James Reston Jr. Explained

James Reston Jr.
Other Names:Jim Reston
Birth Date:8 March 1941
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Death Place:Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S.
Alma Mater:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA)
Parents:James Reston
Sally Fulton

James Reston Jr. (March 8, 1941 – July 19, 2023) was an American journalist, documentarian and author of political and historical fiction and non-fiction.[1] [2] He wrote about the Vietnam War, the Jonestown Massacre, civil rights, the impeachment of Richard Nixon, and the September 11 attacks.

Early life

Reston was born in Manhattan, New York City.[3] His father James "Scotty" Reston was an editor of the New York Times.[4] His mother, Sarah Jane "Sally" Fulton, was a journalist, photographer, writer, and publisher who joined her husband on foreign assignments in Europe and Asia during World War II.[1] His maternal grandfather, William J. Fulton, served two terms as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois.[5]

Reston's family moved to Washington, D.C. when he was two years old. He attended the St. Albans School in Washington, D.C.[6] He earned his B.A. in philosophy in 1963 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) while on a Morehead Scholarship. At UNC, he was an All-South soccer player and still retains the single-game scoring record for the university—five goals against North Carolina State University on October 18, 1962.[7] He attended Oxford University during his junior year.[8]

Career

Reston was an assistant to and speechwriter for U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall from 1964 to 1965. He was a reporter for the Chicago Daily News from 1964 to 1965. From 1965 to 1968, he served in the U.S. Army as an intelligence officer and sergeant. From 1971 to 1981, he was a lecturer in creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[9] From 1976 to 1977, he was a fiction reviewer for the Chronicle of Higher Education.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Reston wrote numerous pieces about amnesty for Vietnam deserters, people who had left the United States rather than serving in the war.[10] [11] This led to two books, both collection of essays, When Can I Come Home, in 1972 and The Amnesty of John David Herndon in 1973. Reston said, "Now as a veteran against the war, I gravitated to the issue of amnesty for Vietnam war resisters, no doubt because emotionally I sympathized deeply with their plight and their decision in contrast to my own course."From 1976 to 1977, Reston was David Frost's Watergate adviser for the historic Nixon interviews. Reston's book about the interviews, The Conviction of Richard Nixon, was the inspiration for Peter Morgan's 2006 play Frost/Nixon, in which the character Jim Reston is the narrator. It was made into a film in 2008, also called Frost/Nixon.

Reston's articles appeared in American Heritage,[12] American Theatre, George, Esquire, National Geographic, The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Omni, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Saturday Review, Time, Vanity Fair, and Washington Post Magazine.

His works of both fiction and non-fiction cover a wide range of historical and political topics. In 1985, Reston was the Newsweek, PBS, and BBC candidate to be the first writer in space on the NASA space shuttle. That program was scrapped after the Challenger accident in January 1986. On May 23, 1994, Time magazine published his cover story on the impact of the Shoemaker Levy 9 comet into Jupiter.

Reston wrote four plays which were all stage adaptations of his books[13] —Sherman the Peacemaker premiered at the Playmakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1979, and was an outgrowth of his book, Sherman's March and Vietnam; Jonestown Express, based on his 1981 book Our Father Who Art in Hell, premiered with the Trinity Square Repertory Company in 1982; Galileo's Torch was adapted from his biography of Galileo and Galileo: A Life was staged in seven separate productions between 2014 and 2017;[14] and Luther's Trumpet is an adaptation of his 2016 book, Luther's Fortress, and premiered in September 2018.

In 2005, Reston tried to stop production of Ridley Scott's film Kingdom of Heaven, claiming half of the script was based on the first part of his book Warriors of God.[15] Reston's book was previously optioned by Phoenix Pictures, who had unsuccessfully pitched the concept to Scott as a potential project.[16] Reston said, "They have built this film on the back of my intellectual property. They just read the first hundred pages and saw it has these great characters and a fantastic battle."

In 2016, Reston's 1977 book, The Innocence of Joan Little: A Southern Mystery, was optioned by Paulist Productions to possibly develop as a limited series.[17]

Reston was a Guest Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C., from 1994 to 1995, and a Global Fellow from October 2002 to December 2022.[18] He was also fellow at the American Academy in Rome. In 2011, he was a resident scholar at the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

Professional affiliations

Reston was a member of the Authors Guild, the Authors League of America, the Dramatists Guild of America, and PEN.

Personal life

Reston married Denise Brender Leary on June 12, 1971, in Hume, Virginia, at Fiery Run, the Restons' cabin. She received a law degree from Duke University and is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Milton Leary of the Bronx. They lived in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and had three children: Maeve, Hillary Reston, and Devin. As of 2017, Reston lived at Martha's Vineyard.Reston's book Fragile Innocence, A Father's Memoir of His Daughter's Courageous Journey (2006) is the story of his daughter Hillary's experience with a debilitative viral brain infection.[19]

James Reston Jr. died from pancreatic cancer in Chevy Chase, Maryland, on July 19, 2023, at age 82.

Awards

In 1983, Reston received the Prix Italia and the Dupont–Columbia Award for radio documentary Father Cares: the Last of Jonestown on NPR. He received the Valley Forge Award for Sherman's March and Vietnam in 1985.

In popular culture

Reston's book The Conviction of Richard Nixon was developed into a play, Frost/Nixon that was, in turn, developed into a film with the same title.[20] Reston is depicted in the 2008 film Frost/Nixon by Sam Rockwell.[21]

Reston developed a theory that Lee Harvey Oswald's target was Texas Governor John Connally, not President John F. Kennedy.[22]

Publications

Novels

Nonfiction books

Plays

Radio

Television

Articles

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series. . . en . Reston, James B. Jr. 1941– . May 19, 2020 . https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/reston-james-b-jr-1941.
  2. News: Roberts . Sam . July 19, 2023 . James Reston Jr., Author With a Hand in Nixon Apology, Dies at 82 . en-US . . July 19, 2023 . 0362-4331.
  3. Web site: Thornton . Maureen . The Obsessions, the Overall Work: An Interview with James Reston Jr. – The Georgia Review . May 21, 2022 . thegeorgiareview.com . September 13, 2018 . en-US.
  4. News: Apple Jr. . R. W. . December 7, 1995 . James Reston, a Journalist Nonpareil, Dies at 86 . en-US . 1 . . May 21, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  5. News: Dunlap . David W. . September 24, 2001 . Sally F. Reston, Journalist and Photographer, Dies at 89 . en-US . . March 3, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  6. News: June 13, 1971 . Denise Brender Leary Is Bride In Virginia of James Reston Jr. . 80 . . May 21, 2022.
  7. Web site: James Reston Jr. Papers, 1955-2018 . May 21, 2022 . finding-aids.lib.unc.edu.
  8. Web site: February 4, 2011 . James Reston Jr. Named Scholar in Residence at Library of Congress . March 2, 2022 . Library of Congress.
  9. News: Reston . James Jr. . January 21, 1973 . Deserter vs. Public: Alone Against Angry Voices . 28 . The La Crosse Tribune . Wisconsin, La Crosse . May 21, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  10. News: Reston . James Jr. . April 10, 1971 . Vietnamize At Home . en-US . 23 . . June 4, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  11. Web site: Amnesty . June 4, 2022 . The Works of James Reston, Jr. 1971 to 2021 . en.
  12. Web site: James Reston, Jr. . AmericanHeritage.com . May 25, 2023.
  13. Web site: Theatre . May 21, 2022 . The Works of James Reston, Jr. 1971 to 2021 . en.
  14. Web site: July 24, 2017 . James Reston Jr.'s Famous Historical Play GALILEO'S TORCH Comes to Castleton . May 21, 2022 . BroadwayWorld.com . en.
  15. Web site: Brodesser . William Triplett, Claude . Triplett . William . Brodesser . Claude . March 29, 2005 . Inside Move: Scribe on crusade over 'Heaven' script . June 4, 2022 . Variety . en-US.
  16. News: Lei . Richard . March 29, 2005 . The Reliable Source . en-US . . June 4, 2022 . 0190-8286.
  17. Web site: Petski . Denise . June 28, 2016 . Paulist Prepping 'The Innocence Of Joan Little' Book As Limited Series . June 4, 2022 . . en-US.
  18. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/james-reston-jr James Reston Jr
  19. News: Polly Morrice . March 26, 2006 . What Not to Expect . . February 4, 2009.
  20. News: December 10, 2008 . James Reston Jr. On The 'Frost/Nixon' Interviews . en . . June 4, 2022.
  21. News: Manohla Dargis . Mr. Frost, Meet Mr. Nixon . . December 5, 2008 . February 4, 2009.
  22. News: Hensley . Scott . January 14, 2011 . Author Sees Parallel In Giffords Shooting And JFK Assassination . en . . September 12, 2022.
  23. Web site: November 1, 1989 . Nonfiction Book Review: The Lone Star: The Life of John Connally by James Reston, Jr. . June 4, 2022 . Publishers Weekly.
  24. Web site: January 1, 1991 . Nonfiction Book Review: Collision at Home Plate: The Lives of Pete Rose and Bart Giamatti by James Reston, Jr. . June 4, 2022 . Publishers Weekly.
  25. Web site: April 1, 1994 . Nonfiction Book Review: Galileo: A Life by James Reston, Jr. . June 4, 2022 . Publishers Weekly.
  26. Web site: February 1, 1998 . Nonfiction Book Review: Last Apocalpyse by James Reston, Jr. . June 4, 2022 . Publishers Weekly.
  27. Web site: May 1, 2001 . Nonfiction Book Review: Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade by James Reston, Jr. . June 4, 2022 . Publishers Weekly.
  28. Web site: October 1, 2005 . Nonfiction Book Review: Dogs of God: Columbus, the Inquisition, and the Defeat of the Moors by James Reston, Jr. . June 4, 2022 . Publishers Weekly.
  29. Web site: February 1, 2006 . Nonfiction Book Review: Fragile Innocence: A Father's Memoir of His Daughter's Courageous Journey by James Reston, Jr. . June 4, 2022 . Publishers Weekly.
  30. Web site: September 1, 2007 . Nonfiction Book Review: The Conviction of Richard Nixon: The Untold Story of the Frost/Nixon Interviews by James Reston, Jr. . June 4, 2022 . Publishers Weekly.
  31. Web site: May 1, 2009 . Nonfiction Book Review: Defenders of the Faith: Charles V, Suleyman the Magnificent, and the Battle for Europe, 1520–1536 by James Reston, Jr. . June 4, 2022 . Publishers Weekly.
  32. Web site: Luther's Fortress: Martin Luther and His Reformation Under Siege Wilson Center . May 21, 2022 . www.wilsoncenter.org . en.
  33. Web site: Reston . James Jr. . October 1, 2017 . How Maya Lin's Vietnam War Memorial broke the competition's biggest rule . June 4, 2022 . Salon. en.
  34. Web site: The Impeachment Diary . May 21, 2022 . Simon & Schuster.
  35. News: Gussow . Mel . May 25, 1984 . Theater: The Story of Jonestown, in Providence . 48 . . June 4, 2022.
  36. News: October 18, 2016 . Father Cares: The Last Of Jonestown . en . . June 4, 2022.
  37. News: January 4, 2006 . Bush Administration Misuses the Word 'Caliphate' . en . . June 4, 2022.
  38. News: July 19, 2006 . Political Stem-Cell Debate Delays Medical Progress . en . . June 4, 2022.
  39. Web site: October 30, 2019 . Impeachment: The View From 1974 . June 4, 2022 . 1A . en.
  40. Web site: January 24, 1983 . 88 Seconds in Greensboro . June 4, 2022 . FRONTLINE . en-US.
  41. Web site: January 27, 1987 . The Real Stuff . June 4, 2022 . FRONTLINE . en-US.
  42. News: Carmody . John . September 19, 1988 . THE TV COLUMN . en-US . . June 4, 2022 . 0190-8286.
  43. Web site: November 6, 1990 . Betting on the Lottery . June 4, 2022 . FRONTLINE . en-US.
  44. Reston, James Jr. "Universal Amnesty" New Republic (February 5, 1972) p. 15-16. via The Works of James Reston, Jr. 1971 to 2021. Accessed June 4, 2022
  45. Reston, Jr. James. "Needed: A Grand Reconciliation". Newsday (September 3, 1974). via The Works of James Reston, Jr. 1971 to 2021. accessed June 4, 2022.
  46. Reston, Jr., James. "Limited Amnesty: Not Easy: The President Gave Himself a Difficult Job" The New York Times September 8, 1974, pg. 210.
  47. Reston Jr. James. "Real Amnesty Would be Good for America" Newsday, March 31, 1975. via The Works of James Reston, Jr. 1971 to 2021 accessed June 4, 2022.
  48. Reston, James Jr. The Joan Little Case" The New York Times Magazine. April 6, 1975, pg. 240. Accessed June 4, 2022.
  49. Reston, James Jr. "On Carter's Amnesty and Pardon Views" Appeared in The New York Times October 2, 1976, pg. 25. Accessed June 4, 2022.
  50. Reston, James Jr. “Southern Justice and the Case of Joan Little” The New York Times (January 6, 1978) p. 21. Accessed June 4, 2022.
  51. Reston, James Jr. "The Breaking of Richard Nixon" Playboy (April 1978). via The Works of James Reston, Jr. 1971 to 2021.
  52. Reston Jr. J. The Jonestown Papers. (Cover story). New Republic. 1981;184(17):16-17.via EBSCO, Accessed June 4, 2022. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=12819029&site=eds-live&scope=site
  53. News: Reston . James Jr. . June 27, 1981 . Opinion Meet the Past Program . en-US . 21 . . June 4, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  54. News: Reston . James Jr. . March 14, 1982 . Reagan and Monroe . en-US . 23 . . June 4, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  55. Web site: Reston . James Jr. . April 7, 1982 . A Matter of Honor . June 4, 2022 . timesmachine.nytimes.com . 23 . en.
  56. Reston . James Jr. . 1984 . Mission to Mind . OMNI . 51–53, 102–107 . Internet Archive.
  57. Web site: Reston . James Jr. . INVITATION to a POISONING Vanity Fair February 1985 . June 4, 2022 . Vanity Fair The Complete Archive . en-US.
  58. Reston . James Jr. . March 13, 1986 . United States Commission on Civil Rights: We Shall Undermine . June 4, 2022 . . en-US.
  59. Reston, James Jr. 1994. “Collision Course. (Cover Story).” TIME Magazine 143 (21): 54. via EBSCO, accessed June 4, 2022. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9405187530&site=eds-live&scope=site.
  60. Reston, J. Jr. "The persistence of guilt". American Theatre. 1995;12(1):56. via EBSCO, Accessed June 4, 2022. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=9508252703&site=eds-live&scope=site
  61. Reston, J. Jr. The monument glut. The New York Times Magazine. 1995;144(50180):48.via EBSCO Accessed June 4, 2022. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9510114984&site=eds-live&scope=site
  62. Reston, J. Jr. Orion. National Geographic. 1995;188(6):90.via EBSCO, Accessed June 4, 2022. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=9512031592&site=eds-live&scope=site
  63. News: Reston . James Jr. . January 9, 1999 . Opinion Failing the 1868 Test . en-US . 15 . . June 4, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  64. Reston, James Jr. 1999. “‘Be Christian or Die.’” Christian History 18 (3): 12. via EBSCO, accessed June 4, 2022.
  65. Web site: Reston . James Jr. . January 2009 . Frost, Nixon and Me . June 4, 2022 . Smithsonian Magazine . 86–92 . en.
  66. Reston, James Jr. 2002. “A Prophet in His Time.” American Theatre 19 (3): 28. via EBSCO, accessed June 4, 2022. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=6238853&site=eds-live&scope=site.
  67. Web site: Reston . James Jr. . August 7, 2002 . When Generosity Is Medically Necessary . June 4, 2022 . timesmachine.nytimes.com . 17 . en.
  68. Reston, James Jr. 2007. “Jesse James and Me.” Smithsonian 38 (7): 112–20. via EBSCO, accessed June 4, 2022. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=26737706&site=eds-live&scope=site.
  69. Reston, J. Jr. Pointed Questions. Wilson Quarterly. 2012;36(1):83-86. via EBSCO, Accessed June 4, 2022. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=70237036&site=eds-live&scope=site
  70. Web site: Reston . James Jr. . Correcting JFK mythology on his death: Column . June 4, 2022 . . en-US.
  71. Web site: Reston . James Jr. . Induct Pete Rose into Hall of Fame: Column . June 4, 2022 . . en-US.
  72. Web site: Reston . James Jr. . February 15, 2015 . Martin Luther King Jr.'s Three Southern Villains . June 4, 2022 . . en.
  73. Reston, James Jr. 2016. “Clark and Pritchett.” Southern Cultures 22 (4): 50–60. via EBSCO. accessed June 4, 2022.
  74. Reston, J. Jr. The Novelist’s Event: Fact, Fiction, and a Writer’s Search for a Universal Subject. Georgia Review. 2018;72(2):320-333.via EBSCO, Accessed June 4, 2022. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=131974380&site=eds-live&scope=site
  75. News: Reston . James Jr. . May 5, 2019 . Opinion Trump's Other Impeachable Offense . en-US . 23 . . June 4, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  76. Reston . James Jr. . June 2021 . 'To Heal a Nation': Creating the Vietnam Wall . American Heritage . 66 . 4.
  77. Reston . James Jr. . Whittle . Richard . September 2021 . Remembering Flight 93: "Okay. Let's Roll!" . American Heritage . 66 . 6 . June 4, 2022.

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