Never too late to say thanks

Tim Russert

Meaning no disrespect, but the events of the last few days seem to demonstrate once again how dying can do wonders for an author's sales. Since he passed away of an apparent heart attack last Friday, broadcaster Tim Russert's books are soaring off the charts.

On the Barnes & Noble website today (at 5 p.m.), "Big Russ and Me," Russert's book about his father, is No. 1 in hardcover and the paperback version is No. 3. "Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons" is No. 2 in hardcover and No. 5 in paperback.

It seems that everyone who ever met him has a Tim Russert story. Here is mine:

In 1997, as book editor of the Globe, I hosted the fall Book & Author Luncheon, back when we actually did things like that. We would have three or four authors at a ticketed luncheon, and each would speak briefly about his or her new book. The book was "Meet the Press: 50 Years of History in the Making." Though Russert was not the author -- it was an NBC production -- he had written the introduction and had agreed to appear and speak. Beforehand, he was as friendly as everyone now says he was, and not for a minute acted anything less than privileged to be there to eat rubber chicken and speak to a roomful of elderly ladies.

When his turn came to speak, before he began, he announced that his parochial school teacher, Sister Mary So-and-So, who had been kind and encouraging to him when he was a child in Buffalo, was in the audience. He lavished praise on her and asked her to stand, which she somewhat awkwardly did, as everyone applauded. You have to love a guy who knows what he owes to Sister.