The April issue of Smithsonian hit the newsstands today and the good news is that you can pick up a copy and enjoy a first-class article about Barbaro’s struggle, written with sensitivity and intellectual curiosity by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Twomey.

The even better news is that you can read the text online:http://www.smithsonianmag.com/issues/2007/april/barbaro.php

with an added interview with Twomey here:http://www.smithsonianmag.com/issues/2007/april/barbaro-author.php

But the images are visible only in the printed copy. If your newsstand doesn’t have it, your library probably has a subscription.

You’ll find my name in small print in the article. I spent hours on the phone with Twomey, as I’m sure all the other interviewees (McIlwraith, Stover, Moore, etc.) did. Granted, we were talking about a subject near and dear to my heart, but it was a vicarious pleasure for me to be interviewed so skillfully by a master journalist, while all the while being aware, just below the surface, that he knew exactly what he was hoping I’d say. I’d like to be his intern and learn how he assembles a story.

For someone who is not even a horse person, let alone well-schooled in veterinary medicine, Steve Twomey proved with this article that ethical, professional journalists can craft a credible article while still being sensitive to the emotional nature of a subject like euthanasia. The true pros not only do their homework on a subject but also earn the trust of their interview subjects…and don’t betray that trust when the deadline crunch arrives.

See you at the newsstand. Save one for me!