An order of news, with a bit of sarcasm and wit on the side, please

What could possibly be better than reading a hard-hitting news story? How about a hard-hitting news story that also brings a smile to your face?

In this day and age, journalism seems to be a shrinking profession because of the lack of people interested in reading genuine news. Most readers (mainly my generation) want to hear the facts, but would prefer to hear them dressed up with wit and humor.

However, it isn’t always so easy to find good quality writing of this style.

Fortunately, Steve Lopez of the Los Angeles Times gets the job done.

On The Times’ staff since 2001, Lopez has delivered story after story that give readers the information they need to know, but also pulls them in with his clever-style of writing.

He has written on topics ranging from the Antonio Villaraigosa affair to a young boy getting run over by a car. But no matter what the subject, somehow he manages to almost make you forget you are reading about news.

Lopez started the car accident story, headlined “Strangers’ paths cross, and a boy’s life hang in the balance,” by introducing the people involved. He wrote, “Ten-year-old Danny White, red-haired and freckled, was riding his skateboard while his mother walked a friend's dog. Ron Dobson was on the corner after a day of revisions on a screenplay, enjoying the feel of the afternoon sun on his face, eyes closed and head tilted back. Myra Crowe was on her way to a ballet class for one of her three kids, all of whom were in her Honda Pilot as she headed out of her town house driveway and onto Palisades Circle at the very moment Danny approached.”**

After this intro, he explains how Crowe rounds the corner, hits the boy and how he hangs on to save his own life.

This column could have easily been boring and factual, as many news-related columns are, but Lopez keeps you glued to the page with his unique brand of column writing. After reading the story, you feel as though you know the people involved and were right there watching.

He works the same magic in many of his other stories, as well.

But developing easy-to-read articles is not where his writing ends, Lopez is also the author of three novels, “Third and Indiana,” “The Sunday Macaroni Club,” and “In the Clear.” All of which have received memorable reviews, such as “…this book brims with humor in all flavors. Sarcasm sprinkled into witty dialogue…” from the mysteryreader.com on his second book, and "...Lopez is blessed with surefire comic timing..." from Dave Kipen of the San Francisco Times on his third.

In addition to these publications, his columns can be found in the book “Land of the Giants: Where No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.”

Lopez has also been recognized for his talent with numerous awards, both before and during his employment at The Times.

In his earlier career, he was a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and was awarded the H.L Mencken Writing Award, National Headliner Award, and the Ernie Pyle Award for his human interest and column writing.

Lopez later wrote for Times Inc. and helped to develop the Bonus Section, a narrative news series, for which he won a Society of Professional Journalists Award for national magazines.

His earliest career began with several daily newspapers in California, including the Oakland Tribune and the San Jose Mercury News.

According to LAWeekly.com, Lopez is currently working on his fourth novel, which is also his first nonfiction. It will detail a formally-homeless cellist and violinist named Nathaniel, who he met in Downtown L.A.

So much to my satisfaction, and hopefully yours, it seems we will be seeing a lot more of Lopez’s work.

I am positive we can expect just as much exceptional work as we have in the past, and I look forward to reading it.

**http://www.latimes.com/news/columnists/la-me-lopez30sep30,1,5683440.column?coll=la-news-columns
http://www.latimes.com/news/columnists/la-me-lopez7oct07,1,3012582.column?coll=la-news-columns&ctrack=4&cset=true