The New York Times-20080127-JIMMY BRESLIN- Inspirational Curmudgeon- -Letter-

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JIMMY BRESLIN: Inspirational Curmudgeon; [Letter]

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To the Editor:

Re Jimmy Breslin's Perpetual Deadline by Alan Feuer [Jan. 20]:

Alan Feuer wrote about Jimmy Breslin's perpetual deadline and mafia connections but did not capture the charm of the Breslin whom I met.

It was 1978, I was 25 and living in Buffalo. Through a friend who ran the student lecture series at the SUNY campus, I had the chance to have a beer and wings with Jimmy Breslin. I asked him if he thought a girl from Indiana could make it in New York City. I will never forget his response: Kids migrating from the Midwest are what makes New York great. That's the way it's always been.

In that moment he was not the curmudgeon I expected but an adult who offered hope and inspiration. If Jimmy Breslin thought I could make it, maybe I could. What a guy. Kay Johnson

Hinesburg, Vt.