April 14, 5:30 PM, Paley Library Lecture Hall, 1210 Polett Walk Bury Me in My Jersey: A Conversation with Tom McAllister and Rey Didinger
Tom McAllister, a Temple faculty member, was born and raised in Philadelphia, where he spent Sundays in the infamous 700 level of Veterans Stadium, or sitting in front of the TV with his father in a nearby recliner, watching both the ugly and beautiful sides of Philadelphia football. As a rabid Eagles fan, McAllister experiences defeats and disappointments, but his biggest challenge is coping with the premature loss of his father to cancer. In Bury Me in My Jersey, McAllister explores the connection between his dedication to the Eagles and the death of his father. He will read from his book and join in conversation with one of Philadelphia’s most hallowed sports writers, Ray Didinger. They will discuss writing, writing about sports and, of course, the Eagles.

Tom McAllister is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and La Salle University in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in several publications, including Barrelhouse, Black Warrior Review, and Storyglossia. A Lecturer in the English Department at Temple University, he lives with his wife and two dogs in New Jersey, a ten minute drive from Lincoln Financial Field, where the Eagles play their home games.

Ray Didinger has won six Emmy Awards as a writer and producer at NFL Films. Before that, he was a reporter covering the National Football League for The Philadelphia Bulletin, and later The Philadelphia Daily News. In 1995 he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the recipient of the Dick McCann Memorial Award for long and distinguished reporting of pro football. He is the author of One Last Read, and a weekly commentator and panelist on Comcast SportsNet’s Post Game Live show during the football season.