding the shocking sale of the newspaper by the heirs of the founder who started publishing a daily Reading newspaper shortly after the Civil War ended.
“A couple of years ago I started batting around with a couple of my colleagues the concept of a book about some of the colorful characters we’ve known over the last few decades as journalists,” Henshaw said. “It evolved into a personal narrative that weaves memorable characters and events throughout my career with three different newspapers spanning more than three decades.”
The book chronicles a career that germinated in the 1980s when Henshaw was a first-generation college student and editor of his campus newspaper.
Inspired by the memoirs of 20th-century newspapermen such as H.L. Mencken and Russell Baker, it traces the author’s stepping stones from small-town weekly reporter to metropolitan daily police reporter and columnist. Infused with engaging, often humorous anecdotes, the book recalls the late-20th century newspaper culture, including time-honored post-deadline, barroom gatherings with colleagues, and the emergence of the digital age.
At its core, he said, it’s a story about discovering meaning and purpose through trials and tribulations.
“15,000 Bylines” is available on Amazon and Google Books.
