What: The City section of the Sun Journal for Jan. 7. Mark LaFlamme’s story about the heyday of gritty reporters.

When: 7:30 a.m., having my morning coffee.

Where: The living room couch, north side, left-hand cushion.

Who: Knew I would get my first good laugh and entertainment of the day in such a brief period of time.

Why: It caught my eye and amused me with its trenchant wit and vicarious thrill he felt for the “old school” of reporters.

How: Did LaFlamme think of all his bon mots, witticisms and hyperbole to channel the raconteur into writing such an outstanding piece?

To posthumously quote Jim Croce: “Well, you don’t tug on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit into the wind. You don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger and you don’t mess around with (Mark).”

Barbara Kern, Auburn