Marie would not want any tribute to leave out mention of the people she met, the stories she heard. She often spoke of how humbled she was by the “quiet bravery of civilians”.
We’ve come to expect that wherever something of consequence was happening, Marie would be there. Her signature was not just to go to a story, but to stay for as long as she could, regardless of the danger or discomfort.
She admired the pioneering journalism of fellow American Martha Gelhorn. I always saw her as the Martha of our generation: brave and beautiful. A woman with a wicked laugh, a sensitive soul, and a steely determination to tell the stories that mattered. She had both guts and glamour.
I remember a conversation long ago where she told me a partner wanted her to be what she called a “Laura Ashley” – pretty and perfect in the home. But that wasn’t Marie and she knew it. She was, without exception, a kind and considerate colleague and fellow traveller, a woman who inspired and engaged.
