David Carr, the beloved New York Times media columnist, delivered a commencement speech at UC Berkeley's School of Journalism that was at once hilarious, profane, and deeply serious. He opened by introducing himself as he did at AA meetings — 'My name is David Carr, and I'm an alcoholic' — and proceeded to give one of the most honest commencement addresses ever delivered. This line distilled the essence of what makes someone a journalist into a single sentence. It's not about ambition, talent, or credentials — it's about a specific relationship with the unknown. The journalist is someone who is drawn to gaps in knowledge the way other people are drawn to beauty or power. Carr delivered this speech less than a year before his sudden death in February 2015, collapsing in the New York Times newsroom. His death made this address — with its themes of passion, honesty, and the urgency of telling stories — retrospectively devastating. But in the moment, it was pure Carr: self-deprecating, generous, and utterly committed to the craft he loved.