Monday, October 29, 2012

John Schulian to kick off Speaking Of series in Pasadena Nov. 10

The Allendale Branch Library in Pasadena, California launches a new series, "Speaking Of," on Saturday, November 10 at 2:00 p.m.  The speaker series will explore the lives and illuminate the creative journeys of Pasadena's most enduring artistic and cultural figures -- people who have left an indelible impression on the artistic and cultural landscape of Pasadena and beyond.  Intended to be engaging, enlightening, and inspiring, "Speaking Of" will be a series of quarterly programs, each featuring a discussion between a moderator and featured speaker, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.

The inaugural program, "Speaking Of: John Schulian," will explore the craft of sportswriting with a Pasadena resident who has firmly established himself as one of the country's preeminent sportswriters over the last forty years.  Commenting on Schulian's columns for newspapers such as the Chicago Sun-Times and Philadelphia Daily News, as well as his freelance work for publications such as GQ and Sports Illustrated, fellow journalist William Nack wrote: "John Schulian was among the keenest and most literate observers to work the arenas, ball fields, and fight gyms that defined the gaudy landscape of American sports.  To the noble enterprise of covering this rich slice of national life, Schulian brought the sensitivity of an artist seeking to craft something new out of the drama and mayhem going on inside the ropes, inside the chalk lines, and something original out of the private worlds from which the dramatists sprang.  'My idea was to take the readers into places where cameras didn't go,' he says, 'or to places where other reporters did not choose to go.'  The man succeeded deftly, even magically."  Schulian has received many honors since he burst to prominence in the 1970s, including twice being voted the nation's top sports columnist by Associated Press Sports Editors, and winning the Nat Fleischer Award for excellence in boxing journalism.

"Speaking Of: John Schulian" will be held on Saturday, November 10 at 2:00 p.m. at the Allendale Branch Library, 1130 S. Marengo Ave., Pasadena.  The program is open to the public and free of charge.  Seating is limited, so early arrival is encouraged.

Attached is the official press release from the City of Pasadena, along with photos of John Schulian and the cover of his recently-published anthology, "Sometimes They Even Shook Your Hand: Portraits of Champions Who Walked Among Us," copies of which will be available for sale and signing by the author.

For further information, contact Shauna Redmond, Manager, Allendale Branch Library, by phone at (626) 744-7260 or by e-mail at  sredmond@cityofpasadena.net.

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