National Writers Series features Northport’s James Tobin
Tobin’s book covers FDR, from Polio to the Presidency
From staff reports
Historian, award-winning author and part-time Northport resident James Tobin will visit the National Writers Series on Saturday, Feb. 6, to discuss his books about Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Wright brothers’ race to flight and World War II reporter Ernie Pyle.
Tobin will discuss how polio tragically crippled FDR but then, against all odds, lit his path to the White House 11 years later. Before polio, FDR was politically held back by the perception that he was an aristocrat born with a silver spoon in his mouth. With polio, he could now “present himself as the guy who had come back from a knockout punch.”
“His presidency now looms so large in our memory that it’s hard to realize he was absolutely ruined as a politician when he contracted polio,” said Tobin. “I mean, nobody — with the possible exception of his aide Louis Howe — thought he had a political future.”
James Tobin reveals the intimate details of FDR’s life in his newest and highly acclaimed book, The Man He Became: How FDR Defied Polio to Win the Presidency.
He will also talk about his two previous books: To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight and Ernie Pyle’s War, which won a National Book Critics Circle Award. Tobin teaches at Miami University in Ohio and has a second home in Northport in Leelanau County.
“My wife was our family’s pioneer in Leelanau,” said Tobin. “She started vacationing with her family on Cathead Bay when she was a little girl. When we were married, she converted me from my old loyalty to Torch Lake, and we’ve been lovers of Leelanau ever since.”
“As we raised our own family, our daughters felt the same, and several years ago, we all decided to take the plunge and buy a lovely old home in the heart of the village in Northport. We lucked out in every way, including meeting and making great new friends.”
The Tobins are still based in Ann Arbor, but retreat to Northport as often as they can.
The guest host for Tobin’s evening at the National Writers Series will be Bob Giles, who worked as an editor and publisher for 40 years, including the Detroit News, where he hired Tobin as a reporter. Giles also worked at the Akron Beacon Journal, where he shared a Pulitzer Prize for his role in directing the reporting on the Kent State shootings in 1970. Giles later worked at Harvard University, overseeing the Nieman Foundation for Journalism. He now lives in Traverse City.
This NWS event takes place on Feb. 6 at the City Opera House in Traverse City. Doors open at 6 p.m. with a cash bar, live music, and treats from Morsels. Ticket are $5 for students, $10 for educators, and $15 general admission (plus fees). To buy tickets, call 231-941-8082 or visit cityoperahouse.org.
