JIM HEFFERNAN'S BLOG: Obama's humor perseveres...

Friday, March 26, 2010

Obama's humor perseveres...

I got a real kick out of the NY Times picture of Obama on today's front page. He's visiting a local bookstore on off time from a rally on health care reform in Iowa City and impishly poses with the newly released books by Republicans Mitt Romney and Carl Rowe. His obvious sense of humor is a welcome sight during this time of unrelenting partisan battles. Click HERE to see the picture.

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ABOUT ME...

Jim Heffernan,

freelance writer, living in Duluth, Minnesota.

e-mail: vheffernan@earthlink.net

I'm a semi-retired newspaper journalist/columnist who currently writes a monthly "slice of life" column for the Duluth~Superior Magazine .

I've written a book, Cooler Near the Lake, a collection of some of my classic newspaper columns while employed with the Duluth News Tribune. The book is for sale in all area bookstores and many shops. Information about ordering the book is available on my author's web site. To learn more, check out my author's web page.

BOOK REVIEWS AND MEDIA PUBLICITY....

Thanks to the gang at the DNT for the nice press about my book (11-6-08 Duluth News Tribune story by Janna Goerdt). You can read the story HERE.

Matthew J. Perrine authored a complete review of my book, The World According to Jim Heffernan, in a recent edition of the Duluth Budgeteer News (11-06-08). It was fun meeting with this young and talented news writer. Thanks for the great story, Matt!

The Hermantown Star wrote up nice piece about the book (October 30-November 5 edition). Thanks to Wade Petrich for the excellent coverage.

Click Here to check out media publicity for Cooler Near the Lake.

BOOK REVIEW BY A READER...

Funny, touching, insightful book, July 31, 2009–on Amazon.com

By	readingmom (Minneapolis, MN United States)

"Heffernan's sense of humor and gift with words combine to make this a great read. The book includes columns previously published in the Duluth News-Tribune over the course of this gifted writer's 34 year career. Many of them are universally laugh-out-loud hilarious, while others are touching commentary on life. There are a number of columns that provide very interesting accounts of history, including brushes with famous people and big moments in Northern Minnesota history. Although it's hard to put down once you get started, it is the kind of book you can read a chapter of when you have time, since each chapter is a separate essay. This book would make a great gift for anyone who enjoys commentary/humor type writing or for anyone with a connection to Minnesota -- especially Duluth and the North Shore. Highly recommended!"

COOLER NEAR THE LAKE BOOK NOTES...

About the cover... Veteran Duluth photographer, Ken Moran, suggested the book cover to fit with the book title. We traipsed to Park Point on a warm day and he positioned me standing in Lake Superior waters with my pants rolled up for his cover photo. The cover only shows me waist up (with a rolled newspaper in my arms, of course) and with the Duluth skyline in the background. But... if you turn the cover over, you'll find the verification that I am actually standing in the water, as my lower body half is pictured on the back cover to prove it. The day was warm but Ken's photo shoot was cool!

About the title: It came from a poem I wrote for the DNT in June of 1979. It became a popular piece and reprints often requested. In fact I have heard from some readers that the poem was found in the effects of loved ones. I guess those of us living by our lake know how important that phrase the weather forecasters use is when they tell us that everywhere else is warm but it's "cooler near the lake." We always bring a jacket when venturing out on a summer day because it sure can be "cooler near the lake" with a quick change to a noreaster.

About the book: The book provided for me a fun trek down memory lane. There is something for everyone in this collection of my past Duluth News Tribune columns, spanning 34 years of subjects. While I fancy myself as a humor columnist, I also wrote some serious heart-felt columns and hit on many "slices of life." Although I did not include all of them in the book, I did include some of my writings about famous people and Duluth, including Buddy Holly in his final trip before the plane he and other entertainers were on crashed. And… a whole lot more. Guess you'll have to check it out for yourself. I hope you'll enjoy the columns I chose.

Christmas Dwarf and me...

Thanks to Kevin Pates for remembering me in his yearly Christmas Day "year in review" column (for 2008). Kevin, as most of you know, is a noted Duluth News Tribune sports writer who covers the UMD Bulldogs, Grandma's Marathon and more–and is a true pop culture aficionado. Kevin has been writing these yearly reviews since the seventies. These yearly columns are popular with readers for putting together his wry humor, sensitive analysis along with world events. I am honored he found a place in history to include me.