After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley in 1964, Larry Colton played professional baseball for six years, including a brief stint with the Philadelphia Phillies. Following his baseball career, he has taught high school, worked for Nike, and been a writer. Between 1976 and 2000, his magazine articles appeared in publications such as Esquire, New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated and Ladies Home Journal. He is the author of five books: Idol Time; Goat Brothers (a main selection for the Book of the Month Club); Counting Coup (winner of the Frankfurt e-book of the year award and a Pulitzer nominee); No Ordinary Joes; and Southern League. Additionally, he is the founder and former executive director of two non-profit programs: Community of Writers, a non-profit program to improve writing instruction and student achievement in Oregon schools; and Wordstock, the acclaimed Portland Book Festival.
About / Biography
Biography
A life in five chapters: athlete, journalist, teacher, author, community organizer.
Profile
Oregon Business Journal Profile
- Name
- Larry Colton
- Organizations
- Wordstock Festival and Community of Writers Inc.
- Title
- Executive director (well, really I'm a writer playing executive director)
What we do
Wordstock Festival is a new literary and cultural event coming to Portland in April, which I hope will inspire readers and writers and enable the public to celebrate the vast power of the written word. Wordstock benefits the Community of Writers, a nonprofit developed to improve writing achievement and instruction in schools and increase awareness of literacy and literature in the community.
Business Philosophy
- Essential business philosophy
- To show don't tell.
- Best way to keep competitive
- Be the most creative.
- Guiding principle
- Honor and support others.
- Yardstick of success
- Unsolicited word-of-mouth testimonials.
- Goal yet to be achieved
- I want Wordstock Festival to become an annual event well-known and attended by the Portland community; gaining notoriety like the Rose Festival and other significant Northwest events. My other goal is to have the state educational system make the Community of Writers program obsolete.
True Confessions
- Like best about the job
- The sense that I'm contributing to the community.
- Like least about the job
- That it takes too much time from my writing career.
- Pet peeves
- Visionless bureaucrats.
- Most important lesson learned
- To hire good people.
- Person most interested in meeting
- Writers John Irving, Norman Mailer and Sandy Koufax.
- First choice for a new career
- Screenwriter.
Predilections
- Favorite quote
- “A crush on your teacher is no excuse to act like a geek.” — Chris Bohjalian.
- Most influential book
- “In Cold Blood,” by Truman Capote because he set the standard for nonfiction narrative.
- Favorite movie
- Too many to list but I'll go with “Sideways.”
- Favorite music/musician
- Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, U2.
- Favorite toy
- Parcheesi (playing it with my grandson).
- Favorite community involvement
- Public schools.
- Favorite restaurant
- Ciao Vito.
- Death row dinner
- Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
- Favorite vacation spot
- Glacier National Park.
From a reader
I picked your book at our local bookstore here in Reston, VA….I was mesmerized. Your voice was so authentic…I felt I was having an epiphany every other chapter. Larry…thanks for writing, thanks for sharing…I am not the only 53 yr old with a few regrets. Many blessings for you. Keep writing!