The decade long battle for survival between the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Gannett’s Honolulu Advertiser has claimed another victim. In this case, though, it’s a fictional victim in a novel by a former Advertiser staffer.
Nightmare at the Newspaper War
Author Shirley Grokett’s new book just became available in a Kindle edition from Amazon.com.
Here’s the blurb:
NIGHTMARE AT THE NEWSPAPER WAR is a workplace horror story about the daily combat that is the office, an office run by bullies. Our heroine, Monica Vasquez, soldiers on in the advertising department of the daily newspaper in Honolulu, Hawaii. She believes that if you do a good job and work in harmony with others, what could possibly go wrong? A struggle of survival erupts between her paper and its rival, and Monica finds herself in the sniper’s lens. It’s hard to stay alive in a war zone when you’re dodging friendly fire.
I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, so can’t offer you a review. But I suspect there will be more than a few Advertiser formers checking it out to see if they recognize thinly disguised characters from those bad old days.
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hmmm. debating whether I should buy it. will wait for reviews. don’t think it will be reviewed by Burl in the Star-Advertiser. Lol.
Can’t wait to see if it mentions the times when advertising sales people at the now-dead, Gannett-owned Honolulu Advertiser aggressively told local advertising customers that the newly independent Star-Bulletin was about to shut down!!
I worked with Shirley for several years. A loner for sure and a bit of an odd duck. We were both way down on the totem pole so I’m glad what she is writing is labeled fiction as I don’t see how she would be privy to much. I’ve moved on but I find it really interesting that some just can’t let go. Maybe she is working out demons by writing a make believe book. At least she knows there are a couple hundred potential customers out there. Not sure why anyone other then former staffers would have much interest.
Go Give’ Um Girl!!!!! I just glad that you got the guts and glory to let the whole world know what we all went through! We were treated like PRISONERS!!!!!
That WWII novel “Black Ocean” reviewed by John Berger seems to have been heavily influenced by the newspaper war too.
Go Selma! Can’t wait to read what you’ve written. I’ll comment after I’ve read your book. Latahs
Just skimmed through an excerpt off the Amazon web site … you be the judge. Unless you actually worked with Ms. Grokett like “Peer-Man,” you won’t find anything insightful or entertaining.
I can’t wait to read Shirley’s book. Peer-man, Shirley was a misunderstood wallflower but brilliant, insightful and secretly waiting to bust out of the newspaper to live a life of unclaimed joy. I trust that she is finding it as we mark our journeys past the world of Gannett.