Herb Caen

Herb Caen (April 3, 1916 – February 1, 1997) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist working in San Francisco.

Related Topics:
April 3 - 1916 - February 1 - 1997 - Pulitzer Prize - Columnist - San Francisco

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Born in Sacramento, California, Caen worked for the San Francisco Chronicle from the late 1930s until his death, with an interruption from 1950 to 1958 during which he wrote for the San Francisco Examiner.

Related Topics:
Sacramento - California - San Francisco Chronicle - 1930s - 1950 - 1958 - San Francisco Examiner

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Caen gained notoriety with his column "It's news to me", which was first published in 1938. His columns were known for their dry wit and his intricate knowledge of the goings-on in his city. Caen had a considerable influence on pop culture and its language; most notably, he is credited with inventing the term "Beatnik" in a 1958 column. He also coined the word "hippie".

Related Topics:
1938 - Beatnik - 1958 - Hippie

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For many years, San Francisco had a double-decker freeway along part of its waterfront. Caen loathed and lambasted it in his column. (He called it the Dambarcadero, instead of the Embarcadero Freeway.) The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake severely damaged the freeway. Rather than repair it, it was demolished. In its place is a boulevard and Herb Caen Way... a wide promenade to the new stadium for his beloved Giants.

Related Topics:
Dambarcadero - 1989 - Loma Prieta earthquake - Herb Caen Way...

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Caen received a special award from the Pulitzer Prize board in 1996 "for his extraordinary and continuing contribution as a voice and conscience of his city."

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Caen played himself in a 1996 documentary called The Hippie Revolution. He died of lung cancer in San Francisco. His funeral was one of the most widely attended events in recent city history.

Related Topics:
1996 - Lung cancer

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Caen often referred to his column as "three dot journalism" ... and playfully popularized many concepts and terms, such as Frisbeetarianism.

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