J.Yang has slummed it in the valley with the Wakefield twins; slumber partied with Huey, Dewey and Louie; joined Krakow in stalking Angela; and climbed every mountain with the Von Trapps.
Originally from San Diego, he's lived and traveled the world (okay, not all of it) in pursuit of that most elusive of targets -- inspiration.
He's authored and published a book, written for online and offline publications, and maintained a variety of popular blogs on subjects ranging from movies and technology to personal stories and amateur musings. He's just wrapped up his second book, a fiction novel for teens, and is hard at work on his third one.
You can reach him at digitaljon@SPAMgmail.com. He is BFF with his iPhone so he should answer promptly.
To be honest, I only got into him because of his basketball themed books (Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made) but that expanded out to his other works and over time, I came to think of him as someone whose career I'd love to emulate; however poorly. I can't really speak on Halberstam's place in the literary world as a whole, but he had a high position in my little world.
Halberstam spoke at my University of Michigan graduation services (2000). I can't recall exactly it is that he said, but I'm sure whatever it was, it was more than "The answer is...pizza!" I probably should have listened closer, but it wasn't really my graduation, and the crowd was rowdy, so attention was lost.
Writers get into the business to immortalize people/objects/the world; but also to immortalize themselves. Do they know what's waiting beyond that breech? Immortality! Take it David; it's already yours.
My soon to be released book for teens is called "Exclusively Chloe," it's all about a normal girl who gets adopted, quite literally, into the celebrity life. It's my first fiction work and I'm super excited about it.
It's set to come out May 14, 2009, from Puffin/Speak and I could tell you all about it but then you'd just wish you'd read it. As the release date nears, I'll have more information, some contests, and maybe a secret or two. Everyone loves secrets, you know you do!
I also wrote this other book called "The Rough Guide to Blogging" and it's the ultimate reference for all things Weblog. Whether you want to start your own blog or just explore the blogosphere, this guide will teach you everything you need to know.
Chapters include: Creating a Blog, Blog Design, Advanced Blogging, Audio and Video, Podcasting, Blogging for Money, Corporate Blogging plus much, much more. Whether you're an experienced blogger or just getting started, this is the right book for you. Check out the book's blog!
I'm available for television appearances, library talks, relationship advice, general counseling, and all-expenses paid trips to Europe. If you have questions, concerns, or rants, you can reach me at digitaljon@SPAMgmail.com
David Halberstam passed away recently, in a car accident. If you don't know exactly who he is; you're probably among the majority. Halberstam was a journalist and a great writer.
