Andrew Johnston, RIP
My friend Andrew Johnston passed away on Sunday. You can read an interview I did with him on TWoP about TV criticism here.
I wish I could find the original sound file for that and post it…the house interview style at TWoP was to leave the transcripts pretty rough, so they sounded more like conversations and so you got a sense of the interviewees’ speech patterns. It isn’t everyone’s favorite — we did have a few interview subjects email us all, “You couldn’t cut some of my ‘like’s? I sound like a moron” — but I’ve always thought it gave a bit more atmosphere on the page.
I explain that because Andrew’s tape is by far the most demanding transcription job I ever had. He had a diddly-bebop-shebang way of speaking, unique to him and enjoyable in the layers it gave to his observations, that is very difficult to translate effectively to the page, and while I liked that interview, I wished I could put a sound snippet with it to underline his gusto, the swirls of words he commanded. You can hear him arguing the HBO Davids’ merits here. (That link is maybe stale; let me know if it doesn’t work.)
I’m making him sound intimidating, but he was easy to talk to, and I’m going to miss doing it. Definitely tough — I don’t know how many people in treatment for colon cancer choose to chillax with a giant Czech sausage and a stein of brown beer; Andrew wasn’t about to pass those things up — but eminently friendly. Found the things he loved, and loved them. (He’s not going to love that I used that picture. This one’s better.)
So long, friend. Rest easy.
Tags: Andrew Johnston friends
My sympathies Sars. I lost my dad to the big CC several years ago, and he was a pretty big fan of Czech sausage himself so that made me smile.
Thought you might like to know about this: http://www.coloncancerchallenge.org/
The event’s a long way off (early spring) and the weather’s usually miserable, but participating always makes me feel better.
Love and peace to you, Sars, and to his family…
Sars, I’m so sorry for your loss. He sounds like a very cool gentleman. My sincere condolences.
I’m so very sorry, Sarah. Peace and comfort to you, your friends and his family.
I’m so sorry fo the loss of your friend, Sars.
Very sorry to hear about your friend.
I remembered the interview, and enjoyed reading it again–great insider look at tv criticism, and his personality really comes through (I for one loved the twop style of transcribing).
Sars, I’m so sorry about your friend. My condolences to you and to his family.
My condolonces for your loss.
Oh, Sarah. I’m so sorry. He sounds like an amazing guy – I’m glad you got to have him in your life, and that he’s at peace now.
I’m very sorry for your loss. May his memory be a blessing to you and everyone who knew him.
I’m so sorry to hear about your friend’s passing, Sars. My condolences to you and to all of his family, friends, and loved ones.
I’m so sorry to hear this. May your memories bring you comfort and eventually joy.
And for the rest of you, if you’re 50 and haven’t had a colonoscopy yet, make the appointment today. If my friend Bruce had done so, he’d still be here.
My condolences on the loss of your friend.
I knew Andrew in a very peripheral way several years ago, and was always pleased to be able to read his work and keep up in some small way. And even with this tiny spark of a connection, I am very saddened to hear of his death. My thoughts and condolences to his family and friends, near and far.
Sars, thank you so much for this, and especially for the link to the audio file. I am one of Andrew’s cousins. He was a genuinely awesome person.
I am stunned and saddened and completely blindsided by this. Andrew and I worked together for a year in the mid-nineties. He was awesome beyond awesome. I remember him coming in to work on the first day with a new tattoo bleeding through the shoulder of his shirt, and how he lit up the dim viewless office we shared behind a firedoor with his looping, literate, musical way of speaking. I saw him a few times after he moved on; we shared a birthday and occasionally had drinks round about it. Shit, this is terrible. My very sincere condolences to all his family and good friends.