Notes and Links to Keith O’Brien’s Work

Keith O’Brien has written five books, won the PEN America award for best biography, and has contributed to multiple publications over the years.

Keith's work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, Rolling Stone, the Wall Street Journal, and on National Public Radio. His radio stories have aired on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and Weekend Edition, as well as Marketplace and This American Life. His latest gem is Heartland: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird.

Buy Heartland: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird

Keith O'Brien's Website

Review for Heartland from The Wall Street Journal

At about 1:50, Pete shouts out his brother as a huge Larry Bird fan

At about 2:30, Keith talks about his book tour for the launch of Heartland and gives a summary of the book

at about 4:40, Keith responds to Pete asking about the time period covered in the book and how he figured out his angle for the book

at about 7:55, Keith talks about his attempts to talk to Larry Bird for the book

at about 10:00, Pete sets the record straight grammatically, and Keith expands on Indiana State University President Dick Landini's persona

at about 11:20, The two discuss the book's opening sequence, and Keith explains why he started the book where he did, with an Indiana State NIT loss and Larry Bird fracas

at about 16:25, Keith talks about Larry Bird's treatment as "The Great White Hope" and the ways in which he was talked about and treated in the late 1970s

at about 19:00, Larry Bird's childhood is discussed, including his father's military background, and Larry talks about his research and work to make Joey Bird "three-dimensional"

at about 22:40, Keith gives background on the poverty and hardship in Larry Bird's upbringing

at about 23:40, Dave Bliss, Bobby Knight, and Larry Bird's college recruitment are discussed

at about 24:20, Keith recounts an amazing story involving Denny Crum and Larry Bird's recruitment

at about 26:45, Larry's short time at Indiana University and Northwood Institute are highlighted

at about 29:40, The two discuss important recruits for Indiana State to team up with Larry Bird, including Harry Morgan and his upbringing in a racist town/society

at about 33:00, Larry responds to Pete's asking about the college basketball Magic Johnson/Larry Bird dynamic, and the racial dynamics and popularity of the NBA in the late 1970s

at about 36:30, Keith gives background on the Celtics drafting Larry Bird after his junior year of college

at about 37:10, Pete discusses the "glue guys" that Coach Hodges brought in to ISU for Larry's third year and the novelty of nationally-televised games

at about 39:00, Keith reflects on the fact that while Magic Johnson is crucial to the book's events, he was at the time of the book's action, largely unknown to Larry, and vice versa

at about 41:30, Keith responds to Pete's referring to the book's last section, a sort of "Where are they now?" by calling it his favorite section and how the players and connections to ISU were irrevocably-changed

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Please tune in for Episode 334 with Lisa Lee. She is the recipient of the Marianne Russo Emerging Writer Award from the Key West Literary Seminar, an Emerging Writer Fellowship from the Center for Fiction, and a Pushcart Prize. Her work has appeared in Ploughshares, VIDA: Women in Literary Arts, North American Review, Sycamore Review, and elsewhere. Her essay on racial invisibility and erasure in the writing workshop was featured on Bitch Media’s feminism & pop culture podcast Popaganda, on the episode “Writing About Race.”

The episode airs on March 31, Pub Day for her novel American Han.

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You can also donate at chuffed.org, World Central Kitchen, and so many more, and/or you can contact writer friend Ursula Villarreal-Moura directly or through Pete, as she has direct links with friends in Gaza.