Tom Swift Writer’s Notebook

Marisa Helms interviewed me this week for a MN90 radio short she’s producing about Charles Bender. The segment will air on Minnesota public radio stations — I do not know when — and will eventually turn up at ampers.

I was interviewed earlier this week by Ian Pickus, producer of Roundtable. I will toot my horn again if and when the segment is broadcast.

Graham Womack was kind enough to review “Chief Bender’s Burden” at Baseball: Past & Present, a blog baseball history buffs will want to check out. A slice: “Swift captures a seemingly complete portrait of Bender, good and bad. While noting his masterful pitching and ability to read opponents tipping their pitches, Swift also documents Bender’s [...]

I am grateful to Laurie Hertzel for mentioning the paperback edition of “Chief Bender’s Burden” in her Star Tribune column Sunday.

I am happy to report that Chief Bender’s Burden is now available in paperback. If you are so inclined, you can purchase from your favorite bookseller. If that bookseller happens to be an independent, expect rare rewards in the afterlife.

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.