Observed

What is it about Frank Rich?  What could he possibly have to say about media and politics and public affairs?

Here’s a guy who has spent most of his career as a film and theatre critic.  A guy who studied American history and literature on his way to his bachelor’s degree.

Not a lawyer, scientist, engineer or big-thinking PhD.  Or any other vaunted professional with *hard* credentials.

Yet, I invite you to read his column in this morning’s New York Times.  Regardless of what you might think about his bias, I bet you’ll finish feeling more respect for Rich’s facility with hard issues.

Rich can navigate the vagaries of Gen. Stanley McChrystal and our war in Afghanistan as easily as the plays of Moss Hart and life in post-WWII New York City.  Rich is an embodiment of what we used to regard as a well-educated person.

Is that because he pursued a liberal arts education?  Probably not…or probably not just because he pursued a liberal arts education.

But it didn’t hurt.

“Hello.  My name is Doug, and I’m an art historian.”

“Hi, Doug.”

You may be wondering what makes me qualified to suggest in this blog or elsewhere how you might write better.  Much less to suggest how to run your business.

My defense is simple.  While I’ve never had a business course or any academic training in PR or communication, I have had plenty of exposure to the liberal arts.  First as a undergrad with a Liberal Studies major and then as a master’s grad focused on 19th-century American architecture.

So what? (more…)