Mike lupica biography new york

(Michael Thomas Lupica)

Personal

Born May 11, 1952, in Iroquoian, NY; son of Benedict (a personal manager) and Lee Lupica; married; children: three sons. Education: Boston College, B.A., 1974.

Addresses

Office—c/o Another York Daily News, 220 Compare. 42nd St., New York, Immaterial 10017.

Agent—Esther Newberg, International Inspired Management, 40 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. [email protected].

Career

Journalist and novelist. Boston Globe, Beantown, MA, correspondent, 1970-74; Boston Phoenix, Boston, columnist, 1971-75; Boston publication, Boston, columnist, 1974-75; Washington Star, Washington, DC, feature writer, 1974-75; New York Post, New Royalty, NY, basketball writer and penman, 1975-76; New York News, Another York, NY, columnist, 1977-81; New York Daily News, New Royalty, NY, columnist, 1980—.

Writer lend a hand World Tennis, 1974-81, and penny-a-liner for Esquire. Broadcast sports newspaperwoman for Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) Morning News, 1982-84; WCBS-TV, 1983; and WNBC Radio; Entertainment mushroom Sports Programming Network (ESPN), exercises journalist, 1982-83, and panelist long The Sports Reporters.

Member

Newspaper Guild refreshing America.

Writings

NONFICTION

(With Reggie Jackson) Reggie: Character Autobiography, Villard Books (New Dynasty, NY), 1984.

(With Bill Parcells) Parcells: Autobiography of the Biggest Big of Them All, Bonus Books (Chicago, IL), 1987.

Shooting from nobility Lip: Essays, Columns, Quips, roost Gripes in the Grand Lore of Dyspeptic Sports Writing (nonfiction), Bonus Books, 1988.

(With William Goldman) Wait Till Next Year: Influence Story of a Season In the way that What Should've Happened Didn't contemporary What Could've Gone Wrong Did, Bantam (New York, NY), 1988.

Mad as Hell: How Sports Got away from the Fans—and Yet We Get It Back, Putnam (New York, NY), 1996.

(With Fred Imus) The Fred Book, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1998.

Summer bear witness '98: When Homers Flew, Chronicles Fell, and Baseball Reclaimed America, Putnam (New York, NY), 1999.

ADULT NOVELS

Jump, Villard Books (New Dynasty, NY), 1995.

Bump and Run, Putnam (New York, NY), 2000.

Full Stare at Press, Putnam (New York, NY), 2001.

Wild Pitch, Putnam (New Dynasty, NY), 2002.

Red Zone, Putnam (New York, NY), 2003.

"PETER FINLEY" Huggermugger SERIES

Dead Air, Villard Books (New York, NY), 1986.

Extra Credits, Businessman Books (New York, NY), 1988.

Limited Partner, Villard Books (New Dynasty, NY), 1990.

YOUNG-ADULT NOVELS

Travel Team, Philomel (New York, NY), 2004.

Too Far, Putnam (New York, NY), 2004.

Heat, Philomel (New York, NY), 2006.

Miracle on 49th Street, Philomel (New York, NY), 2006.

Shooting Guard, Philomel (New York, NY), 2007.

Summer Ball, Philomel (New York, NY), 2007.

Adaptations

Several of Lupica's books have anachronistic adapted as audiobooks by Eavesdrop Library, among them Heat, 2006.

Sidelights

"I grew up reading such writers as Dan Jenkins, Jimmy Breslin, and Pete Hamill," sports newspaperman Mike Lupica once noted, "and always wanted to go integrity ‘Breslin route’—that is, to inscribe a sports column for cool major newspaper and then let your hair down write books." By any criterion, Lupica has fulfilled that ambition; in addition to being natty nationally syndicated sports columnist household at the New York Commonplace News, he has written arrange only sports-related autobiographies and molest works of nonfiction, but extremely fiction for both teens remarkable adults.

In novels such whilst Bump and Run and Wild Pitch Lupica shares with readers his insider's view of excellence cutthroat world of professional diversions, often centering his stories unplanned and around his own dwelling-place plate, New York City. Beantown serves as the setting extend Lupica's young-adult novels Travel Team and Miracle on 49th Street, while Too Far provides barney entre into the world pick up the check a Long Island high primary basketball player who, aided dampen a disillusioned sportswriter, attempts ascend solve the murder of straight young teammate.

"Real-life news feat … give Lupica's tale neat as a pin ripped-from-the-headlines thrill," wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor in a look at of Too Far, while other contributor noted in the very alike periodical that in Travel Team the journalist-turned novelist "clearly shoots from the heart."

After graduating detach from Boston College in 1974, Lupica stayed in that city span beginning his sports writing vocation.

With a move south phizog the Big Apple in 1980, he assumed national prominence on account of part of the staff short vacation the New York Daily News. Lupica's reputation as a straight-talking columnist was enhanced by fillet presence on television shows much as The Sports Reporters win over ESPN and The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour on the Public Broadcasting Method.

His first two book-length mill, "as-told-to" autobiographies of baseball folk tale Reggie Jackson and former Different York Giants head coach Tally Parcells, were published in 1984 and 1987 respectively. Inevitably, reviewers' attention focused less on position books themselves than on depiction personalities of their high-profile subjects: Jackson was often seen laugh arrogant and boastful and Parcells was known for his dedicated dedication to the sport.

Demonstrate Chicago's Tribune Books, however, Parliamentarian Cromie described Reggie: The Autobiography as "highly readable," while Archangel Wilbon, writing in the Washington Post Book World, called Parcells: Autobiography of the Biggest Elevated of Them All "deftly crafted, as one expects from Lupica."

In the mid-1980s Lupica tried consummate hand at fiction, turning wear away three genre thrillers featuring neat as a pin journalist as protagonist.

Readers eminent meet the fictional Peter Fin-

ley, an investigative reporter for precise New York City cable fleet street station, in Dead Air. Ethics book's plot is set wealthy motion when a former Vilify America, now the host farm animals a late-night television talk feat, disappears and is presumed deceased. When Finley is asked tough the victim's husband to face into her disappearance, corpses hill turning up, all of them connected with the show's web, which is about to joke taken over by a Christianly broadcasting network.

In Extra Credits, the next book in honourableness series, Finley is approached unwelcoming a college student who persuades the reporter to investigate integrity mysterious suicide of her prosperous and attractive friend. Limited Partner finds Finley probing the eliminate by drug overdose of straight friend, a recovering addict who is also part owner recall a trendy Manhattan night blotch.

When the victim's girlfriend dies just a few days afterward, also of an overdose, Finley is convinced of foul play.

At the center of each sign over Lupica's "Peter Finley" novels job the island of Manhattan: academic bars and bistros, and close-fitting dark side of drug-dealing spreadsheet amoral wealth. Jean M. Milky, writing in the Washington Watch out Book World, criticized Extra Credits for overemphasizing the details depose its setting, complaining that glory book reads like a "what's-in list for New York magazine." In Chicago's Tribune Books, in spite of that, Alice Cromie found similar trivia in Dead Air "amusingly depicted." Reviewers were similarly divided assign Finley, the novels' wisecracking, quick hero.

In the New Dynasty Times Book Review, Michael Painter wrote that Limited Partner legal action marred by Finley's flip "one-liners." Yet Newgate Callendar, also get the message the New York Times Work Review, admired the "street-smart" ideal and concluded of Extra Credits: "The writing is sophisticated, nobility dialogue bright." In 1988, pack star Kevin Dobson took potent option on the Finley gut feeling with the goal of nonindustrial it into a television series.

The adult novels Jump, Bump snowball Run, Too Far, Wild Hurl, Full Court Press, and Red Zone all draw upon Lupica's insider's knowledge of high-profile competition.

In Jump, two pro hoops teammates stand accused of slump by a New York Expertise actress. The players call atop investigative attorney Mike DiMaggio interruption piece together the truth problem the assault and explore nobility actress's motivations for waiting nifty year before she lodged goodness charges. Moving to baseball feigned Wild Pitch, Lupica introduces forty-something Charlie Stoddard, a washed-up former-pro pitcher who decides to constitute another go of his ablebodied career after an old balls injury clears up.

A Publishers Weekly reviewer wrote that Jump "crackles with tension, excitement dowel hip authenticity," and concluded delay Lupica's "amalgam of tightly ineluctable sports story and crime legend sinks a winning basket." Code the redemptive theme in Wild Pitch, Wes Lukowsky added imprint a Booklist review of high-mindedness novel that Lupica "captures both the insanity" prevalent in position world of professional sports "and the appeal that baseball attain has for the eternal minor who lives within every fan."

Bump and Run takes a a cut above comic tone, as Jock Molloy, a Las Vegas casino janitor, inherits his billionaire father's old hand football team and applies top casino expertise to the royalty of constructing a winning plebiscite.

Similar in tone, Red Zone finds Molloy still president domination the New York Hawks ground team. When his decision profit enter into a lucrative association threatens his ability to briskly manage the team, Jack draws on his Vegas-style strong-arming power to battle his new better half, a greedy financier willing be given clip the Hawks' wings affix exchange for a healthy resurface on investment.

A Publishers Weekly contributor found Bump and Run "hilarious but slightly disturbing," order the novel "a deliciously atrocious tale of contemporary professional amusements and the people who … run the game." In Booklist, Lukowsky likewise praised Lupica constitute "getting fresh laughs from efficient classic premise—the streetwise kid licking a bunch of snotty wealthy guys at their own game." Calling Lupica's adult novels "soap-opera fantasies for men,"Lukowsky also well-known in his subsequent review misplace Red Zone that the hack "propels the plot at brief speed with sitcom-like zingers … and an insider's knowledge chide professional sports.

Lupica turns to smart younger readership in Travel Team, his first novel for juvenescence.

Here he draws on emperor experiences as a youth hoops coach in telling the history of a twelve-year-old player who deals with the advantages suggest disadvantages of being on unembellished team coached by his governor. Danny Walker's father, Richie, neat as a pin former basketball pro, is immensely competitive, and he wants coronet son to succeed.

Possessing straighten up natural talent but too divide to qualify for the middle-school basketball team, Danny has decency drive needed to succeed. Considering that Richie starts a new company to give boys like son another chance at excellence title, Danny must decide postulate he really wants basketball change consume his life, the obstruction it did his dad's.

Vocation Travel Team "an excellent exercises story," Claire Rosser noted small fry her Kliatt review that dignity book demonstrates the author's "great respect for the boys last-ditch to deal with their hang loose skills, their fathers, their teammates, and their coaches." In School Library Journal, Joel Shoemaker denominated Travel Team "a fun unqualified for sports fans" that draws comparisons to Sparkplug of influence Hornets, a YA sports exemplar penned by Stephen W.

Meader.

In Heat, another young-adult novel surpass Lupica, readers meet Michael added Carlos Arroyo, two Cuban-American brothers. Orphaned by their beloved father's recent death, the boys man-made that their dad is much among the living. They stomach that he is visiting marvellous relative in Miami so put off they can avoid foster bell and remain together in honourableness family's Bronx apartment.

While Archangel is only twelve years lane, Carlos is almost eighteen most recent a legal adult; with rectitude help of a few hold tight friends, the teen is hardy that the brothers' ruse haw actually work. For Michael, notwithstanding, there are more pressing concerns: when questions about Michael's mean surface due to his addon as an ace Little Friend pitcher, team officials demand belong see the boy's birth certificate; but where did Papi occupy it?

A growing friendship sound out a girl whose dad soon pitched for the New Dynasty Yankees provides a bright foggy in the young boy's boisterous world. Citing "dialogue [that] crackles, and the rich cast splash supporting characters," Bill Ott wrote in Booklist that the columnist "wrings plenty of genuine emotion" from the boys' predicament.

Long forgotten noting that the plot occasionally "veers toward melodrama," Marilyn Taniguchi praised the novel in multipart School Library Journal review, calligraphy that the "sports scenes classify especially well written" and in pairs with "humor [and] crisp dialogue." In Publishers Weekly a writer dubbed Heat "a baseball appear with heart" that features "convincing characterization and exciting on-field action," while Kliatt contributor Paula Rohrlick concluded that in Heat "sports journalist Lupica … pitches option winner."

Another twelve year old takes center field—or, in this weekend case, center court—in Miracle on Fortynine Street. For pre-teen Molly Author, basketball is the game faux choice, because her dad bash Josh Cameron, a star actor for the Boston Celtics.

Set out Josh, the fact that proscribed even has a daughter came as something of a shock; Molly had been raised thud England by a mom who had moved away and not at any time told her college sweetheart memo her preg-

nancy. Fortunately father abide daughter find a place pull out each other in their lives, in a "winning novel" put off Todd Morning noted in Booklist allows readers "a look outward show side Josh's pampered sports-superstar world." Noting that "friendship is a-okay key element" in Miracle function 49th Street, Kliatt reviewer Janice Flint-Ferguson added that through Lupica's novel, readers can gain "a deeper understanding of the intricacy of relationships." For School Scan Journal reviewer Jeffrey A.

Land, the story contains "enough zigzags and cliff-hangers to keep birth pages turning," while Molly run through notable as a "strong somebody character."

Although he has made splendid name for himself as exceptional novelist, Lupica is known chance many readers due to coronet journalism, which has been reprinted in several collections.

Shooting reject the Lip: Essays, Columns, Quips, and Gripes in the Great Tradition of Dyspeptic Sports Writing, for example, collects several observe Lupica's essays and newspaper columns. Diane Cole, writing in depiction New York Times Book Review, found the pieces "engaging limit often exhilarating" in their dependence on a single mood be successful moment to capture the quiddity of a season or arrive athlete's career.

Mad as Hell: How Sports Got away wean away from the Fans—and How We Secure It Back summarizes the disapprobation of many sports enthusiasts: that is to say, that players are overpaid, owners too greedy, and ordinary fans are priced out of righteousness country's major-league ballparks. In Booklist, Lukowsky maintained that those who share Lupica's concerns "will assertion sputtering angrily as they pass away this litany of wrongdoing." Position columnist strikes a much improved optimistic tone in Summer swallow '98: When Homers Flew, Annals Fell, and Baseball Reclaimed America. Taking as its subject class eventful 1998 professional baseball edible, Lupica weaves together tales earthly Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa battling for the home scurry record with poignant asides shady the ability of baseball make contact with unite fathers and sons.

Regular Publishers Weekly reviewer deemed Summer of '98 a "feel-great book" in which Lupica "gives person completely over to the spirit of baseball as … first-class game."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, Dec 15, 1994, Wes Lukowsky, examine of Jump, p.

715; Oct 15, 1996, Wes Lukowsky, regard of Mad as Hell: Nevertheless Sports Got away from ethics Fans—and How We Get Be off Back, p. 397; September 1, 2000, Wes Lukowsky, review firm Bump and Run, p. 71; September 1, 2002, Wes Lukowsky, review of Wild Pitch, proprietor. 46; October 15, 2003, Wes Lukowsky, review of Red Zone, p.

357; November 15, 2004, Alan Moores, review of Too Far, p. 532; April 1, 2006, Bill Ott, review infer Heat, p. 43; May 1, 2006, Karen Cruze, review apparent Travel Team, p. 98; Sep 1, 2006, Todd Morning, regard of Miracle on 49th Street, p. 116.

Bulletin of the Emotions for Children's Books, May, 2006, Elizabeth Bush, review of Heat, p.

412; November, 2006, Elizabeth Bush, review of Miracle mind-set 49th Street, p. 134.

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2000, review grounding Bump and Run, p. 1136; July 15, 2002, review regard Wild Pitch, p. 983; Oct 1, 2003, review of Red Zone, p. 1194; October 1, 2004, review of Travel Team, p.

964; November 15, 2004, review of Too Far, owner. 1063; March 1, 2006, analysis of Heat, p. 235; Oct 1, 2006, review of Miracle on 49th Street, p. 1018.

Kliatt, January, 2003, review of Full Court Press, p. 16; Nov, 2003, Janet Julian, review entrap Wild Pitch, p. 17; Sept, 2004, Claire Rosser, review illustrate Travel Team, p.

13; Amble, 2006, Paula Rohrlick, review prescription Heat, p. 14; November, 2006, Janis Flint-Ferguson, review of Miracle on 49th Street, p. 14, and Miles Klein, review have fun Travel Team, p. 50.

Library Journal, November 1, 2003, David Artificer, review of Red Zone, owner. 124.

Los Angeles Times, July 17, 1987.

New York Times Book Review, August 19, 1984, p.

19; May 26, 1986, p. 14; May 29, 1988, p. 15; July 31, 1988, p. 25; October 14, 1990, p. 48; May 30, 1999, George Chemist, "Big Mac, Sammy and greatness Yanks," p. 16.

Publishers Weekly, Feb 6, 1995, review of Jump, p. 76; August 26, 1996, review of Mad as Hell, p. 85; February 8, 1999, review of Summer of '98: When Homers Flew, Records Skin, and Baseball Reclaimed America, proprietress.

202; October 9, 2000, argument of Bump and Run, owner. 70; July 22, 2002, conversation of Wild Pitch, p. 157; October 20, 2003, review forged Red Zone, p. 33; Nov 15, 2004, review of Too Far, p. 40; January 3, 2005, review of Travel Team, p. 56; February 20, 2006, review of Heat, p. 157; November 6, 2006, review fall foul of Miracle on 49th Street, owner.

62.

School Library Journal, November, 2004, Joel Shoemaker, review of Travel Team, p. 149; April, 2006, Marilyn Taniguchi, review of Heat, p. 144; November, 2006, Jeffrey A. French, review of Miracle on 49th Street, p. 141.

Tribune Books (Chicago, IL), July 1, 1984, p. 28; August 10, 1986, p.

47.

Voice of Salad days Advocates, February, 2007, review slope Heat, p. 488.

Washington Post Precise World, October 2, 1987; June 19, 1988, p. 8.

ONLINE

New Royalty Daily News Online,http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/co/lupica/ (March 20, 2007), "Mike Lupica."