Arthur Kane has been an award-winning investigative reporter, editor, producer and executive producer for three decades. At The Denver Post, he exposed problems with the state medical board’s discipline of doctors that sparked a change in state law, and at KMGH-TV he produced or oversaw investigations that won the Peabody and two duPont-Columbia awards. He is currently investigations editor at the Las Vegas Review-Journal and was named Nevada’s outstanding journalist of the year in 2020 and 2022 by the Nevada Press Association.
SunLit: Tell us this book’s backstory. What inspired you to write it? Where did the story/theme originate?
Art Kane: I worked with Jeff German for six years before he was murdered. Police and prosecutors say he was killed because of the stories he wrote about an elected official. While journalists around the world face violence for their work, most people think that doesn’t happen in the U.S. I wanted to tell people Jeff’s story as a cautionary tale of what reporters in the U.S. face.
SunLit: Place this excerpt in context. How does it fit into the book as a whole? Why did you select it?
Kane: I think this excerpt shows the dangers and conflict Jeff faced throughout his years of reporting and the tenacity and bravery he showed when met with physical and verbal attacks. It also illustrates how he was in the middle of some of the biggest stories in the 40 years he covered the city.
SunLit: Tell us about creating this book. What influences and/or experiences informed the project before you sat down to write?
Kane: I have always enjoyed narrative nonfiction. Most of the books I read are written in that style so I wanted to build as compelling a narrative about Jeff’s life and death as I could. I feel that compelling storytelling will attract more readers who will better remember the story so I focused on that narrative to make sure the book had the most impact possible.
UNDERWRITTEN BY
Each week, The Colorado Sun and Colorado Humanities & Center For The Book feature an excerpt from a Colorado book and an interview with the author. Explore the SunLit archives at coloradosun.com/sunlit.
SunLit: What did the process of writing this book add to your knowledge and understanding of your craft and/or the subject matter?
Kane: I was struck by the amount of controversy, corruption and violence faced by journalists in Las Vegas. Researching the book also gave me a better understanding of the history of this town and the key players that shaped and influenced Las Vegas.
SunLit: What were the biggest challenges you faced in writing this book?
Kane: Many people, including Jeff’s family, refused to participate and be interviewed. I tried hard to get as many voices and sources in the book as possible. I was able to interview more than 80 people – some more than once – but having Jeff’s family and close friends discussing his life would have added another layer of narrative to the book.
SunLit: What’s the most important thing — a theme, lesson, emotion or realization — that readers should take from this book?
Kane: The theme is the danger faced by journalists to get key information about government corruption, graft and waste out to the public. Despite the public’s concern about bias and fake news, journalists play a key function in the U.S. democracy and that role is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution.
“The Last Story”
Where to find it:
- Prospector: Search the combined catalogs of 23 Colorado libraries
- Libby: E-books and audio books
- NewPages Guide: List of Colorado independent bookstores
- Bookshop.org: Searchable database of bookstores nationwide
SunLit present new excerpts from some of the best Colorado authors that not only spin engaging narratives but also illuminate who we are as a community. Read more.
While some reporting is opinion-based and biased, it is important to understand that most journalists are hard-working and take their role of watchdog over government seriously. Without journalism, a significant amount of corruption and theft of taxpayer resources would go unpunished.
SunLit: Walk us through your writing process: Where and how do you write?
Kane: I wrote in my home office here in Henderson, Nevada. Because I was just promoted from reporter to editor, I had to be efficient in my reporting and writing for the book around my work responsibilities.
I put together an outline and reported and wrote each chapter separately. That way it was like I was researching and writing a long story for each chapter instead of a nearly 300-page book. Having to do all the reporting and then writing a book would have been overwhelming so breaking into the bite-sized chapters helped me get it done around my other responsibilities.
SunLit: What kind of life do investigative reporters lead?
Kane: Most people glamorize the work of investigative reporters because of movies like “All the President’s Men” and “Spotlight,” but much of the work is looking through public documents or sorting databases. The most important skill set is an ability to gain the confidence of sources and people who can tell what is happening inside government and then protect those sources from exposure.
There is a lot of hard work but the payoff is that front-page story that ends up sparking the indictment of a government official or changes in state law that will improve the lives of readers and taxpayers.
SunLit: Tell us about your next project.
Kane: Right now I’m just focused on editing the investigative team at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. I have some ideas that I might pursue outside work but nothing that I am ready to reveal.
A few more quick questions
SunLit: Which do you enjoy more as you work on a book – writing or editing?
Kane: Writing.
SunLit: What’s the first piece of writing – at any age – that you remember being proud of?
Kane: I wrote some op-ed pieces for the school paper before becoming a reporter that I thought were interesting and funny. It was the first time my work was published and that was good feedback that I could be a professional writer.
SunLit: What three writers, from any era, would you invite over for a great discussion about literature and writing?
Kane: Hunter Thompson, David Halberstam and James B. Stewart.
SunLit: Do you have a favorite quote about writing?
Kane: “Journalism is printing something that someone does not want printed. Everything else is public relations.” – George Orwell
SunLit: What does the current collection of books on your home shelves tell visitors about you?
Kane: The books I read show my love of nonfiction and particularly narrative nonfiction that brings the conventions of fiction into the factual reporting and writing.
SunLit: Soundtrack or silence? What’s the audio background that helps you write?
Kane: Usually metal bands like Tool, Slayer, Pantera and Motorhead.
SunLit: What event, and at what age, convinced you that you wanted to be a writer?
Kane: When I was in high school, a friend gave me a copy of “Hells Angels” by Hunter Thompson and I was inspired to pursue journalism based on that book and others by writers called the New Journalists.
SunLit: Greatest writing fear?
Kane: Making a mistake or presenting something out of context.
SunLit: Greatest writing satisfaction?
Kane: Exposing what the government wants hidden from the taxpayers and voters who are supposed to be their bosses.