Mark Feeney visits University of Maine

Ryan Spencer

April 2, 2010

ORONO, MAINE - On Thursday April 1, Boston Globe Arts writer Mark Feeney spoke at the University of Maine as the Alan Miller guest journalist. Feeney spoke on a range of topics from his recent book to the internet’s impact on culture journalism.

Feeney won the Pulitzer for criticism in 2008 for his work at the Boston Globe. In 2004 Feeney wrote the book Nixon at the Movies: a Book about Belief. In the book Feeney looks at how the President Nixon was inspired by and also inspired Hollywood.

Feeney visited the University as the second Alan Miller guest journalist. The fund was set up in memory of the late University of Maine Journalism professor who believed students should get the opportunity to learn from a journalist in the field.



A reception was held for Feeney at the Buchanan Alumni House. Communication and Journalism Paul Grosswiler introduced the Alan Miller Vistiting Journalist Program and Feeney. Professor Grosswiler was pleased to announce that Mobile Maine News was there to cover the speech.

Journalism Professor Michael Socolow spoke next about organizing the event and Feeney's work. Professor Socolow spoke about Feeney's book Nixon at the Movies and some of the famous names that have inspired Feeney and his work.

Nixon at the Movies took Feeney ten years to write. He told the audience that he got the idea for the book while talking to a friend of his shortly after President Nixon died. Feeney told his friend, " you should write a book about Nixon and film." His friend told Feeney, "No you should." That began the process for Feeney's first book.



When asked if he would write a second book, Feeney stated that first he needed an idea before he could begin planning another book. He also encouraged the audience to share any book ideas that they had with him after he was done speaking.

Feeney also spent time discussing the internets impact on journalism, often stating that his own age has left him slightly out of the loop in the push towards the internet age.

Feeney offered advice to students in attendance saying that often luck is one of the most important aspects in becoming a successful journalist. Persistence is another quality that Feeney told students was important to becoming a journalist. He also said that ability is necessary but often hard to determine at a young age.



Feeney graduated from Harvard University in 1979. He got started at the Boston Globe in the Globe's library and moved up from there. He became involved in the arts department and has worked as a culture critic. Feeney is also a professor at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.

After his speech University of Maine student Sam Danis interviewed Mark Feeney about his book and his work at the Boston Globe.