from Michael at the Deerfield Public Library
Answer: No fiction work for me for two reasons: 1.) real life is simply too fascinating for me; and 2.) there are too many great tales yet to be told in Chicago alone, which is of course a major focus of my work. If not me, who? If not now, when? That's the way I look at it. I accept the duty, along with many other Chicago writers, to share true stories of our city, one so rich in spirit, character, and history. This nonfiction world, particularly related to Chicago, is what really drives me.
Ask the Author is a running series of live audience or reader questions directed at On the Job author Daniel P. Smith. The series, which appears each Monday, is aimed at providing greater insight into Smith’s work in researching and writing On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department as well as the book’s content. A speaker noted for his energy and engaging style, Smith is available for presentations at a wide range of events, including private book clubs, Citizen Police Academy meetings, libraries, senior centers, and schools. Please contact him directly at smithwriting@gmail.com to schedule an event.
Are you a reader with a question for On the Job author Daniel P. Smith? Send it to smithwriting@gmail.com.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Ask the Author: How difficult was it to get officers to talk with you?
from John at the Schaumburg CPA Alumni meeting
Answer: Not very difficulty, primarily because I adhered to a long-held Chicago principle espoused by Ol’ Mayor Daley—“We don’t want nobody nobody sent.” Personal recommendations got me to every officer I sat with. My work began with the referrals of my family members, namely my brother and uncles and I benefited immensely from the credibility they have with their colleagues. When I met with individual officers, I then asked them about quality, story-filled officers they knew and from there it spread. No cold calling on my part though; the personal recommendations were central to my access and helped separate me from the many other writers who seek to explore the Chicago Police world.
Ask the Author is a running series of live audience or reader questions directed at On the Job author Daniel P. Smith. The series, which appears each Monday, is aimed at providing greater insight into Smith’s work in researching and writing On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department as well as the book’s content. A speaker noted for his energy and engaging style, Smith is available for presentations at a wide range of events, including private book clubs, Citizen Police Academy meetings, libraries, senior centers, and schools. Please contact him directly at smithwriting@gmail.com to schedule an event.
Are you a reader with a question for On the Job author Daniel P. Smith? Send it to smithwriting@gmail.com.
Answer: Not very difficulty, primarily because I adhered to a long-held Chicago principle espoused by Ol’ Mayor Daley—“We don’t want nobody nobody sent.” Personal recommendations got me to every officer I sat with. My work began with the referrals of my family members, namely my brother and uncles and I benefited immensely from the credibility they have with their colleagues. When I met with individual officers, I then asked them about quality, story-filled officers they knew and from there it spread. No cold calling on my part though; the personal recommendations were central to my access and helped separate me from the many other writers who seek to explore the Chicago Police world.
Ask the Author is a running series of live audience or reader questions directed at On the Job author Daniel P. Smith. The series, which appears each Monday, is aimed at providing greater insight into Smith’s work in researching and writing On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department as well as the book’s content. A speaker noted for his energy and engaging style, Smith is available for presentations at a wide range of events, including private book clubs, Citizen Police Academy meetings, libraries, senior centers, and schools. Please contact him directly at smithwriting@gmail.com to schedule an event.
Are you a reader with a question for On the Job author Daniel P. Smith? Send it to smithwriting@gmail.com.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
On the Job author sets two presentations in the western suburbs
On the Job author Daniel P. Smith will be presenting at two west suburban locations later this month. Both events are free. Smith's hour-long presentation includes his motivations to write the book, never-before-heard stories of individual officers, and Q&A.
Sunday, March 29 @ 3:30pm
Westmont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
6501 S. Cass Ave in Westmont
Monday, March 30 @ 7:00pm
LaGrange Park Public Library
555 N. LaGrange Road in LaGrange Park
Monday, March 16, 2009
Ask the Author: What are you working on now?
From a Westmont Citizens Police Academy Alumni member
Answer: I’ve been trying to get a project off the ground for the last year of so with a photographer colleague of mine, Brian Palm (http://www.bmpalm.com/). For the last 7-8 years, Brian’s been taking photos of Chicago buildings before the wrecking ball hits. This started as a college project and has developed into a real passionate pursuit for Brian. These buildings, Brian always tells me, “are like time machines into our past.” Brian’s work, which has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight,” shows how our city’s character is evolving—some might say disappearing—in the name of progress.
For each of Brian’s photos, I’m looking to tell a short story or anecdote about the specific building. Some of the buildings Brian has shot speak for themselves—The Chicago Defender offices, Rainbo Roller Rink, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange—but others are residences, churches, businesses, and the like. We’re looking to humanize these buildings, urging others to consider what we lose as a city when buildings fall and the history likely fades with them.
We’re looking to get funding for the project so that we can put it in book form, perhaps even pairing it with an exhibition. If you know of anyone, send them my way—wink, wink.
Ask the Author is a running series of live audience or reader questions directed at On the Job author Daniel P. Smith. The series, which appears each Monday, is aimed at providing greater insight into Smith’s work in researching and writing On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department as well as the book’s content. A speaker noted for his energy and engaging style, Smith is available for presentations at a wide range of events, including private book clubs, Citizen Police Academy meetings, libraries, senior centers, and schools. Please contact him directly at smithwriting@gmail.com to schedule an event.
Are you a reader with a question for On the Job author Daniel P. Smith? Send it to smithwriting@gmail.com.
Answer: I’ve been trying to get a project off the ground for the last year of so with a photographer colleague of mine, Brian Palm (http://www.bmpalm.com/). For the last 7-8 years, Brian’s been taking photos of Chicago buildings before the wrecking ball hits. This started as a college project and has developed into a real passionate pursuit for Brian. These buildings, Brian always tells me, “are like time machines into our past.” Brian’s work, which has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight,” shows how our city’s character is evolving—some might say disappearing—in the name of progress.
For each of Brian’s photos, I’m looking to tell a short story or anecdote about the specific building. Some of the buildings Brian has shot speak for themselves—The Chicago Defender offices, Rainbo Roller Rink, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange—but others are residences, churches, businesses, and the like. We’re looking to humanize these buildings, urging others to consider what we lose as a city when buildings fall and the history likely fades with them.
We’re looking to get funding for the project so that we can put it in book form, perhaps even pairing it with an exhibition. If you know of anyone, send them my way—wink, wink.
Ask the Author is a running series of live audience or reader questions directed at On the Job author Daniel P. Smith. The series, which appears each Monday, is aimed at providing greater insight into Smith’s work in researching and writing On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department as well as the book’s content. A speaker noted for his energy and engaging style, Smith is available for presentations at a wide range of events, including private book clubs, Citizen Police Academy meetings, libraries, senior centers, and schools. Please contact him directly at smithwriting@gmail.com to schedule an event.
Are you a reader with a question for On the Job author Daniel P. Smith? Send it to smithwriting@gmail.com.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
On the Job author appears on Conscious Discussions radio show
Hosted by Lillian Brummet, the Conscious Discussions radio show explores issues of the individual and the world of writing. Such a mission made it a perfect stop for Daniel P. Smith, author of On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department.
With listeners across the globe tuning in, the host and her guest discussed Smith’s path into the literary world, motivations for writing On the Job, and provided readers an objective, inside look into the world of law enforcement, particularly big-city police work.
The show has been archived on the Conscious Discussions website. To listen to Smith’s appearance, please visit: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2009/03/12/an-insiders-view-into-law-enforcement
NOTE: Make sure your speakers are turned on. The broadcast will start when you click on the link.
Many thanks to the talented and sincere Lillian Brummet for her hosting duties.
With listeners across the globe tuning in, the host and her guest discussed Smith’s path into the literary world, motivations for writing On the Job, and provided readers an objective, inside look into the world of law enforcement, particularly big-city police work.
The show has been archived on the Conscious Discussions website. To listen to Smith’s appearance, please visit: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2009/03/12/an-insiders-view-into-law-enforcement
NOTE: Make sure your speakers are turned on. The broadcast will start when you click on the link.
Many thanks to the talented and sincere Lillian Brummet for her hosting duties.
On the Job's Daniel P. Smith appears on "The Authors Show"
Daniel P. Smith, whose debut work On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department has received numerous positive reviews since its February 2008 release, recently appeared on "The Authors Show" with host Don McCauley.
To listen to the interview visit http://www.theauthorsshow.com/ and scroll down to select the March 12 interview with Daniel Smith.
Many thanks to host Don McCauley for a guiding a gracious, insightful interview.
To listen to the interview visit http://www.theauthorsshow.com/ and scroll down to select the March 12 interview with Daniel Smith.
Many thanks to host Don McCauley for a guiding a gracious, insightful interview.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Hugh Holton celebration at Centuries and Sleuths
Augie Aleksy, the affable owner of Centuries and Sleuths bookstore in Forest Park, will be hosting a celebration of former Chicago cop, author, and Chicago prize Hugh Holton. One of Chicago’s most accomplished contemporary authors, Holton penned a number of celebrated works delving into the real world of law enforcement, its promises and pitfalls. His passing in 2001 left a void in Chicago’s literary scene.
Join On the Job author Daniel P. Smith and other Chicago writers, literary crime enthusiasts, and devoted readers for a celebration of Hugh Holton’s life and work.
Sunday, March 15, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.
Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore
7419 W. Madison St. (Forest Park, IL)
Monday, March 9, 2009
Ask the Author: Why would anybody want to become a Chicago Police Officer?
(from Meredith at the Glenview Public Library)
Answer: The answer to that question is as diverse as the individual officers’ personalities. For some, it’s a stable, secure job. In this era of economic chaos and job loss, public safety cuts are rare. A city might not bring on additional officers, but they’re unlikely to cut positions. Law enforcement is generally job that delivers a solid, middle-class life, including a good pension, benefits, and decent salary and that certainly bears mentioning. This can also attract some less than motivated souls, however, some who see police work as a “ticket” out of tickets and a reason to pump out their chests.
Perhaps that sounds idealistic, but I also found many officers who got into the work with a sincere, almost ethical motivation; for them, law enforcement was a calling. These to me are the best officers; they’ve committed themselves to the profession and work to activate the true ideals of the career—to serve and protect.
Ask the Author is a running series of live audience or reader questions directed at On the Job author Daniel P. Smith. The series, which appears each Monday, is aimed at providing greater insight into Smith’s work in researching and writing On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department as well as the book’s content. A speaker noted for his energy and engaging style, Smith is available for presentations at a wide range of events, including private book clubs, Citizen Police Academy meetings, libraries, senior centers, and schools. Please contact him directly at smithwriting@gmail.com to schedule an event.
Are you a reader with a question for On the Job author Daniel P. Smith? Send it to smithwriting@gmail.com.
Answer: The answer to that question is as diverse as the individual officers’ personalities. For some, it’s a stable, secure job. In this era of economic chaos and job loss, public safety cuts are rare. A city might not bring on additional officers, but they’re unlikely to cut positions. Law enforcement is generally job that delivers a solid, middle-class life, including a good pension, benefits, and decent salary and that certainly bears mentioning. This can also attract some less than motivated souls, however, some who see police work as a “ticket” out of tickets and a reason to pump out their chests.
Perhaps that sounds idealistic, but I also found many officers who got into the work with a sincere, almost ethical motivation; for them, law enforcement was a calling. These to me are the best officers; they’ve committed themselves to the profession and work to activate the true ideals of the career—to serve and protect.
Ask the Author is a running series of live audience or reader questions directed at On the Job author Daniel P. Smith. The series, which appears each Monday, is aimed at providing greater insight into Smith’s work in researching and writing On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department as well as the book’s content. A speaker noted for his energy and engaging style, Smith is available for presentations at a wide range of events, including private book clubs, Citizen Police Academy meetings, libraries, senior centers, and schools. Please contact him directly at smithwriting@gmail.com to schedule an event.
Are you a reader with a question for On the Job author Daniel P. Smith? Send it to smithwriting@gmail.com.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Ask the Author: If you were to start this project now, what new element would you want to address?
(From Eileen at the Roden Library on Feb. 25, 2009)
Answer: When the book came out in early 2008, Jody Weis had just taken office as superintendent, only the second outsider to ever inhabit the post. The impact of that decision is something I would have enjoyed exploring because I believe it shows the political nature of the police department and puts that idea in a present-day context.
When O.W. Wilson took the top cop post in 1960 as the city’s first ever outside chief, it was largely driven by falling public support in the aftermath of the Summerdale Scandal. Mayor Daley the First needed to show his “reformer” side and nothing says reformer quite like an outsider. Flash forward 47 years, and Mayor Daley the Second steals a page out of his father’s playbook in the wake of the taped barmaid beating, a second barroom scuffle involving officers, and the Special Operations scandal. Though the appointment of an outsider has its merits (no allegiances to the good ol’ boys and a fresh set of eyes), the political nature of Weis’ appointment cannot be denied and would have made for interesting conversation.
Ask the Author is a running series of live audience or reader questions directed at On the Job author Daniel P. Smith. The series, which appears each Monday, is aimed at providing greater insight into Smith’s work in researching and writing On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department as well as the book’s content. A speaker noted for his energy and engaging style, Smith is available for presentations at a wide range of events, including private book clubs, Citizen Police Academy meetings, libraries, senior centers, and schools. Please contact him directly at smithwriting@gmail.com to schedule an event.
Answer: When the book came out in early 2008, Jody Weis had just taken office as superintendent, only the second outsider to ever inhabit the post. The impact of that decision is something I would have enjoyed exploring because I believe it shows the political nature of the police department and puts that idea in a present-day context.
When O.W. Wilson took the top cop post in 1960 as the city’s first ever outside chief, it was largely driven by falling public support in the aftermath of the Summerdale Scandal. Mayor Daley the First needed to show his “reformer” side and nothing says reformer quite like an outsider. Flash forward 47 years, and Mayor Daley the Second steals a page out of his father’s playbook in the wake of the taped barmaid beating, a second barroom scuffle involving officers, and the Special Operations scandal. Though the appointment of an outsider has its merits (no allegiances to the good ol’ boys and a fresh set of eyes), the political nature of Weis’ appointment cannot be denied and would have made for interesting conversation.
Ask the Author is a running series of live audience or reader questions directed at On the Job author Daniel P. Smith. The series, which appears each Monday, is aimed at providing greater insight into Smith’s work in researching and writing On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department as well as the book’s content. A speaker noted for his energy and engaging style, Smith is available for presentations at a wide range of events, including private book clubs, Citizen Police Academy meetings, libraries, senior centers, and schools. Please contact him directly at smithwriting@gmail.com to schedule an event.
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