Carpetbagger's confessions

He's a respected journalist for the New York Times, Awards Blogger Also Known As Carpetbagger and Gold Rush's long-distance mad crush, but a couple decades ago, David Carr had a few other identifiers next to his name, like junkie, drug dealer, violent offender.

He's written a memoir, out next month, where he puts his reporting skills to work on his own former life as a crack addict. That's what needed to be done, he said, to tell a story in which he's admittedly hazy on lots of the key details.

A small taste of The Night of the Gun:

"Here is what I deserved: hepatitis C, federal prison time, H.I.V., a cold park bench, an early, addled death.

Here is what I got: the smart, pretty wife, the three lovely children, the job that impresses.

Here is what I remember about how That Guy became This Guy: not much. But my version of events is worth knowing, if for no other reason than I was there."

The NYT published an excerpt the other day. Read it here.

We've made no secret of the fact that we think the guy practically walks on water, journalistically speaking. Damn nice fellow to boot. Turns out he sure can spin a yarn about his darkest days. Next stop after finishing this post: Amazon.