Saturday, April 19, 2008

Radford 2008 grads will 'walk' and hear from 'A Good Walk...' expert Just as we prepare for the fall launch of our new School of Communication, a nationally known journalist will be this year's commencement speaker here at Radford University -- John Feinstein of NPR, of The Washington Post, and of many bookstore shelves and New York Times bestseller lists. Among other things, he's probably Radford's first commencement speaker to have been called both "a pimp" and "a whore" by a major figure in the world of sports. "I wish he'd make up his mind," Feinstein said of coach Bob Knight's comments, "so I'd know how to dress in the morning." More to the point, Feinstein said Knight's complaints were that his reporting was too accurate -- particularly his reporting of Knight's locker room language (a phrase I mean both literally and figuratively). I'm not much of a sports fan, but I'm a fan of good storytelling and accurate, detailed reporting, and of journalism that cares about underdogs and human drama. I think Radford's grads are in for a treat... As Radford President Penelope Kyle says in the school's press release about graduation, "John Feinstein's lucid writing and commentary on American culture and sports mark him as a natural for a university commencement. We're delighted and honored to have him." (I wish she'd added something like "... especially in a year when we are recharging our commitment to teaching journalism, communication and media studies with a new School of Communication," but that might be seen as padding the press release.) For those who aren't graduating yet, or who just want more preview of Feinstein's personal storytelling style, the Library of Congress has a video of the half-hour Feinstein speech in which I found that anecdote about Knight. Given at a National Book Festival a few years ago, it also includes Feinstein's frank critique of athletes' attitudes toward writers, as opposed to ESPN interviewers. For more of his humor, frankness and love of sports, a few of his books are The Last Amateurs: Play for Glory and Honor in Division I College Basketball, Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers, Civil War, Army vs. Navy: A Year Inside College Football's Purest Rivalry, The First Coming: Tiger Woods: Master or Martyr and A Good Walk Spoiled: Days and Nights on the PGA Tour The Majors: In Pursuit of Golf's Holy Grail. Feinstein's NPR biography, and story links. His recent columns from the Post, and a collection of older basketball columns. 2:47:23 PM    comment []

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