January 14, 2024
by Brenda Softbrick, Arts & Literature Correspondent
The Brickitzer Prizes for 2013 were just announced, and included an award to Bricklyn Eagle editor Walt Brickman in the “creative writing” category for his interview of astronaut Neil Armstrong. Two Bricklyn Eagle reporters were also named as Brickitzer Journalism finalists.
Staff at the Bricklyn Eagle flocked to the paper’s offices to congratulate Editor Walt Brickman for this well-deserved honor.
However, when asked whether he was surprised by the award, Brickman sputtered out the following:
“Well, yes, yes, I guess I’m pleased to have won a Brickitzer. But I have to say I don’t understand why the award was for the Armstrong interview and in the “creative writing” category. They must have erred and meant to award me in the “poetry” category for my poem, ‘In the Shirt Pocket of Neil Armstrong.’ “
As Brickman continued: “About the Armstrong interview, there was nothing creative, imaginative, or imaginary about it. I was right there with Neil Armstrong in our office that day back in June 2009 when he dropped in while visiting Bricklyn to meet up with his buddy, Bricklyn astronaut Tom Swiftbrick. Armstrong just sat down and asked me if I’d like to interview him. Of course, parts of what he told me were kind of shocking and, yes, I guess maybe hard-to-believe.”
“I know it can also be difficult,” Brickman added, “for some to believe that the interview couldn’t be published till well after Armstrong’s death, but the simple fact is that’s what Armstrong asked me to promise him in return for doing the interview. That’s the plain truth. So every word I wrote in last year’s article was taken from my detailed interview notes. Nothing very creative about that!”
To which we on the Bricklyn Eagle staff simply smiled, shook our heads a bit, and replied, “Right, Walt,” while patting him on the back. Here’s a link to the Neil Armstrong Interview.
Two other Bricklyn Eagle reporters named as finalists for 2023 Brickitzer awards.
Bricklyn Eagle political reporter Mark Tiler Richmond was named a finalist for his coverage of Bricklyn’s “Great Donut Debate” in the Local Reporting category, while Gloria Vanderbrick was a finalist in the Feature Writing category for her “People in the News” reports and interviews, such as “Pastries by Patsy.” Congratulations to both reporters!
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