New book compiles Bertram de Souza’s columns

Veteran Mahoning Valley journalist Bertram de Souza’s first book, “No Holds Barred,” a compilation of some of his most celebrated — and most controversial — columns and other writings, became available for order on Aug. 31, exactly one year from the day The (Youngstown) Vindicator closed.

The book includes about 300 of de Souza’s more than 1,600 columns penned over 36 of his 40 years with The Vindicator, as well as newspaper archive photographs and drawings. “No Holds Barred” also includes a chapter featuring de Souza’s wry humor, as well as individual pieces by former Vindicator staffers.

The 368-page book is divided into 11 chapters on topics including James A. Traficant Jr., a comparison of the Obama and Trump presidencies, organized crime, General Motors, Youngstown State University, politics and public corruption.

The book was designed by award-winning former Vindicator art director Robert McFerren.

The project relied on the input of a small group of former Vindicator staffers, including de Souza, Cynthia Rickard, McFerren, and Ernie Brown.

“We all read each of the columns and graded them. The ones with the highest grades are the ones that made it into the book,” de Souza said.

For more than 150 years, The Vindicator was a staple in Mahoning Valley life and culture. The announcement of the daily newspaper’s impending closure last year brought cries of regret — and some actual tears — from many area residents.

The journalists and others who were working at the paper were similarly shaken, so a group from The Vindicator newsroom quickly agreed something was needed to memorialize the exceptional role the paper played in the region.

“No Holds Barred” is published by The Scribbler Publishing Group, LLC, Youngstown, Ohio. Orders for the book, which can be autographed and personalized, can be placed starting at scribblergroup.com.

Copies also will be available from other booksellers in the near future.

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Apodcast featuring veteran Youngstown Vindicator journalists is now available for viewing on the Podcast Page at www.scribblergroup.com.

It was released on Aug. 31 – on the one-year anniversary of the closing of the 150-year-old newspaper.

The journalists, Bertram de Souza, Cynthia Rickard, Robert McFerren and Ernie Brown, reflect on their long tenures with The Vindicator and how the closing has affected their lives. They also discuss the current state of the news industry in the United States and the void that’s created when a community’s leading voice is silenced.

De Souza, Rickard, McFerren and Brown are part of the team that developed “No Holds Barred,” a book that pays homage to The Vindicator. The book contains a large selection of de Souza’s columns published during his 40 years with the paper, essays by team members, letters and historical photos.