ABOUT JONHey! I'm from a suburb south of Boston. This is where I fell in love with all sorts of history at a young age. We have a bell made by Paul Revere in the center of town and a lake where the iron that produced cannons for the Continental Army during the Revolution was mined. That fascination has taken me a long way -- to the classroom as a history teacher and to the publishing world as a nonfiction author.
Telling people's stories and enlightening the public about topics they might not be as familiar with remains my greatest joy in life. There is so much to learn out there and bringing material into the limelight is such a thrill. I've put my writing skills to good use for more than nine years as a correspondent for publications like The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, boston.com, American History Magazine and ESPN. I even wrote three chapters of a guidebook for visitors to Boston -- my experience as a volunteer at the Boston National Historical Park came in handy. I also love to write fiction, poetry, and playscripts (theater is a big hobby of mine!) As a lifelong music junkie and movie buff, pop culture history speaks to me especially, which is what makes HARLEM WORLD such an exciting debut book. The stories of hip hop's first generation of stars and their trials and tribulations need to be told and the individuals I've spoken with to make this project happen have been incredible. I'm so excited for everyone to check this book out in September! Please keep an eye out for updates on this project and the many others I have floating around my head. |
Drawn by my incredibly talented grandfather, Sol Brenner
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