John Jeffire

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John Jeffire

Born April 6, 1962 (1962-04-06) (age 46)
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Occupation Writer, Teacher, Novelist, Playwright, Poet
Genres Fiction
Influences
Official website

John Joseph Jeffire, born April 6, 1962 in Detroit, Michigan, is an American author, poet, and playwright.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Born in Detroit of Armenian descent, he was raised in the East End of Dearborn, a southern suburb of Detroit. Later, his parents bought a bar in Ohio, where he spent his formative years tending bar, bouncing, and cooking. He was formally educated at St. Lawrence University, Northeastern University, and Boston University. He has taught at Northeastern, Heidelberg College, The University of Findlay, and for three years at The Allen Correctional Institute, a medium security prison[1].

Wrestling has also been an important part of his life. He took part in several hundred bouts as an athlete, and his 1995 team at The University of Findlay won the small college national championship, earning Jeffire NAIA national collegiate coach of the year honors. In 1997, he was enshrined in the Hancock County (OH) Athletic Hall of Fame[2] and in 2006 he was inducted into The University of Findlay's Athletic Hall of Fame.[3]


He currently lives in Clinton Township, Michigan, with his wife, daughter, son, and two hyperactive Jack Russell Terriers.

[edit] Career

John Jeffire is the author of Motown Burning, a novel set during the 1967 Detroit Riots and its aftermath. In 2005, the book won Grand Prize in the Mount Arrowsmith Novel Competition, which ultimately led to release of the book by Trafford Publishing[4]. In the summer of 2006, his play adaptation of Motown Burning was performed as a staged reading by Detroit's Abreact Theater at the Heartlande Drama Festival. Motown Burning also won gold medal in the 2007 Independent Publisher Awards regional fiction category.[5]

Jeffire's stories, poems, and essays have appeared in magazines and journals such as Parenting, The English Journal, America, Into the Teeth of the Wind, and The South Coast Poetry Journal[1]. His first book of poetry, Stone + Fist + Brick + Bone, was released in March of 2008 and is available at the Aquarius Press page. [6]

Most recently, the first chapter of his second novel, tentatively entitled River Rouge, won first prize in the Springfed Arts Metro Detroit Fiction Contest.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Author

[edit] Novels

  • '67 THE JAMS
  • Motown Burning (2006)
    • River Rouge (novel)

[edit] Poetry

  • “Small Man on the Skeleton Crew Down at Olympia Stadium”
  • “Lionfish”
  • "In This Poem I Will Tell You About the Luncheon Following the Final Day of Class at the 2004 Meadow Brook Writers Program"
  • “Reading Between the Wire”
  • “Panties”
  • “Green Cologne”
  • “Routes”
  • “Those Days”
  • “Morning”
  • “The Age Demands”
  • “Welcome”
  • “Angel”
  • “Wedding Day”
  • “Lea Nicole”

All of these poems are available to read at http://johnjeffire.com/PoetryIndex.htm

[edit] Awards

  • "2007 Springfed Arts Metro-Detroit Prose Contest Winner
  • "2007 Independent Publisher Awards Gold Medal for Regional Fiction[5]
  • "2005 Mount Arrowsmith Novel Competition Grand Prize Winner[4]
  • "2005 thedetroiter.com POE-try Contest Winner[7]
  • "Gival Press 2004 Short Story Competition Finalist
  • "2001 Current Magazine Short Story Contest Runner-Up
  • "Whiskey Island 1999 Short Story Competition Winner

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Bio from The J Page
  2. ^ http://www.thecourier.com/sports/hall-of-fame/allamericans.htm[dead link]
  3. ^ UF to Induct Six Into Athletic Hall of Fame
  4. ^ a b MOUNT ARROWSMITH NOVEL WRITING CONTEST - 2005
  5. ^ a b 2007 Independent Publisher Book Awards Results - National Categories
  6. ^ Aquarius Press description page
  7. ^ Shoveling Snow in a Snowstorm (thedetroiter.com)

[edit] External links