Former LA Lakers Star, Broadcaster, LA Dodgers Executive Tommy Hawkins Creates a Coffee Book of Narratives,
Empowered interview:
Former LA Lakers Star, Broadcaster, LA Dodgers Executive Tommy Hawkins Creates a Coffee Book of Narratives,
I recently had a fascinating conversation from LA with Tommy Hawkins, about his new book “Life’s Reflections: Poetry for the People” (ISBN #978-0615-564-302) Hawkins, a native of Chicago, Illinois, enjoyed an incredible career as a college basketball All-American at Notre Dame, 10 years in the NBA playing ball with the Cincinnati Royals and Los Angeles Lakers (he played with Wilt, Jerry, Elgin, Oscar and many others), an Emmy Award-nominated radio and television broadcaster, event host and motivational speaker as well as a public relations vice president with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 18 years. He bridges the space between sport and poetic narrative.
Mr. Hawkins told me that he had been involved with poetry since his sophomore year at Notre Dame. He was fortunate to have an English Literature professor who specialized in poetry and told us that he would “make it sing in our souls.” In Mr. Hawkins, it succeeded and poetry “still sings in his soul.”
Tommy Hawking calls his poems narratives since poetry can often be considered academic or elitist. This book is unique; the poems in it have companion paintings or photographs by artists from around the world. Hawkins says “In order to compete with the advances of technology and to get your message across, it is important to blends the two disciplines of art and poetry. Each narrative is enhanced by art,” he comments.
“Poetry spins windows in my mind, opening to a whole new cascading landscape” he comments as he describes his new book Life’s Reflections: Poetry for the People. Hawkins combines rhyme and meter as well as topics that affect everyone. He says: “ I promise you that whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever your connections, that this book , an adventure into life and times of people you will find yourself, your mom and dad, other family members and many of your friends represented in these narratives.” For more information and to hear two sports poems: www.tommyhawkins.net
Hawkins will be making numerous personal appearances speaking to groups and organizations in 2012. . For bookings or interviews, please contact his agent: Bob Mazza. 310.994.4847 bobmazzapr@gmail.com On behalf of Ariadne Sawyer and Tan-The Afro News, we wish him great success.
Tommy hopes to come back to Vancouver “One of my favorite cities” and read for World Poetry.
Mr. Hawkins will be interviewed as a featured poet by hosts Ariadne Sawyer and Oparin Ortiz on the World Poetry Cafe Radio Show, 9 pm PST, Tuesday, March 27th 102.7 Coop Radio, www.coopradio.net The show can be downloaded at www.worldpoetry.ca
Article sources: E-mail and phone contact: agent Bob Mazza, phone interview with Tommy Hawkins from LA, March 9th, 2012. Biographical credits www.tommyhawkins.net Photo credits: Bob Mazza.
