First Impressions: Linda Winer

Linda Winer is a tour-de-force.

The second time I met her, she was already waiting at the picnic table in The Sunken Garden, where the critic seminars are typically held. I was very excited to get acquainted with Linda as she is one of the very few and gainfully employed female critics in New York. I have to give her the respect that she deserves for accomplishing such a feat in an industry that's pretty hard to get into and stay into.

She did not disappoint.

Here was this vivacious, whip-smart lady with a warm disposition and smile. She talked to us about how she started in journalism and the roads that opened up after that. There was plenty of soaking up happening, as she was pretty frank about her philosophies and why she had them. And after a 40-year career and counting, she came equipped with battle scars and juicy stories. Let's not forget the juicy stories.

But in this case, what went on at the O'Neill will stay at the O'Neill.

The production that we had to review for her was not an easy one. On top of desperately needing editing at the time that I saw it, it was one that did not meet my taste requirements. I was anxious to put good copy in front of her because I cared about what she thought of me. Sometimes, you only get one shot, and I wanted my shot to be nothing but net if I was going to present myself as a future colleague of hers.

Well, it wasn't exactly a swish, but I did manage to impress her with some well-turned phrases like "fresh off the ideals boat" that she thought were very quotable. But the best part of all was when, unprovoked except by my raw (literally) talent, Linda declared that I had a "strong voice."

That was a proud moment for me.

Those words may not get a rise out of you, but for me, along with many fellow writers, it's all about having a strong voice. So if a writer that you admire and respect gives you those kinds of kudos, then it's just as good as any three-pointer. If I had a victory dance, I would have done it.

By the way, I don't know how these basketball references got in here because I don't watch basketball. But that's my metaphor and I'm sticking to it.

I wish she could have stayed longer. As I recall, she was only there for a weekend, but I hope to run into her again.

Linda would not have recalled, but I met her briefly during a taping of Theater Talk's Critics' Cavalcade episode last year. I didn't see any of the Broadway shows in 2008 to have had any kind of input, so I scampered out quickly. But I knew a lot more this year. Perhaps the third time I run into her, I'll be completely knowledgeable. I like that I can associate a learning curve with my Linda run-ins. She's definitely the kind of trailblazer that inspires me to do what I must do to set my own path on fire.