My name
is Joe Coscarelli and I'm a reporter for New York magazine. I'm writing
to with hopes of gaining some (potentially light-hearted) insight about
obituaries from professionals, specifically in reference to Eliot
Spitzer's -- a long time from now, God
willing.
When his prostitution scandal first broke in 2008, there was a mention
from a friend in the Times about how the scandal did not have to lead
his obituary:
“I told him that I think, in the end, this incident will be a footnote
to a great life lived greatly, and that he still has the ability to make
enormous contributions,” said Alan M. Dershowitz, the Harvard law
professor, who once counted Mr. Spitzer as a student
and now counts him as a friend. “One of his goals has to be to make
this a footnote in his obituary, and not make it the lead.”
A year later, a similar subject was touched upon in Spitzer's interview with Vanity Fair:
“Do you think the scandal will ever go away?,” I asked.
“No. My obituary’s written,” [Spitzer] replied with shocking finality. “And that is a very hard thing to live with.”
My question is, in light of his comeback and campaign for NYC
comptroller: What would Spitzer have to do to not have his misdeeds lead
his obit? Would he have to win this seat? Become mayor? President? Is
there any hope for him?
I'd love to chat with any obit writers or editors you might be able to
connect me with, whether via email or by phone at 212 508 0593.
Any help would be much appreciated!
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