MEDIA
Please contact the author directly for more information.
Jim Heffernan
jimheffernan@jimheffernan.org
www.jimheffernan.org
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PRAISE FOR...
“Cooler Near the Lake” ~ Author Jim Heffernan
“Jim Heffernan’s columns have moved us to laughter and tears, troubled our conscience, confronted our humanity,
and made us recognize ourselves through the lens of these gifted verbal sketches.”
— Jim Oberstar, U.S. Congressman representing Northeastern Minnesota
“They say laughter is the best medicine. If that’s the case, Jim Heffernan left a lot of people healthy with his News Tribune
columns. Amidst the headlines of crime and mayhem Heffernan’s column brought a dose of light-hearted humor that lifted
the spirits and always made it a better day.His droll sense of humor and easy wit often made me laugh out loud.”
— Barbara Reyelts, News Manager, Northland’s NewsCenter
“Every newspaper needs a storyteller and Jim Heffernan served his native city and the Duluth News Tribune well. He wrote
about those living in the Northland and those who touched them from the era of Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley and John F.
Kennedy to the present. Heffernan’s columns were a slice of unique humor and insight.”
— Kevin Pates, Duluth News Tribune sportswriter (and pop culture aficionado)
“Returning to my hometown Duluth over the years, I always took great pleasure in reading Jim’s column. It was like catching
up with a member of the family, and fi nding that, despite fads, fashions and the occasional absurdities of the times,
the old hometown was still essentially the same, and in very good hands.”
— Rick Shefchik, author of the “Sam Skarda” mysteries Amen Corner and Green Monster.
“Jim has become the unofficial historian of Duluth’s role in the last days before ‘The Day the Music Died’ when singer
Buddy Holly appeared here shortly before he and others were killed in a plane crash. I sponsored
and emcee’d the show; Jim was there and has written movingly about it.”
— Lew Latto, veteran Duluth radio talk show host (and broadcast executive)
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Please contact the author directly to obtain a digital image.
ABOUT THE BOOK...
COOLER NEAR THE LAKE:
FIFTY-TWO FAVORITES FROM THIRTY-FOUR YEARS OF DEADLINES
BY JIM HEFFERNAN
Cooler Near the Lake is a collection of Jim Heffernan's classic newspaper columns that spans his lengthy career in Duluth Minnesota as a popular newspaper writer and columnist for the (formerly) Knight Ridder Duluth News Tribune. Heffernan's writings are known for his wry humor, interesting perspectives on life and for capturing the colorful culture of northeastern Minnesota. The columns, mostly essays and some poems, vary in content. While Heffernan often writes with humor, he also writes with heart as he shares his insights on life events. Also included in this collection are unique profiles on John F. Kennedy, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Gregory Peck and other famous people who visited Duluth.
The book's title was the name of one of Heffernan's most popular poems–included in the book–portraying the roller coaster lake effect on Duluth's weather. Cooler Near the Lake was originally published by X-Communications, (now Zenith City Press). Heffernan recently purchased the rights from the publisher and now serves as author and publisher. Adventure Publication serves as the book's distributor.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR...
JIM HEFFERNAN
Jim Heffernan is a native of Duluth, Minnesota where he received his formal education and found his life work a a newspaper journalist and popular columnist. Heffernan grew up in Duluth's West End/Lincoln Park neighborhood, graduating from Denfeld High School. He served in the US Army and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota in Duluth.
Heffernan began his journalism career in Duluth. He served as an editor and writer with the Duluth Herald and Duluth News Tribune for forty-two years before retiring in 2005. His newspaper career spanned duties as a reporter covering general assignments, education beat, city government beat and the arts and entertainment. He also served as a city editor and arts and entertainment editor and ended his career as an editorial page associate. For thirty-four of those years, Heffernan also wrote a popular weekly "slice of life" and humor column. Heffernan continued that column as a freelance writer for the Duluth News Tribune following retirement, until June of 2008.
Heffernan received recognition for his writings and work in journalism and was involved in past community media organizations. As a member of the Duluth News Tribune's editorial department, he wrote or contributed to editorials that received several state awards. He won a first place in the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalism Awards for a column about Hubert Humphrey and received a University of Minnesota, Duluth Distinguished Alumni Award.
Heffernan, now a retired newspaper writer, continues his musings on his blog, www.jimheffernan.org. He wrote a monthly in-print column for the area life style magazine, Duluth~Superior Magazine, from 2008-2014 and more recently wrote regularly about his experiences living and working in Duluth for Zenith City Online. He occasionally does other freelance writing. Heffernan lives and writes in Duluth, Minnesota.
Author: Jim Heffernan
jimheffernan@jimheffernan.org
www.jimheffernan.org
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