Richard Kipling meant the world to me.
He was my very first editor, my first mentor, and my biggest cheerleader when I joined the Los Angeles Times, after getting hired as a METPRO. He taught me and a whole generation of young journalists not only the nuts and bolts of what journalism was all about but also instilled in us its ethics, values and highest ideals.
Richard was like a lion to me. Like so many who came through his door, I came to love and revere him. He was extremely tough on me and his other cubs, but he also had the biggest heart. Richard was our guide, role model, and fiercest protector when we were out in the jungles.
Even as I grieve Richard’s passing, I am filled with the light of his memory, what he stood for and all that he taught me. I am just one of many whose life has been profoundly changed by him.
Caitlin Liu
Leave a Reply