Steve Kettmann
Encyclopedia
Steve Kettmann is a best-selling American author living in Berlin who writes a weekly column on politics for the Berliner Zeitung Berliner Zeitung
newspaper, appearing every Wednesday. A 1999 Arthur F. Burns Fellow, Kettmann has reported from more than 30 countries for publications including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the New Republic, the Washington Monthly, GQ, Parade Magazine, the Village Voice, Salon.com and Wired.com, the Berliner Zeitung, Die Welt and Der Spiegel.
His most recent books are "What a Party!" co-written with former DNC
chairman Terry McAuliffe
, which debuted in February 2007 at No. 5 on New York Times best-seller list, and "Letter to a New President," co-written with Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, published in June 2008, book-length advice to whoever would follow George W. Bush. In an interview with The Hill newspaper in Washington, Kettmann described how he and Byrd worked on the book and said, "To him, history is a living, breathing presence in his life that he consults often, like a good friend that is always at his side."
Kettmann, born in 1962 in San Jose, California, earned a degree in English literature from UC Berkeley in 1985 and then worked for a year in New York as a general-assignment reporter for Newsday covering politics and other subjects.
He was a sportswriter for the San Francisco Chronicle
from 1990 to 1999, covering the Oakland A's for four seasons as a beat writer, and has also written on steroids and baseball for numerous publications, becoming one of the first to state openly that Mark McGwire
had used steroids in an August 2000 article in The New York Times and appearing on CNN as an expert on the subject. The New Yorker magazine reported in a 2005 article, Dr. Juice, that he was the ghost-writer of José Canseco
's book "Juiced
," which was a No. 1 New York Times best-seller, despite first being the subject of intense controversy. Some commentators contended that Kettmann's background reporting on steroids and baseball was helpful, with New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica
going so far as to contend, "Canseco was only honest in his first book because his ghost writer, Steve Kettmann, made him be."
Kettmann's first book was "One Day at Fenway," which described a single game between the Boston Red Sox
and New York Yankees
on August 30, 2003, from a variety of perspectives. That book, nominated for a Quill Award and featured in the Farrelly brothers
film "Fever Pitch
," generated mostly positive reviews, but ESPN writer Rob Neyer
was an outspoken critic.
Previously, Kettmann edited "Game Time," a collection of Roger Angell
's baseball writing from the New Yorker spanning forty years. Originally published in early 2003, the book was reviewed on the front page of the New York Times Book Review. "Edited by the sportswriter Steve Kettmann," wrote Joel Conarroe, "the 29 selections could be thought of as 'Roger's Greatest Hits,' except that there is little reason to make distinctions among his scores of writerly four-baggers."
Berliner Zeitung
The Berliner Zeitung, founded in 1945, is a German center-left daily newspaper based in Berlin, published by Berliner Verlag. It is the only East German paper to achieve national prominence since unification. In 2003, the Berliner was Berlin's largest subscription newspaper—the weekend...
newspaper, appearing every Wednesday. A 1999 Arthur F. Burns Fellow, Kettmann has reported from more than 30 countries for publications including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the New Republic, the Washington Monthly, GQ, Parade Magazine, the Village Voice, Salon.com and Wired.com, the Berliner Zeitung, Die Welt and Der Spiegel.
His most recent books are "What a Party!" co-written with former DNC
DNC
DNC may refer to:*Daigaku Nyūshi Center, a Japanese Independent Administrative Institution which administers the National Center Test for University Admissions...
chairman Terry McAuliffe
Terry McAuliffe
Terence Richard "Terry" McAuliffe is a longtime leader and political advisor for the United States Democratic Party. He served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005. He served as Co-Chairman of President William Jefferson Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign and also...
, which debuted in February 2007 at No. 5 on New York Times best-seller list, and "Letter to a New President," co-written with Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, published in June 2008, book-length advice to whoever would follow George W. Bush. In an interview with The Hill newspaper in Washington, Kettmann described how he and Byrd worked on the book and said, "To him, history is a living, breathing presence in his life that he consults often, like a good friend that is always at his side."
Kettmann, born in 1962 in San Jose, California, earned a degree in English literature from UC Berkeley in 1985 and then worked for a year in New York as a general-assignment reporter for Newsday covering politics and other subjects.
He was a sportswriter for the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
from 1990 to 1999, covering the Oakland A's for four seasons as a beat writer, and has also written on steroids and baseball for numerous publications, becoming one of the first to state openly that Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
had used steroids in an August 2000 article in The New York Times and appearing on CNN as an expert on the subject. The New Yorker magazine reported in a 2005 article, Dr. Juice, that he was the ghost-writer of José Canseco
José Canseco
José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
's book "Juiced
Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big
Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big is a 2005 book by Jose Canseco and his personal account of steroid usage in Major League Baseball. The book is autobiographical, and it focuses on Canseco's days as a major leaguer, his marriages, his daughter, and off-field...
," which was a No. 1 New York Times best-seller, despite first being the subject of intense controversy. Some commentators contended that Kettmann's background reporting on steroids and baseball was helpful, with New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica
Mike Lupica
Michael Lupica is an American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN.-Biography:...
going so far as to contend, "Canseco was only honest in his first book because his ghost writer, Steve Kettmann, made him be."
Kettmann's first book was "One Day at Fenway," which described a single game between the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on August 30, 2003, from a variety of perspectives. That book, nominated for a Quill Award and featured in the Farrelly brothers
Farrelly brothers
Peter John Farrelly and Robert Leo "Bobby" Farrelly, Jr. , professionally known as the Farrelly Brothers are screenwriters and directors of ten comedy films, including There's Something About Mary; Dumb and Dumber; Kingpin; Hall Pass; Me, Myself & Irene; Shallow Hal; Stuck on You; Osmosis Jones;...
film "Fever Pitch
Fever Pitch (2005 film)
Fever Pitch, which was released as The Perfect Catch outside of the United States and Canada, is a 2005 Farrelly brothers romantic comedy film. It is a remake of a 1997 British film of the same name. Both films are loosely based on the Nick Hornby book of the same name, a best-selling memoir in...
," generated mostly positive reviews, but ESPN writer Rob Neyer
Rob Neyer
Rob Neyer is a baseball author and writer for SB Nation. He started his career working for Bill James and STATS, and then joined ESPN.com as a columnist from 1996 to January 2011 before becoming SB Nation's National Baseball Editor...
was an outspoken critic.
Previously, Kettmann edited "Game Time," a collection of Roger Angell
Roger Angell
Roger Angell is an American essayist. He has been a regular contributor to The New Yorker and was its chief fiction editor for many years...
's baseball writing from the New Yorker spanning forty years. Originally published in early 2003, the book was reviewed on the front page of the New York Times Book Review. "Edited by the sportswriter Steve Kettmann," wrote Joel Conarroe, "the 29 selections could be thought of as 'Roger's Greatest Hits,' except that there is little reason to make distinctions among his scores of writerly four-baggers."
External links
- http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/archiv/.bin/dump.fcgi/2010/0303/meinung/0023/index.html
- http://www.kettmann.com/oneday/index.html