Linda Greenhouse to Leave the Times
A t the risk of gushing, Linda Greenhouse's decision to leave the New York Times has left me very depressed. Her departure is not a death in the family but it is always a passing of note when a writer who has defined her beat in the best traditions of writing and reporting decides to get off the bus. Greenhouse, who has worked at the paper for 30 years and is the dean of the Supreme Court press corps, is an appointment read for me. I like the law anyway and the Supreme Court especially -- of course I read " Becoming Justice Blackmun " and am reading " The Nine " right now -- but her abilities transcend the subject matter. Her prose is consistently clear and diligent and spare, at any length. She eschews the soft lead so common elsewhere in the paper (and elsewhere) but does not rigidly adhere to the 5Ws . Great writers can pull that off, but she is a professional driver on a closed track: do not try this at home. As a reporter, Greenhouse leave no relevant sto