Appearances

Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Book Signing
Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble, 801 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55402
Call (612) 338-2937

Thursday, June 26, 2008 ~ 7:00 to 8:15 p.m.
"Summer of '73: The Year that Changed Baseball Forever"
Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, the Pohlad Auditorium
(612) 630-6174
As part of the People's University lecture series, John will deliver a lecture about the seminal events of the 1973 season and explain how they ushered in the modern era of baseball that preceded today's steroid era. The library's program provides everyone in our community a fun and intellectually stimulating way to continue their education. Afterward, John will sign copies of the lecture's inspiration, Hammerin' Hank, George Almighty and the Say Hey Kid: The Year that Changed Baseball Forever.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
Book Signing and Discussion
The Bookcase, 607 East Lake Street, Wayzata, Minnesota
John will discuss and sign copies of Hammerin' Hank, George Almighty and the Say Hey Kid: The Year that Changed Baseball Forever in his hometown. The event is free and open to the public. Call (952) 473-8341 for more info.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 ~ 7:00 p.m.
"Summer of '73: The Year that Changed Baseball Forever"
Dakota County Heritage Library, 20085 Heritage Drive, Lakeville, Minnesota, (952) 891-0370
John will discuss the 1973 season, the subject of his new book, Hammerin’ Hank, George Almighty and the Say Hey Kid: The Year that Changed Baseball Forever. He will also answer questions and personalize copies of the book.

Book Signing, July 25-27, 2008
Induction Weekend for the National Baseball Hall of Fame
at Augur's Corner Book Store
73 Main Street, Cooperstown, New York Tel. (607) 547-2422
Check back for exact times

September 17 – October 22, 2008 (6 weeks)
 "Freelance Success: Writing at a Higher Level"
Wednesday evenings, 5 – 7 pm
The Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis.
This course is for the serious writer wanting to build, or to further, a career as a freelance writer. We’ll discuss ways to develop article and book ideas, find the right markets, assemble and maintain a network, and identify revenue sources. Nuts and bolts information includes calculating assignments in wages per hour rather than dollars per word, effective time use with multiple deadlines, and contract negotiation. Exercises include identifying ways to capitalize on work you’ve done, brainstorming where ideas are likely to originate, and developing a mission statement and business plan to help you move forward. For more information or to register, visit www.loft.org

Saturday, October 11, 2008, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
"The Art of Promoting your Book"
The Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue, Minneapolis

This three-hour workshop is for anyone who wants to promote their book, whether that exists in their head or is already in bookstores. We’ll talk about ways they can use traditional and unconventional means to reach their target audience, making the distinction between readers and buyers of their book. We’ll consider various mediums, including radio, television, print, and internet outlets to spread the word and how to best utilize each. We’ll discuss the need to create buzz and how to do that in advance. We’ll explore opportunities for bulk sales, ways to reach niche audiences, and advertising options. We’ll discuss how to approach influential people to write blurbs and plug the book. We’ll also talk about ways to organize special events that will generate media interest. John will also provide some media coaching, helping authors develop their hook, their elevator speech, and key sound bites. We’ll also look at how they can book speaking engagements on the subject of their book that will pay additional income and provide exposure for their title. For more information or to register, visit www.loft.org

Tuesday, December 2, 2008, 5:30 to 9:00 p.m.
"The Art of Fiction in Nonfiction"
The Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue, Minneapolis
In this three-hour workshop, we’ll look at how to set scenes, write dialogue, develop characters, tell a story, and use voice in magazine and newspaper articles. Since the journalist can’t just make this stuff up the way a fiction writer can, we’ll begin with instruction in ways to capture the necessary details in the research and reporting. We’ll also look at how to craft those techniques in the writing. We’ll study these techniques in a variety of examples from the old masters, e. g., Tom Wolfe and Gay Talese, to more contemporary examples. We’ll practice the reporting and writing techniques with a couple of exercises. Students will leave the workshop with a better appreciation of how these techniques work in nonfiction and a greater understanding of how to apply them to the articles they write.
For more information or to register, visit www.loft.org