Steve Diamond, Well-known Journalist,
Succumbs to Heart Failure

Steve Diamond , well-known journalist, author, peace activist and documentary film writer, passed away in Santa Barbara, California on February 4, 2006, just one day before he was scheduled to have a heart transplant at UCLA.

In Miami, he founded and was editor of "City Beautiful" newspaper in Coral Gables from 1990-1992.

Born in Panama, Republic of Panama, 50 years ago, Steve attended Columbia University School of Journalism and was actively involved in the College newspaper, being one of the first editors who was fluent in Spanish. 

A cover story in the Living Today  section of "The Miami Herald" told how Steve and a group of Columbia University students founded a farm near Amherst in Massachusetts where they wrote and distributed a college newspaper throughout the United States, and started a film company, Green Mountain Post, which still exists today. 

Earlier in his career, he was Editor of the Massachusetts newspaper  "Amherst Valley Advocate"; Editor of "The Boston Phoenix" newspaper which he helped found, and a contributing editor to "New Times" Magazine in New York, and wrote a cover story for the Miami newspaper "New Times" about lsaac Bashevis Singer. 

Diamond wrote "Save the Planet" part of a feature series film released by Warner Brothers featuring Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon and James Taylor. He also received the "Best Film" Award for "Voices of Spirit,"  a documentary about trans medium Elwood Babbitt, an uneducated farmer, which he wrote, produced and narrated.  Dr. Margaret Mead and astronaut Edgar Mitchell were on the panel of judges. The film aired on numerous PBS affiliates. The film premiered in Miami.

His books Panama Red (Avon paperback) and What the Trees Said (Lawrence/Delacorte Press) were translated and were translated into several languages. 

He wrote articles for The Atlantic Monthly, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, L.A. Weekly, International Times of London, The Austin Sun and the New Orleans Courier.   

In 1997 Steve received a $10,000 Grant for One Day in Peace Foundation, and the Lifebridge Foundation of New York. He also was the recipient of the Massachusetts Arts & Humanities Fiction Award for "New Fiction Award" for his book Panama Red . Steve was active in the United National peace organization and wrote a children's book One Day in Peace,  which was translated into 18 languages and distributed to children around the world.

Other articles included a Miami New Times cover story about illustrious authors including one on Isaac Bashevis Singer. He was the ghost writer for several books, during his lifetime. 

He was a reporter for the New Orleans Times/Picayune, the Village Voice in New York.

He will be deeply missed by his family, mother Hindi Diamond, brother Mark, of Miami, sister Linda, Woodstock, New York, niece Samantha and nephew Lon Diamond.  He was the son of the late Walt Whitman Diamond.

Steve is also survived by two daughters, Crescent and Maya, and former wife, Judith Rubinstein of Santa Barbara, California. Special memorial services honoring and celebrating his life are being held in California, New York, and Massachusetts.

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1. Steve Diamond

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