Tom Swift Writer’s Notebook

I was talking to a high school class last week and a student asked why Charles Bender was such a fascinating subject. There are many reasons. One that came immediately to mind: He was such an interesting human being. Bender had a rare ability to throw a ball. His story was and remains an inspiration. [...]

An old family friend asked another family member: Is that Tom on the cover?
Funny. But she was serious. In her defense, she’s a little older and hasn’t seen me in person since I used to slap tennis balls into her lawn during street hockey games.
Then it happened again. During the most recent string of appearances [...]

You mean all I needed to do hit No. 1 at Amazon was insert some lies told by George W. Bush?
Actually, that would have been even easier than you might think. Bush has given more than one Iraq speech at the Army War College. What was the Army War College before it was the Army [...]

From the May/June issue of ForeWord magazine:
“Fans of baseball’s Pre-Golden Age will appreciate the scholarship that went into ‘Chief Bender’s Burden,’ Tom Swift’s sad but sweet biography of the Native American pitcher who toiled for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics.”

There’s a lot to like about King Kaufman’s column at Salon.com. I especially appreciate his sensibility. He finds worthwhile sports angles and writes with the thinking fan in mind. He also reads books and writes thoughtfully about them. Mr. Kaufman interviewed me this week and I sincerely enjoyed the conversation. I can’t say that about [...]

If you live in, or in the general vicinity of, the city of Northfield, you may very well already have had enough of me. Last month, I did two in-person events as well as a radio interview. Area print and online media have also placed my face before the unsuspecting public. But, like the one-eyed [...]

To tell the truth, I was on the hunt for another book. I hadn’t heard of The Case of Abraham Lincoln and I was, I thought, on a mini-break from biography. But there it was. Such luck is reason enough to frequent bookstores and libraries. The magic doesn’t happen online. At least not to me.
“The [...]

Good to see Charles Bender included in a PiPress piece about 150 years of moments that defined Minnesota.

Charles Bender was a pitcher’s pitcher. Though he could throw hard, he wasn’t one of those guys who relied on the strength of his arm. He used a variety of deliveries — often flicking his leg high; he was one of the first pitchers known for a big kick — and threw an assortment of [...]

Hey, the book was mentioned by Shooter.

I mentioned the American Indian boarding school experience the other day and I delve into the topic at some length in the book. Hard not to, given the role such schools played in Charles Bender’s formative years. This week NPR produced a two-part series about life at Indian boarding schools. I was especially interested in [...]

I had jotted some notes for a riff about the E-word that went stale before I could assemble anything coherent. Stanley Crouch does it better anyway.

Charles Bender and his wife, Marie, did not have children. So there are no direct descendents. Bender did, however, have ten brothers and sisters who lived past infancy and during the research process I contacted as many sibling descendents as I could find. Funny, but since the book was published they have — I am [...]

He’s turned my slippers into a mid-afternoon snack. Several times. He’s gone after my nose as though removing it might be fun. He’s kept me up nights. And woken me with his tongue. He blew the yearly puppy budget three months in.
But, for the first time, I became truly mad at the savage beast this [...]

One of my favorite chapters in the book is chapter thirteen, which chronicles the day Charles Bender was nearly perfect.
That day — exactly 98 years ago today — Bender faced 27 batters, the absolute minimum a complete-game winning pitcher can face in a nine-inning game. Bender and the Philadelphia Athletics beat the great Napoleon Lajoie [...]

Writing Charles Bender’s story forced me to learn — with a level of understanding I did not acquire as a student; probably my fault more than my teachers’ — how important it is to recognize the cruel manner in which native peoples were treated over a period of time longer than this country has been [...]

I want more Jeremiah Wright like I want hair in my coleslaw. But Bill Moyers raises an important question: Why has the reaction to Wright’s remarks been so much more intense than the reaction to equally preposterous and offensive statements made by prominent white pastors?
Post script: While catching up on some reading, I noticed that [...]

Don’t ask me how I know, but I have it on good authority that “Chief Bender’s Burden” has been added to the River City Books staff selection display for May. Why should you care? Well, this means you can buy new, signed copies for 25 percent off the cover price. The discount applies in-store as [...]

“Chief Bender’s Burden” has been nominated for the 2008 Midwest Booksellers’ Choice Awards. The ballot is, naturally, open only to Midwest area booksellers. If you are one of those and you happen to be reading this post, first, I am sorry Google led you astray and, second, I would sincerely appreciate your support during this [...]

I should just stick to the Web, I know, but too often on election night I am tempted to turn on the tube. It’s like eating at Outback. Sounds like a good idea … until it’s too late. As you wait for the gut bomb to explode, you wonder why you even considered the option.
Last [...]

I addition to bookish podcasts, I appreciate finding those that serve useful information in bite-sized portions. For one thing, the radio in the old Corolla barely functions — and that’s when the sky is clear. More important, I need options while at the gym, as I bench my 125 pounds and simultaneously try to avoid [...]

As I always say, it’s good when your name is attached to worthwhile projects.

We don’t know for certain the precise day Charles Bender entered the world. For a long time Bender was led to believe his birthday was May 3, 1883. As I explain in the book, that date is almost certainly off — by about a year. The established date, the one he came to recognize, is [...]

David Bender writes with a message that makes me warm inside:
As an ancestor of Charles Albert Bender and as an American Indian, I’d like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for writing “Chief Bender’s Burden.” I haven’t read it yet. I actually just discovered it today on the Borders Web site. What [...]

Finally saw There Will Be Blood and a day later two impressions stick. Daniel Day-Lewis is such a gifted actor I could have enjoyed his performance with the sound turned off. The soundtrack was so maddening I considered that option.

The other day, as a kind person was helping me line up an author event, I was accused of being too modest — a charge that could be refuted by the testimony of many credible witnesses. Also by the fact I have an entire Web site devoted to myself. Besides, I’m not self-effacing. I’m self-interested.
As [...]

I have been invited on Comment Please, a long-running mid-day talk show on suburban Philadelphia station WNPV (1440 AM), a Philadelphia Phillies radio affiliate. I’ll chat with Darryl Berger, 20-year host of the respected show — which devotes airtime to everything from local culture to national politics — at about 11:30 a.m. (eastern) on Monday, [...]

The Wire rules. I’m about a half-decade behind the curve with that observation but, man, it’s quality talking-picture entertainment. The story is nuanced, concise, compelling. The characters are rich and real. And likable. Even the drug dealers. Maybe especially the drug dealers.
As I watch — we’re waiting for the final disc of Season 2 to [...]