I'm Dying Here: A Life in the Paper

By Tim Grobaty

Published by Brown Paper Press

Long Beach Press-Telegram writer Tim Grobaty was promoted to humor columnist at his newspaper back when it was still a glamorous and coveted job. In I’m Dyin’ Here, the author means two things: He’ll likely die at the job he has spent nearly four decades doing, and, at the same time, his profession is seeing its last days. Weaving together personal history and a selection of columns written over the course of his storied career, Grobaty offers readers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a dying breed: the local newspaper columnist. With everyday life — fatherhood, holidays, suburbia, and random encounters with animals — serving as fodder for his column, Grobaty reveals his sources of motivation and vulnerability, all the while struggling to maintain relevance in a rapidly changing industry.