Author Biography | Interview | Books by this Author | Read-Alikes
Mitch Albom, 58, is a bestselling author, nationally-syndicated newspaper columnist for the Detroit Free Press, nationally-syndicated radio host for ABC and flagship station WJR-AM in Detroit, and television commentator who regularly appears on ESPN's Sports Reporters.
Mitch Albom is the author of seven books, including Tuesdays With Morrie, the New York Times bestseller that first appeared on that list in October 1997 and stayed atop the list for four straight years. Oprah Winfrey produced a major television movie for ABC based on Tuesdays With Morrie that aired in December 1999 and starred Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria. A phenomenon in its own right, the movie was not only the most-watched on any network for that year, it also earned four Emmy Awards in 2000, including those for "Best Actor" (Lemmon) and "Best Supporting Actor" (Azaria). Tuesdays With Morrie has been turned into a play, which can be seen in theaters around the country. With more than five million copies now in print, Tuesdays With Morrie is also published in 36 countries, in 31 languages, and was a bestseller in Japan, Australia, Brazil, and England.
Albom's Tuesdays With Morrie story has been featured in many national publications, including People Magazine, TV Guide, and Redbook. Albom has also been featured on several national television programs, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC's Today Show, the CBS Early Show, Larry King Live, Charlie Rose, Nightline and Good Morning America.
Albom's first novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, is the most successful US hardcover first adult novel ever. For One More Day debuted at No.1 on the New York Times Bestseller List and spent nine months on the list. In October 2006, For One More Day was the first book chosen by Starbucks in the newly launched Book Break Program, which also helped fight illiteracy by donating one dollar from every book sold to Jumpstart. Have a Little Faith was released in September 2009 and selected by Oprah.com as the best nonfiction book of 2009. His most recent titles, The Time Keeper and The First Phone Call from Heaven, both debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List.
In 2010, Albom was named the recipient of the Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement by the Associated Press Sports Editors.
He lives with his wife, Janine, in Detroit, MI.
Mitch Albom's website
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The lead character
in "The Five People You Meet In Heaven" is a grizzled war veteran
named Eddie, who dies on his 83rd birthday. The character, Mitch Albom says, was
inspired by his real-life uncle, Edward Beitchman, who was also a World War II
veteran, who also died at 83, and also lived a life like that of the fictional
character, rarely leaving his home city, and often feeling that he didn't
accomplish what he should have.
Mitch Albom says.... I tell stories. For awhile I told stories through music
and then I told stories in newspapers and later I told stories in books, the
best known being Tuesdays with Morrie, a story about my old teacher who
was living to the fullest even as he was dying.
But before I started telling stories, I heard them. My family loved to rattle
them off, especially the senior members, grandparents and uncles and aunts,
usually around a Thanksgiving table, always with plates of food close at hand.
These were stories about family, history, war, some might have even been closer
to fairy tales. Someone would inevitably say, "Oh, no, not THAT one again,"
but we would settle in and listen anyhow. I never minded. In fact, I loved it.
Those stories made me feel part of something, gave ...
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