▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁R aines ▁published ▁an ▁ess ay , ▁" Gr ady ' s ▁G ift ", ▁about ▁his ▁child hood ▁in ▁Alabama . ▁He ▁fond ly ▁described ▁the ▁family ' s ▁black ▁house keeper . ▁His ▁mem oir ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Pul itzer ▁Prize ▁for ▁Fe ature ▁Writing . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁R aines ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁as ▁the ▁Times ▁editor ial ▁page ▁editor , ▁a ▁position ▁he ▁held ▁for ▁eight ▁years . ▁The ▁ag gress ive , ▁col lo qu ial ▁style ▁of ▁his ▁editor ial s , ▁especially ▁those ▁critical ▁of ▁President ▁Bill ▁Cl inton ▁and ▁his ▁administration , ▁drew ▁w ides p read ▁notice ▁and ▁a ▁share ▁of ▁criticism . ▁His ▁work ▁marked ▁a ▁departure ▁from ▁the ▁measured ▁tone ▁for ▁which ▁Times ▁editor ial s ▁had ▁been ▁known . ▁ ▁R aines ▁was ▁appointed ▁Executive ▁Editor ▁of ▁The ▁Times ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁serving ▁until ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁ ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁controvers y ▁generated ▁by ▁the ▁reporting ▁sc andal ▁related ▁to ▁J ays on ▁Bla ir ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁dismiss al . ▁A ▁Times ▁internal ▁investigation ▁revealed ▁that ▁ 3 6 ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 3 ▁national ▁stories ▁Bla ir ▁file d ▁with ▁the ▁paper ▁over ▁a ▁six - month ▁period ▁were ▁mar red ▁by ▁errors , ▁false ▁dat elines ▁or ▁evidence ▁of ▁pl ag iar ism . ▁R aines ▁was ▁fault ed ▁for ▁continu ing ▁to ▁publish ▁Bla