By Noelle AshleyNovember, 2005 - Hearing Tom Wolfe talk about Paris Hilton was one of many amusing moments at the Nieman Journalism Conference, Harvard University’s three-day workshop held at the Boston Convention Center. The brilliant, white-haired author of Bonfire of the Vanities (pictured to the left) used the blonde glamour girl to prove the point that truth is stranger than fiction. He said that in a novel, a socialite would cover up her scandals. Who would have thought the porno Paris made in between parties would turn her into a successful businesswoman? The fictional version is never as crazy as the true escapades.
For a writer, finding a great story compares to meeting a husband. “It happens when you’re ready, when you stop making excuses,” said Diana Sug, the Pulitzer Prize winner and journalist at The Baltimore Sun.
