Thursday, June 18 @ 7pm
Brookfield Public Library
3609 Grand Boulevard
Brookfield, IL 60513
Monday, June 15, 2009
On the Job author set to appear at Brookfield Public Library
Join journalist and On the Job author Daniel P. Smith at the Brookfield Public Library on Thursday, June 18 for his presentation--"The Path to On the Job: Murder, Reflection, and Where TV Cop Shows Fail." The FREE presentation begins at 7pm.
Ask the Author: Who inspires you?
Answer: I could go on for quite a while listing a number of authors, thinkers, and notable individuals I’ve known personally who’ve moved me in some way to push along this path. Rather than bore you with that, however, I’ll settle with these two:
1.) I’ve long been inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author of The Little Prince, who showed how complex and philosophical and real even a simple story and its characters could be. In all of my work, I seek to find the extraordinary in the ordinary much like Saint-Exupery.
2.) On a wider scale, I’m inspired by anyone who wants to share their story in a sincere, honest way. I love people who accept the vulnerability that comes with sharing a piece of their life so that I may take up the challenge of crafting a story around their words and experiences. It’s such people who guide On the Job and will continue to blanket my work.
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.
1.) I’ve long been inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author of The Little Prince, who showed how complex and philosophical and real even a simple story and its characters could be. In all of my work, I seek to find the extraordinary in the ordinary much like Saint-Exupery.
2.) On a wider scale, I’m inspired by anyone who wants to share their story in a sincere, honest way. I love people who accept the vulnerability that comes with sharing a piece of their life so that I may take up the challenge of crafting a story around their words and experiences. It’s such people who guide On the Job and will continue to blanket my work.
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, June 1, 2009
Ask the Author: How did you get started as a writer?
(Note from the author: Many thanks to the good folks at Ebinger School on Chicago's northwest side for inviting me to attend their annual Career Day. This question arrives from one of the school's eighth-grade students.)
Answer: I came from a blue-collar area of Chicago, a neighborhood filled with cops, firemen, electricians, and other laborers, so the thought of becoming a writer never occurred to me. The only people I knew growing up who worked for the Chicago Tribune or the Chicago Sun-Times delivered or sold the newspapers, my grandfather included. Growing up, I never knew writing was a realistic option.
At the University of Illinois at Chicago, I began writing sports for the college newspaper. I then became the sports editor and, later, an editorial columnist. That work gave me a practical grounding in the craft and inspired me to do more. I began do freelance work for one of Chicago’s daily newspapers and a few magazines. And so my career as a writer began, even as I continued to think I might become a high school teacher and coach.
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 came from a blue-collar area of Chicago, a neighborhood filled with cops, firemen, electricians, and other laborers, so the thought of becoming a writer never occurred to me. The only people I knew growing up who worked for the Chicago Tribune or the Chicago Sun-Times delivered or sold the newspapers, my grandfather included. Growing up, I never knew writing was a realistic option.
At the University of Illinois at Chicago, I began writing sports for the college newspaper. I then became the sports editor and, later, an editorial columnist. That work gave me a practical grounding in the craft and inspired me to do more. I began do freelance work for one of Chicago’s daily newspapers and a few magazines. And so my career as a writer began, even as I continued to think I might become a high school teacher and coach.
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.
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