Tom Swift Writer’s Notebook

I wrote a column for the Northfield News about one of my favorite subjects. For a slightly longer version (one that does not adhere to the newspaper’s tight word limit), follow the jump.

Thanks to the New Brighton Bulletin for the kind review and fine interview. Says writer Cody Zustiak: “Baseball and Minnesota sports fans will surely enjoy digging into Swift’s research and being taken back in time to learn more about some of baseball’s best players and teams. The book is more than a look into Bender’s [...]

Here is audio from my interview with Don Shelby, Aug. 24, 2009:
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

As I have mentioned, there is a review of “Chief Bender’s Burden” in the summer issue of Minnesota History magazine. Now, finally — so as to appease the masses clamoring for a follow-up — is an excerpt that is, coincidentally, from my favorite part: “This is a book worth reading and owning. It is well [...]

I was interviewed by longtime Minnesota Twins television broadcaster Dick Bremer for the team’s Fox Sports Net pre-game show (August 17, 2009).

I had hesitated to mention I would be on television because I thought the act of saying so might wrinkle the universe, ensuring a programming change and, well, sure enough! I’ve been told that Monday night (August 17) will be the night. So that’s a guarantee. Unless, of course, I just messed with the cosmos [...]

Rumor has it, I will make my television debut* tonight. Or tomorrow. Or the next day. Sometime soon anyway. I was interviewed by longtime Minnesota Twins broadcaster Dick Bremer recently about “Chief Bender’s Burden” for a segment that, I’ve been told, will air during the Twins pre-game show on Fox Sports Net at some point [...]

I haven’t seen it yet but a friend spotted a review of “Chief Bender’s Burden” in the Summer 2009 issue of Minnesota History Magazine.

I will be Scott Hall’s guest on the KAXE Morning Show tomorrow (Wednesday) at about 8:10 a.m.

You write a book and hope someone in the media will care. But you don’t get specific. No. You don’t say — even if the only noise in the room is a snoring dog and a whirring ceiling fan, you don’t so much as whisper the words — “Hey, maybe Minnesota institution Nick Coleman will [...]

I was recently interviewed by iSportacus, a Philadelphia focused blog.

The books editors at both the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press have recently devoted column space to Minnesotans in Baseball, a collection of dozens of the most famous baseball players born or raised in the state. The book was edited by Stew Thornley, award-winning author, foremost historian of baseball in the North [...]

I will be Mike Schikman’s guest on “Speaking Of …” Friday (May 22) evening when we’ll talk about “Chief Bender’s Burden” 55 years to the day after Charles Bender stopped pitching in this world. That’s 6:30 p.m. Eastern, WSVA 550 AM, Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Thanks to Rob Hardy for the Q&A published at Northfield.org. Rob, a fellow writer and a keen reader, also has a personal blog that is worth the time. I especially enjoy Rob’s ruminations on writers and books.

Strib books editor Laurie Hertzel kindly mentioned the award in her column on Sunday.

I’m late with this note, but my tardiness says nothing about how grateful I am that I can share it. Tom Flynn wrote a fine and flattering review that was published the most recent issue of The Corresponder, a publication of one of the state’s great graduate writing programs, under the heading “Fan Letter to [...]

I can’t help but be thankful: “Chief Bender’s Burden” was named one of 10 noteworthy books of 2008 by Kansas City Star history writer Brian Burnes.

Seth Stohs was kindly invited me to be a guest on his baseball-chatter podcast this week. If you’re a fan of the Minnesota Twins, especially future Minnesota Twins, Seth Speaks has you covered. But you probably already knew that.

The review was published three months ago, but it didn’t arrive at my door until, well, last Tuesday. So I’ll announce it as though it’s breaking news. Gail Huganir, managing editor of Central PA, made some very generous statements about Chief Bender’s Burden in the magazine’s July issue. “I’ll be the first to admit I [...]

Bob Hussey writes of Chief Bender’s Burden in the October issue of Minnesota Monthly: “Swift’s account of the treatment of Native Americans and his richly detailed portrait of Philadelphia at the beginning of the 20th century will … interest general readers.” Thanks to reader P.E. for pointing out the review and thanks to Minnesota Monthly [...]