On April 15 we had the pleasure of attending the Jackie Robinson Celebration Game at the JRTC (formerly Dodgertown) in Vero Beach. The game, a single-A contest between the Clearwater Threshers (Phillies) and Palm Beach Cardinals, drew a large and enthusiastic crowd. Of course, recently renovated Holman Stadium (1953) played a part in my novel The Kid From Dodgertown (Amazon), so it was a treat to see an historic game in the very ballpark where Jackie and the other Boys of Summer played. Also on hand was special guest Mary Branca, daughter of Ralph Branca, one of Jackie's most supportive teammates when he first joined the Dodgers. We chatted about the book, and she was delighted to learn that I once taught in the same building where her father attended high school, A.B. Davis in Mount Vernon, NY. We hope to make this an annual event in our Vero Beach residence.
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This past weekend I participated in the annual Beatles on the Beach Festival in Delray Beach, FL, and it was a memorable experience. Maria and I enjoyed the balmy weather and super music from Beatle tribute bands from around the world including Beatline from Finland (who were also very nice guys) and Maria's favorite The Peakles, from her hometown of Lisbon, Portugal. She had fun hanging out with them and conversing in their native tongue before they took the stage for their USA debut. The Delray Beach Amphitheater is a tremendous venue, and from our shady table spot (thanks, Dan!) we had a great view of the performers. I also had the pleasure of giving a talk at the Delray Public Library on my novel 30 Minutes in Memphis: A Beatles Story, and was joined by authors Susan Shumsky (Maharishi and Me) and Charles Rosenay (Book of Top 10 Beatles Lists), who were also by our side on Saturday at the Amphitheater. I must also mention some notable "Beatle People" we met during the weekend, including podcaster Meagan Paese, Sirius XM deejay Caitlin Larkin, Beatles troubadour Mike Kozak, drummer par excellence Gregg Bissonette, and just a lot of Fab Four fans who were there to soak up the sun and great sounds (and buy some books!) Special thanks to event promoter/organizer Daniel Hartwell for putting together this memorable event. We hope to be invited back next year! Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Catholic Sports Radio about my athletic, teaching, coaching, and writing careers. Their weekly podcast is heard worldwide and features both current and former (male and female) athletes and coaches, as well as celebrities from the entertainment world who have sports ties. I had a lot of fun looking back on my days on the football team at Iona College, memorable experiences with my students and players over 42 years in education, and the writing of my book The Rovers: A Tale of Fenway, in which religion figures prominently in the plot. Thanks to host Bruce Wawrzyniak, and my publicist Jenn Vanderslice for putting us together for the program! Click on the link below to hear the interview. catholicsportsradio.net/episode/csr-305-paul-ferrante/ This week I had the pleasure of discussing my writing career and the genesis of my novel Curse of the Fairfield Witch (Fire & Ice Books) with a large and enthusiastic crowd at Oronoque Village. We had a fine dinner and sold quite a few books, with some titles selling out! During and after our book signing I was able to have some great conversations with audience members about the writing process and the subject matter of my various titles. Thanks to Bob Krakovich for extending the invitation. It was a fun evening at beautiful Oronoque Village, and I hope to do it again someday. Recently I received a copy of the book There Are Faces I Remember by Dr. Angie McCartney, Sir Paul's stepmom, and her daughter Ruth McCartney. It was a Father's Day gift from my daughter Caroline, and it was a memorable gift, indeed. This is because, believe it or not, I'm featured in the book! It all started a year or so ago when I received a questionnaire from Angie explaining that she was putting together a book about all the family, friends, and other people she has met over the years who have a Beatle connection. I was selected because she loved my novel 30 Minutes in Memphis: A Beatles Story (Amazon), which led to my appearance on Angie and Ruth's Teaflix Tuesdays Facebook show, where we discussed the book and my Beatle memories. So, I filled out the questionnaire and included a requested author photo. Little did I know that I would be one of 183 people who would end up with their own profile and individually styled artistic "portrait". The book, which is large handsome coffee table tome that comes in its own slipcase, features a cast of incredibly varied celebrities, musicians, authors, family members and friends. And so, yours truly found himself in a mix with such people as Sir Elton John, Sir Rod Stewart, former President Bill Clinton, John Cleese, Richard Branson, Sir George Martin, and all the Beatles, their wives and children, etc. In addition to using the information I provided, the ladies wrote some very sweet comments about my book and our subsequent friendship, which I cherish. If you are a Beatles fan like me, you can check out the book on Amazon through the provided link. I've included my "artistic rendering" here for your perusal. Special thanks to Angie and Ruth for including me in this "fab" Beatles retrospective! www.amazon.com/There-are-Faces-I-Remember/dp/B0CNY7F7SQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=JOKGEZFLUI5F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.RhRXUTBspS3RUZsFDPhlOe1-KiKB6W-7UEmXPy88cS_GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.n8bRlNkS9-tUkdymGridFhZgojveFwRxO5yj7yKzj3g&dib_tag=se&keywords=there+are+faces+i+remember+book&qid=1718734716&sprefix=there+are+faces+I+remember+bo%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1 I was pleasantly surprised to see that my six page feature article on Dodger aficionado Jerry Kurtz's man cave made the cover of the June 1st SCD. What a collection! Kudos to Jerry for sharing it with us. BTW, our Facebook page is mentioned in the article. There's also a great article in this same issue about the late, great Carl Erskine, written by Matt Bosch, a collector who corresponded with the former Dodger hurler. Anyway, try to pick up this issue of SCD. It's a true Brooklyn Dodger collector's item! A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of writing an article for Sports Collectors Digest on Ken Finnegan's ingenious idea of featuring classic ballparks on beer coasters he had created. Well, this idea evolved into a handsome coffee-table book entitled Remembering Torn-Down Ballparks Over A Cold Beer (Skyhorse Sports Publishing). Ken presents each ballpark (34 in all) with a brief historic retrospective, including basic "Tombstone Facts," and adds photos of his commemorative beer coaster, choice artifacts, vintage images of the park, and what its site looks like today. I'm honored to be featured in a "back cover blurb" as a Stadia author and included in his acknowledgements. Ken's book is the perfect companion to a cold brew in your baseball room. I hope you check it out - you won't be disappointed! Recently I was asked to do an interview for Authority Magazine about standing up against Antisemitism, Racism, Bigotry, and Hate through the power of the printed word. Using my novel The Girl Who Stole J.E.B. Stuart as an example, I tried to explain why stories like this are crucial in starting discussions among our young people about those problems that plague our society, and why the banning of such books only holds us back. It is especially at this time of year, with all that's going on here and abroad, that we take the time to consider the lives of others, and how we in some small way can make this world a better place. As you will see from the magazine's homepage, there's a pretty impressive lineup of people from all walks of life who are interviewed about a variety of timely topics. Anyway, this is a pretty cool magazine, and both I'm pleased and proud they contacted me! https://medium.com/authority-magazine https://medium.com/authority-magazine/upstanders-how-paul-ferrante-is-standing-up-against-antisemitism-racism-bigotry-and-hate-cfb88b2b1fb4  On September 1 I had the pleasure of speaking to the Stratford Men's Club at the Baldwin Senior Center about The Kid From Dodgertown. Many of the men were longtime baseball fans, and we had a great dialogue about the Brooklyn Dodgers and Baseball History. These conversations continued through the book signing. Overall, it was a great experience with a knowledgeable group. Special thanks to Bob Mastroni for the invitation. I hope to see you again. On August 3-5 Maria, Caroline and I journeyed North to Cooperstown, NY for my second speaking appearance at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. We took in all of our favorite sites around town including Doubleday Field, the shops on Main Street, and Lake Otsego before touring the museum and setting up for my talk and book signing in the Hall's Bullpen Theater. Our audience, which included a surprise visit from my former teaching colleague Cheri Balckom and her son Jesse (my former student!) were attentive and asked some great questions. Afterwards we had a fine meal at the legendary Otesaga Resort, where the Hall-of-Famers and their families stay during Induction Week. Then it was time for a stroll down by the lake before our trip home through the scenic Catskills. Special thanks to Caroline for handling the tech duties during my talk; Bruce Markusen, director of the Hall's Education Dept. for extending the invitation and making sure everything ran smoothly; and those fans who purchased books. Your interest led to the Hall placing another order! |
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