This is not what we’re about here, but some stories can’t be ignored: “Details are sketchy, but numerous witnesses [at The Washington Post] report that veteran feature editor Henry Allen punched out feature writer Manuel Roig-Franzia on Friday,” reports the Washingtonian. “The fracas took place in sight of Post executive editor Marcus Brauchli’s office. Brauchli rushed to separate the two. …
“It should be noted that Allen is nearly 70, but he served in the Marines in Vietnam. He also won a Pulitzer prize in 2000 for criticism. Both apparently came into play when Allen jumped Roig-Franzia.”
Allen apparently told another reporter, in response to an article handed in, “This is total crap. It’s the second worst story I have seen in Style in 43 years.” Roig-Franzia happened by and supposedly said, “Oh, Henry, don’t be such a cocks—–.”
“Veteran Style writers said they knew Allen wasn’t happy,” the report continues. “He had come up in Style’s heady days, when writers could wax for a hundred inches on the wonder of plastic lawn furniture or the true meaning of the Vietnam War Memorial. No more. Working part time on contract, Allen seethed over the lost art of long-form journalism.”