From reader nudges to quirky fact hunts

It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway): The
late, great Ruston journalist Wiley W. Hilburn Jr., my
department head for 34 years, taught me a lot about
writing. And that includes column writing.
I would often proofread his column, “Fragments,”
a staple in two area newspapers for decades.
In the process, we’d discuss his topics, his
writing, how he got his ideas – indeed, a plethora
of subjects.