A Collection of Columns

<p>Book contains columns and observations published in various newspapers managed by Rick Rae during the course of his half-century career in the business.</p><p><strong>Book Review by Alice Queen of rockdalenewtoncitizen.com</strong></p><p>Rick Rae loves his family and loves his cars.</p><p>That much is clear from a reading of his second book A Collection of Columns a series of personal and observational essays the native of Canada - whose newspaper management career spanned some 45 years - has curated from a life well lived.</p><p>I've been writing columns here and there mostly internet stuff and a couple of folks noted that I've been writing them a long time and they're right; I think I started back in 1974 said Rae 84 from his home in Loganville where he lives with Penny his wife of 62 years. Several people suggested I package the best of them and put them in book form. So I went ahead and did it.</p><p>Many of the pieces in Rae's new book detail his automotive obsession (he bought the first of his 75 cars when he was 14 years old) and a number of vacations taken by his family. But the former publisher of the Rockdale Citizen Newton Citizen and Gwinnett Daily Post also delves into a host of other subjects including some inside baseball insights on the newspaper industry his thoughts on music and other significant (and not-so-significant) life moments.</p><p>Published by Indiana-based AuthorHouse A Collection of Columns is Rae's follow-up to his 2011 memoir Not Extinct Yet in which he details his many decades in newspapers. Rae said he worried that the subject matter of some of the columns might seem a bit antiquated but he moved ahead with the project.</p><p>Unfortunately I've been at this so long that some of the columns are rather dated he said. I love writing about personal experiences and the more I can get down on paper the better I'll like it although I'm getting kind of old I guess for personal experiences.</p><p>Two chapters particularly amusing to Rae were written in recent years for a Canadian publication for which he once worked. One concerns teaming up with a co-worker who was a successful pool shark and the other involved meeting a young singer who became one of country music's most beloved stars.</p><p>I wrote two recollection columns for a former employer in Canada; they were about getting in a pool tournament and making more money than I had selling newspaper ads and also my meeting with Harold Jenkins who would later change his name to Conway Twitty he said. I love to do that kind of stuff - I've got a few of those in my background.</p><p>The book's final chapter was a column published in the Rockdale Citizen (which by then had a companion paper in Newton County) and the Gwinnett Daily Post on June 28 2006 the day he retired.</p><p>When asked if he had plans for any more books Rae said he's got something on the back burner that he might want to release.</p><p>One of my buddies in Canada who I grew up with is an author and makes a lot of money ghostwriting for Canadian politicians - it seems like everybody in Canada wants to have a book out he said. He suggested that I combine my love of cars and my love of music and do some kind of book about cars and songs. I've been thinking that might be a way to go. It's been in the back of my mind.</p><p>One story that may well wind up in another book takes place during the time Rae managed a newspaper in the suburbs of Detroit and saw an up-and-coming performer that left an impression that remains today.</p><p>I've never written about my times with Bob Seger when I worked in Pontiac Mich. he said. When I worked there every Friday we'd go across the road to a bowling alley that had a lounge and the guy playing there was Bob Seger... We'd listen to him until they shut the bar down at 2 in the morning - the whole newspaper used to come over and hear him perform.</p>