January 21, 2023 Issue, Page 8 of 24

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Community 8 - The Elk City News January 21, 2023 An Elk City Writer’s Storied Career he learned more about human nature than writing there. derson sued Pride. Henderson's contract learned that reporters are com- stipulated that he receive 25 petitive,” Henderson said. percent of all book-related EYES ON THE PRIZE earnings. Though Paramount ‘The Pulitzer Prize for jour- Pictures bought movie rights nalism is that profession’s from Pride, Henderson didn’t highest national honor. While hear from the singer or his law- writing for the Dallas Times yer about what he was owed, Herald in the 1980s, Hende1 son was a four-time Pulitzer- he took legal action. Henderson sued Pride for Prize finalist. This included being nomi- $130,000, but the two wound nated in two separate cat- up settling out of court. Hav- egories in 1983—for writing ing considered Pride a friend, about “New South” racism, and Henderson regrets that litiga- for chronicling atomic testing tion was required to settle the consequences. matte He also ascended into the‘The year after the Charley journalistic rare air when hePride biography hit the book- and a Times Herald colleague shelves, Henderson published were Pulitzer finalists for their the book The People in the At- investigative reporting on the tic. Texas mass-murder hoax of ‘Three years later, in 1998, convicted killer Henry Lee Lu- he became the Houston Chron- cas. This case is the subject of By Landry Brewer seemed to have a lot of time miles east and began writing corporating them in Tulsa, he the Netflix documentary The icle’s Dallas bureau chief. off,” Henderson said. for the Clinton Daily News. continued honing his craft and Confession Killer. ‘Then, in 2000, Henderson Elk City native Jim Hen- So, when he knocked on He loved working for the improving his prose. HITTING THE BOOKS released his third book, Dam- derson sued a country music doors in town to find a differ- Elk City newspaper, but he Others took notice. In 1994, Henderson pub- aged Goods. star, and that’s not even the ent job, one of those doors was needed to make a break to ad- During a 10-year stint with lished his first book, Pride: The ‘The same year he was also best part of this storyteller’s at the Elk City Daily News. vance his career. “It was time the Tulsa World, Henderson Charley Pride Story, about the inducted into the Oklahoma story. Henderson wasn't long to cut the umbilical cord,’ was named Outstanding Okla- country music star. Journalism Hall of Fame. As a journalism hall-of- out of high school, and Daily Henderson said. homa Newsman by Oklahoma A former Tulsa World col- Finally, in 2008, Henderson fame member, Pulitzer-Prize News owner Paul Wade re- Leaving was difficult, but league who had begun writing published his fourth book, Bob finalist, and author of a quar membered his name from he thought that a short move Journalism. biographies of country music Bullock. Co-authored with fel- tet of books, Henderson may being on the ECHS football down the road would make the THE IVY LEAGUE BECK- singers in Nashville introduced low journalist Dave McNeeley, be western Oklahoma's most team. Wade was looking for next move easier. “And [Cli ONS Henderson to Pride's agent. the book chronicles the color- accomplished writer. somebody to be an assistant ton Daily News owner] Charlie Because he was also rec- ‘The journalist and singer had AFOOT IN THE DOOR sportswriter and help adver- Engleman offered me $5 more ognized as outstanding out- ful political career of the Lone met years earlier in Dallas Star State’s powerful former Henderson's writing career tising manager Bill Ansley, so aweek than I was making, so I side of Oklahoma, Henderson when Henderson wrote a col- began at the Elk City Daily he hired the youngster, went to Clinton.” spent the 1975-76 academic umn about Pride. Lieutenant Governor and men- News when he was just a kid. Wade showed Henderson He stayed there nine year at Harvard as a Nieman Pride and his lawyer talked tor of future U.S. President Henderson developed a how to write like a journal- months when the opportunity Fellow. George W. Bush. with Henderson and hired him job-related allergy while work- ist and gave him freedom to for that next move presented ‘The cream of the journal- Now retired and living in to write the singer's biogra- ing with an area seismograph play with stories and learn itself, this one to the Tulsa ic crop from across the na- Texas, the Pulitzer-Prize fi- crew, and his doctor told him his craft. “He was a wonder- World. tion, Nieman Fellows spend phy. Though Henderson inter- nalist, Oklahoma Journalism viewed Pride for 22 hours for to find another occupation. ful boss,” Henderson said. “I Henderson learned the two full semesters at Harvard Hall of Fame member, Nieman The 1959 Elk City High would have taken a bullet for elements of journalistic writ- taking classes, participating the book, the time that he in- terviewed Pride's wife, Rozene, Fellow and four-time book School graduate already had that guy.” ing at Elk City and Clinton. in special events and working author's writing career began about the singer's manic de- an itch to be a writer. “I ALL THE RIGHT MOVES ‘Through reading stacks and with their elite journalistic when Paul Wade opened the pression led to the chapter didn't know what being a Henderson stayed with stacks of magazines and news- peers. writer meant, but I thought the ECDN until 1966 when he papers that exposed him to ‘The Elk City native enjoyed that garnered the most press door for a young, job-seeking it was glamorous, and writers took his notepad and pencil 28 different writing styles and i the Harvard experience, but attention. 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