Nicholas von Hoffman
Encyclopedia
Nicholas von Hoffman is an American
journalist
and author. He wrote for the Washington Post. Later, TV audiences knew him as a "Point-Counterpoint" commentator for CBS
's 60 Minutes
, from which Don Hewitt
fired him in 1974.
and son of Carl von Hoffman
. Von Hoffman never went to college; he worked as a community organizer for Saul Alinsky
for ten years from 1953 to 1963. In the 1950s, he worked on the research staff of the Industrial Relations Center of the University of Chicago and then as a field representative of the Industrial Areas Foundation of Chicago. Ben Bradlee, then the editor of the Post, hired him from the Chicago Daily News
.
He was said to have been a brilliant reporter, and wrote an incendiary column for the paper's Style section. In her memoirs, Katharine Graham
, then the newspaper's publisher, wrote of him: “My life would have been a lot simpler had Nicholas von Hoffman not appeared in the paper.” She added, however, that "I firmly believed that he belonged at the Post."
Beginning in 1979 and continuing throughout the '80s, von Hoffman recorded more than 250 radio commentaries, audio op-eds in the sardonic style he used on 60 Minutes
. These commentaries were broadcast on the nationally syndicated daily radio program, Byline, which was sponsored by the Cato Institute
. Subjects of von Hoffman's audio op-eds included the 1984 Democratic primary candidates, the Reagan administration's foreign policy in Central America and the Middle East, and the cynical, self-serving misuse of language by politicians.
In 1988, fake presidential candidate Jack Tanner named von Hoffman as his pick for Chairman
of the Federal Reserve Board in Robert Altman
's HBO series Tanner '88
.
Von Hoffman is the author of more than a dozen books, notably: Capitalist Fools: Tales of American Business, from Carnegie to Forbes to the Milken Gang (1992) and Citizen Cohn (1988), a biography of Roy Cohn
, which was made into an HBO movie. A recent title is Hoax: Why Americans Are Suckered by White House Lies (2004).
Von Hoffman also wrote a libretto for Deborah Drattell
's Nicholas and Alexandra for the Los Angeles Opera
which was performed in the 2003/04 season under the direction of Plácido Domingo
.
Currently he is a columnist for the New York Observer
.
Von Hoffman was fired by Don Hewitt
for calling then President Richard Nixon
a dead mouse on America's kitchen floor. His collaborations, both literary and otherwise, with Doonesbury
cartoonist Garry Trudeau
are worth noting, in particular the 1976 book Tales From the Margaret Mead Taproom. In this book he recounted his adventures in American Samoa
with Trudeau and actress Elizabeth Ashley
, as they and several others experienced life in the American territory, which Trudeau had lampooned in a series of "Doonesbury" strips involving Uncle Duke
's adventures as the territory's appointed governor. He also writes for Architectural Digest
.
He has three sons: Alexander, a noted historian; Aristodemus, who works in law-enforcement; and Constantine, also a journalist.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and author. He wrote for the Washington Post. Later, TV audiences knew him as a "Point-Counterpoint" commentator for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, from which Don Hewitt
Don Hewitt
Donald Shepard "Don" Hewitt was an American television news producer and executive, best known for creating 60 Minutes, the CBS television news magazine, in 1968, which at the time of his death, was the longest-running prime-time broadcast on American television...
fired him in 1974.
Biography
He is of German-Russian extraction, descendant of Melchior HoffmanMelchior Hoffman
Melchior Hoffman was an Anabaptist prophet and a visionary leader in northern Germany and the Netherlands.-Life:Hoffman was born at Schwäbisch Hall in Franconia before 1500...
and son of Carl von Hoffman
Carl von Hoffman
Karl von Hoffman was a soldier, adventurer, author, and photographer of German ancestry. He was a descendant of Melchior Hoffman; journalist Nicholas von Hoffman is his son....
. Von Hoffman never went to college; he worked as a community organizer for Saul Alinsky
Saul Alinsky
Saul David Alinsky was a Jewish American community organizer and writer. He is generally considered to be the founder of modern community organizing, and has been compared in Playboy magazine to Thomas Paine as being "one of the great American leaders of the nonsocialist left." He is often noted...
for ten years from 1953 to 1963. In the 1950s, he worked on the research staff of the Industrial Relations Center of the University of Chicago and then as a field representative of the Industrial Areas Foundation of Chicago. Ben Bradlee, then the editor of the Post, hired him from the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
.
He was said to have been a brilliant reporter, and wrote an incendiary column for the paper's Style section. In her memoirs, Katharine Graham
Katharine Graham
Katharine Meyer Graham was an American publisher. She led her family's newspaper, The Washington Post, for more than two decades, overseeing its most famous period, the Watergate coverage that eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon...
, then the newspaper's publisher, wrote of him: “My life would have been a lot simpler had Nicholas von Hoffman not appeared in the paper.” She added, however, that "I firmly believed that he belonged at the Post."
Beginning in 1979 and continuing throughout the '80s, von Hoffman recorded more than 250 radio commentaries, audio op-eds in the sardonic style he used on 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
. These commentaries were broadcast on the nationally syndicated daily radio program, Byline, which was sponsored by the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
. Subjects of von Hoffman's audio op-eds included the 1984 Democratic primary candidates, the Reagan administration's foreign policy in Central America and the Middle East, and the cynical, self-serving misuse of language by politicians.
In 1988, fake presidential candidate Jack Tanner named von Hoffman as his pick for Chairman
Chairman of the Federal Reserve
The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is the head of the central banking system of the United States. Known colloquially as "Chairman of the Fed," or in market circles "Fed Chairman" or "Fed Chief"...
of the Federal Reserve Board in Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
's HBO series Tanner '88
Tanner '88
Tanner '88 is a political mockumentary miniseries written by Garry Trudeau and directed by Robert Altman. First broadcast by HBO during the months leading up to the 1988 U.S. presidential election, it purports to tell the behind-the-scenes story of the campaign of a former Michigan U.S...
.
Von Hoffman is the author of more than a dozen books, notably: Capitalist Fools: Tales of American Business, from Carnegie to Forbes to the Milken Gang (1992) and Citizen Cohn (1988), a biography of Roy Cohn
Roy Cohn
Roy Marcus Cohn was an American attorney who became famous during Senator Joseph McCarthy's investigations into Communist activity in the United States during the Second Red Scare. Cohn gained special prominence during the Army–McCarthy hearings. He was also an important member of the U.S...
, which was made into an HBO movie. A recent title is Hoax: Why Americans Are Suckered by White House Lies (2004).
Von Hoffman also wrote a libretto for Deborah Drattell
Deborah Drattell
Deborah Drattell is an American composer. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and started her career in music as a violinist. Her compositions have been performed by the New York Philharmonic, Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Tanglewood and Caramoor Music Festivals, and many other groups and venues...
's Nicholas and Alexandra for the Los Angeles Opera
Los Angeles Opera
The Los Angeles Opera is an opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center.-Current leadership:...
which was performed in the 2003/04 season under the direction of Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
.
Currently he is a columnist for the New York Observer
New York Observer
The New York Observer is a weekly newspaper first published in New York City on September 22, 1987, by Arthur L. Carter, a very successful former investment banker with publishing interests. The Observer focuses on the city's culture, real estate, the media, politics and the entertainment and...
.
Von Hoffman was fired by Don Hewitt
Don Hewitt
Donald Shepard "Don" Hewitt was an American television news producer and executive, best known for creating 60 Minutes, the CBS television news magazine, in 1968, which at the time of his death, was the longest-running prime-time broadcast on American television...
for calling then President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
a dead mouse on America's kitchen floor. His collaborations, both literary and otherwise, with Doonesbury
Doonesbury
Doonesbury is a comic strip by American cartoonist Garry Trudeau, that chronicles the adventures and lives of an array of characters of various ages, professions, and backgrounds, from the President of the United States to the title character, Michael Doonesbury, who has progressed from a college...
cartoonist Garry Trudeau
Garry Trudeau
Garretson Beekman "Garry" Trudeau is an American cartoonist, best known for the Doonesbury comic strip.-Background and education:...
are worth noting, in particular the 1976 book Tales From the Margaret Mead Taproom. In this book he recounted his adventures in American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
with Trudeau and actress Elizabeth Ashley
Elizabeth Ashley
Elizabeth Ashley is an American actress who first came to prominence as the ingenue in the Broadway play Take Her, She's Mine, which earned her a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Play.-Early life:...
, as they and several others experienced life in the American territory, which Trudeau had lampooned in a series of "Doonesbury" strips involving Uncle Duke
Uncle Duke
Uncle Duke is a fictional character in the comic strip Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau.He is nominally Zonker Harris's uncle, albeit an "uncle by courtesy" only. Duke was originally a straightforward caricature of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S...
's adventures as the territory's appointed governor. He also writes for Architectural Digest
Architectural Digest
Architectural Digest is an American monthly magazine. Its principal subject is interior design, not — as the name of the magazine might suggest — architecture more generally. The magazine is published by Condé Nast Publications and was founded in 1920, by the Knapp family, who sold it in 1993...
.
He has three sons: Alexander, a noted historian; Aristodemus, who works in law-enforcement; and Constantine, also a journalist.
Works
(partial list)- The Multiversity: A Personal Report on What Happens to Today's Students at American Universities
- We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us Against
- Mississippi Notebook
- Two, Three, Many More (novel)
- Organized Crimes (novel)
- Citizen Cohn (1988)
- Capitalist Fools: Tales of American Business, from Carnegie to Forbes to the Milken Gang
- Hoax: Why Americans Are Suckered by White House Lies
- Geneva (play)
- Radical: A Portrait of Saul Alinsky (Nation Books, July 2010)