Jim Schutze Thinks I Write Good!

It’s not every day that a man in a bathrobe, holding a shotgun, tells you that you write well. But as luck would have it, that’s happened to me twice today. True, both times it was the same guy, but I can’t help the excitement when I get compliments from the legendary Jim Schutze, author of Bully — a man I’m told is secretly a sweetheart. In an essay he posted to Unfair Park this afternoon, he calls the column I did for this month’s print product: “nicely written by a new guy over there named Michael J. Mooney.” Jim Schutze knows my name! He goes on to reiterate that “Mooney’s piece was well written.” (He says some other stuff, too, I’m told. I just skimmed for my name.) And this comes just one day after Observer managing editor Patrick Williams, in his weekly Buzz, said, “Mooney’s a talented, award-winning reporter.” (He says some other stuff, too, I’ve been informed, including that mine would make a good name for a fishing rod.) Gosh, guys, way to make my day. That’s easily the nicest thing any employee of that company has said about me in months.