Today I’m honoured to introduce A Small Story for Page 3, the debut novel by US journalist Jack Germond. Tragically, Jack Germond didn’t live to see the launch of his first novel. He completed the edits to A Small Story for Page 3 just days before his death in August 2013. The novel was published on the day he died.
Jack Germond was a US newspaper man, columnist and TV pundit with an illustrious career, appearing on shows such as CNN, Meet the Press and The Today Show, among others. He covered ten US presidential elections, and with Jules Witcover wrote a book covering each presidential election from 1980 to 1992. He also published two non-fiction books: his memoir Fat Man in A Middle Seat (Random House 2002) and Fat Man Fed Up (Random House 2005), which deals with the decline of politics in the United States.
Jack’s wife, Alice Germond, has been working actively to promote her husband’s novel in his memory, and I’m delighted to be able to introduce A Small Story for Page 3 to my British readers on her behalf. If you have any questions or comments after reading this post, Alice will be delighted to hear from you.
Alice Germond is the Secretary Emeritus of the Democratic National Committee. In 2013 President Obama appointed Alice to the prestigious Commission on White House Fellows where she currently serves. I was intrigued to discover that one of Alice’s earliest experiences was participating in Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ‘I Have A Dream’ March on the National Mall – and I hope Alice will be writing her own memoirs one day.
Here’s what reviewers say about A Small Story for Page 3:
Ace political reporter Harry Fletcher has problems: a politician threatening him, a young reporter gunning for his job, a wife having an affair and a publisher who doesn’t want to print his latest story. This first novel by veteran newsman Jack Germond gives an insider’s look at the job of journalism as Fletcher interviews sources who wish to remain anonymous, tracks down promising leads, rallies his editors’ support and finally, confronts his boss. You’ll never read a newspaper again without thinking of this “small story” and the ethical dilemma it describes.
And here is the blurb:
Harry Fletcher can’t for the life of him figure out what exactly the ‘nugget’ of information his colleague, Eddie Concannon, uncovered prior to his death is. Picking his way along the threads of information, Harry soon finds himself at odds with government officials and his own newspaper seems to be involved in the collusion. Join Harry as he deciphers the clues and enjoy a journey into the world of investigative reporting set against a colorful back drop of characters and locations.
A small Story for Page 3 is available from MuseIt Up Publishing, Amazon US, Barnes and Noble and other major retailers.
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And finally, here are a few tributes to Jack from some of his colleagues:
“Jack was a truly dedicated reporter and had an old-fashioned relationship with politicians. He liked them, but that did not prevent him from being critical when they did bad things and behaved badly. That was a trademark of Jack’s,” said Jules Witcover, his longtime writing partner.
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“As a political reporter, Jack had perfect pitch. He instinctively grasped the significance of campaign developments as they unfolded, a rare talent which helped make him a great campaign handicapper. Readers benefited from his insight, as did his colleagues at The Sun and other publications,” said Paul West, former Sun White House correspondent. “And he hated the way modern campaign management all but eliminated interaction between candidates and reporters. He was quick-witted, self-deprecating and beneath a gruff, world-weary exterior, warmhearted.”
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If you’d like to hear more about Jack’s career, and that of his wife Alice Germond, you can find further details on the MuseItUp blog.
It’s been a great honour to talk about Jack Germond here on my blog today. I wish I could have got to know Jack personally, and I was moved to read his tributes.
If you have any questions or comments at all, please let us know – Alice Germond and I would love to hear from you!
Helena Fairfax 
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