John Hyduk Essay from Esquire

Interesting piece of writing from the May 2011 issue of Esquire Magazine.



Written by John Hyduk, "The Loading Dock Manifesto" is an account of the author's job for a beverage distributor along with past work experiences. It's solid writing that relates what's it's like to have something far removed from a white collar career and life.

With myself as a reader having said white collar circumstances, it's interested reading about someone in a completely different orbit (which is of course is what can happen through reading).

In addition to the story, I also found myself ruminating on the author himself. Here's a guy who can definitely write, is published in Esquire (with a byline note made of occasional publishing in Ohio and Cleveland magazines), but works on a loading dock. I'm interested in this idea of a guy with writing talent who doesn't actually write as his full time job.

Does he want to write for a living, but can't catch a break? Is his stuff simply not good enough (though, this piece certainly is solid)? Is he not able to write as compelling prose if not about his life? Or, is he simply satisfied with his life and work (including both the loading dock and writing) and doesn't want to change?

I certainly can't say, but (without knowing there is any sad tale there) you gotta allow for the possibility that this is someone with a job that meets his needs and a writing interest that he's able to do well on the side... and he's good with that. If that's the case, then kudos to Hyduk for carving out something that works for him.

All conjecture here of course, but me thinks interesting things to ruminate on, and an interesting essay to read.

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Two additional pieces of writing from this issue of Esquire that while they didn't strike me as much as that from Hyduk, I found of note.

Financial writer Ken Kurson did "Let Them Eat iPads" on his prediction of coming inflation... and ways to have the possibility guide one's investing. Definitely seems like there's something to his premise as higher prices on a variety of goods and services appears to be more and more widespread.

"Walking the Border" is a feature from Luke Dittrich that chronicles the first part of his solo journey from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The writing wasn't bad by any means, but what stood out to me was this idea of taking on a challenge. The endeavour of course doesn't have to be walking the US-Mexico border, but that's something to be said for taking on a task whose outcome isn't certain.

Thomas Hoenig & Inflation Piece by David Von Drehle

Really solid and compelling piece of writing from the Feb 14 issue of Time by one of my favorite current writers.

Good writing is such a fascinating thing to me... it has to be grammatically and structurally clear and correct (the aforementioned solid), but also compelling. That type of compelling may well have an emotional bent (but, as I write about here, shouldn't fall too far into sentiment).

Compelling as an attribute oft times relates to the topic... but, what's really impressive is writing on a subject that someone might not think they'd be interested in, but become so through the story.

This is what Time writer David Von Drehle pulls off in his piece on Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President, Thomas Hoenig. The Fed's Dissenter: Saying No to Easy Money is about one guy (though, an influential one) and his fears of inflation. Von Drehle's writing is excellent from the perspective that it explains fully and in an interesting manner... perhaps more interesting than I would have expected on the subject.

The guy is just a really good writer... as shown through both his work for Time (with writing on the Tucson tragedy posted on and linked to here) and his book (with "Triangle" reviewed here).