Thursday, September 25, 2008

All about 'Akron Kings of Nonfiction'


R.D. Heldenfels wrote a piece on page B6 in today’s Beacon Journal about a library event involving three former BJ types and and a former WKSU type now with National Public Radio.

Heldenfels tries to explain the program’s title: “Akron Kings of Fiction.”

The BJ types are Dave Giffels, still laboring there, and Chuck Klosterman and Michael Weinreb who have moved on to New York City. The fourth king is Eric Nuzum, who lives in suburban Maryland.


You will find previous posts on this blog about all but Nuzum so we will use his photo.

Nuzum, who is director of programming and Acquisitions for NPR, Outside of public radio, has written, published, and lectured extensively on popular culture, music, and free expression issues.

The Main Event series at the library features ''prominent voices from the worlds of literature, the arts, politics and journalism,'' and each of these four is an established writer.

Giffels' latest work is All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down House, which the New York Times called ''sweet and funny.'' He also has co-written Wheels of Fortune, a history of Akron's rubber industry, and Are We Not Men? We Are Devo.

Nuzum's books include Parental Advisory: Music Censorship in America and The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires From Nosferatu to Count Chocula. A Beacon Journal review called the latter ''not only hilarious, but highly informative.''

Weinreb's latest work is The Kings of New York: A Year Among the Geeks, Oddballs, and Genuises Who Make Up America's Top High School Chess Team — which has been published in paperback as Game of Kings. It made Amazon.com's list of the top 10 editors' picks in 2007.

And Klosterman has gained a national reputation with mostly-nonfiction books, such as Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, Fargo Rock City and Chuck Klosterman IV.

The event, with free admission, will begin at 2 p.m. in the main library auditorium — long enough after the end of the Road Runner Akron Marathon to make library parking feasible.

Click on the headline to read Heldenfels explainer.

You can find previous posts about the kings by typing their names in the search box at left above. If you only know how to click:.

Go to Giffels

Go to Klosterman 2006 2007

Go to Weinreb

Go to Nuzum's blog to read and listen to him.

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