Meet the Author

John Feinstein
Sunday, May 4th at 5:30 p.m.

In a rare personal appearance, sportswriter and commentator John Feinstein will be at Darien Library to talk about his book, Living on the Black: Two Pitchers, Two Teams, One Season to Remember. The program, part of the Library’s “Meet the Author” series, will be the first public speaking engagement for Feinstein about the book, which is scheduled for release a few days before.

The book, an insider’s look at the game of baseball, is about two veteran New York pitchers, Tom Glavine of the Mets (now of the Atlanta Braves) and Mike Mussina of the Yankees, and their 2007 seasons. Living on the Black is a behind-the-scenes look, from a masterful storyteller, at the high stakes, tension, and human drama that make baseball America’s favorite pastime.

John Feinstein is a commentator on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” a regular on ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters,” an essayist for CBS Sports, and known for his color commentary for the United States Naval Academy football games. His writing career includes years on the staff at The Washington Post, as well as writing for Sports Illustrated, The National Sports Daily, Inside Sports, Golf, Tennis Magazine, and Basketball America. He is also the bestselling author of numerous sports books including A Good Walk Spoiled, Let Me Tell You a Story, A Civil War: Army vs. Navy: A Year Inside College Football’s Purest Rivalry, and The Punch: One Night, Two Lives, and the Fight That Changed Basketball Forever. A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bobby Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers (his first book) is the bestselling sports book of all time.

Feinstein, whom The Boston Globe called “the best writer of sports books in America today,” is a prolific author whose books, while entertaining, also offer intelligent and experienced in-depth analyses, and are considered “must-reads” by legions of sports fans. 

“Never less than fascinating” – USA Today (from a review of “A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bobby Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers”)

“The narrative never gets mired in the fawning sycophantism of many sports books or the moral proselytizing of many others. Feinstein’s research is sharp, and his time line jumps around effortlessly, like a good Quentin Tarantino film.” – Publishers Weekly (from a review of “The Punch: One Night, Two Lives, and the Fight That Changed Basketball Forever”)

John Feinstein’s thorough, insightful, and passionate reporting and writing is well-known to adults, however; it should be noted that he writes for younger readers as well. He has written several popular young adult novels about two teenage journalists who uncover blackmail schemes, scandals, and corruption in sports. In Cover-up: Mystery at the Super Bowl, Vanishing Act: Mystery at the U.S. Open, and Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery, Feinstein takes his readers into the world of championship sports while mixing elements of mystery-fiction.

Copies of Living on the Black will be available for purchase. A book signing and reception will follow the presentation. Refreshments will be served.

The “Meet the Author” series is funded solely by contributions made to the Annual Campaign.