Just One Thing, the feature from Tribune senior correspondent Ellen Warren, has evolved since its debut a year ago. “At the beginning, it was just about the ‘Things’ in Just One Thing,” explains Ellen.
The challenge has been to transform products into passages of cultural exploration. “A pair of old $2 sandals that has lasted for 30-plus years is an arresting image but also offers the opportunity to write about giving good value. Bottles of trendy liquor become a look at the beauty and importance of packaging,” says Ellen, the youngest person ever inducted into the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame. “A dusty old typewriter in a 112-year-old suburban office-supply store leads to a story on the enduring importance of history. And beautiful handmade carpets open a window on the effects of the war in Afghanistan.”
These days, this one-time war correspondent is embedding herself in the dangerous world of retail, and it hasn’t dulled her reporting skills.
“She brings the same acumen and style to white dresses as she did to White House coverage,” observes Managing Editor/Features Jim Warren (no relation), who has worked with Ellen for many years.
“Indeed, it was no surprise when, at her Washington farewell, a video tribute included former First Lady Barbara Bush dressed kaleidoscopically as a costume-jewelry-strewn Ellen.”
Casting her eye around at the world and the objects that define our lives, Ellen seeks to interpret those discoveries and place them in a larger context. “I’m still learning,” she reflects, “which after decades in the newspaper business is just one thing that makes me very happy.”
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etaylor@tribune.com
Home on the Range will be back on the range soon.
