Paul Pintarich, longtime journalist, author and critic, dies | OregonLive.com

Paul Pintarich, longtime journalist, author and critic, dies | OregonLive.com:

I met Paul in the 1960s when he was asst editor at Northwest Magazine, and I became a regular contributor. We weren't close but shared mutual admiration and respect.

One afternoon I saw him on a bus as I boarded. I hadn't seen him in a while. He was white as a ghost. I sat next to him and asked if he were feeling well. He said, They just canned me.

He was book editor of The Oregonian at the time. The paper recently had imported a hotshot new editor from the east coast and she was cleaning house. Paul was one of the first to go. The paper never recovered the outstanding book coverage he provided. I boycotted the paper for many years after the house cleaning that took other fine established writers besides Paul.

Paul, like I, had quit drinking in time to extend his life. He has a number of unpublished novels. Maybe someone will publish them print on demand. I bet they're worth reading.