I liked Marty Markowitz's remembrance of Frank McCourt:
"Brooklyn mourns the loss of Frank McCourt, one of our borough’s favorite sons and a fellow Brooklyn College alumnus who rose from poverty to become one of our finest city school teachers and best-selling authors. With Angela’s Ashes, he created a beautiful work of art by drawing on a childhood marked with the sort of adversity that few of us are ever forced to experience. Frank McCourt was a living, breathing example of what I call the ‘Brooklyn attitude’—nothing held him back and no obstacle prevented him from reaching the zenith of his potential. On behalf of all Brooklynites, my deepest sympathies to his wife, daughter and all of his loved ones."
I think Frank is a bit of a patron saint to all of us who try the deceptively “easy” craft of personal narrative (which is so easy to do, just not to do well). He was also a great Brooklyn character. I have a tribute on CrazyStable today.