Conversation so far:
What was David Simon's relationship with journalism?
Simon worked as a police reporter at The Baltimore Sun from 1982 to 1995.
He spent most of his career covering the crime beat.
A colleague has said that.
How were his pieces recieved?
A colleague has said that Simon loved journalism and felt it was "God's work".
Simon says that he was initially altruistic and was inspired.
Did he receive any accolades or awards?
Simon was a union captain when the writing staff went on strike in 1987 over benefit cuts.
He remained angry after the strike ended and began to feel uncomfortable.
Did he ever get over the feelings of discomfort?
He searched for a reason to justify a leave of absence and settled on the idea of writing a novel.
"I got out of journalism because.

Question: Why did he say he got out?
Self-contained rewrite: Why did David Simon say he got out of journalism?