Jack Todd (journalist)

Jack Todd (born 1946 in Nebraska) is a sports columnist and author. Since 1986, he has written for the Montreal Gazette and is the author of several non-fiction and fiction books, including Desertion: In the Time of Vietnam (2001), a memoir of his resistance to the war in Vietnam and his decision to flee to Canada shortly after his induction into the U.S. Army.

Early life and education

Todd was born in the United States in 1946. He graduated from the University of Nebraska.

Career

He worked as a journalist for the Akron Beacon-Journal, the Detroit Free Press, and the Miami Herald. In 1969, he left for Canada to protest American involvement in Vietnam. Todd settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He worked for the Vancouver Sun, Radio Canada International, and the Montreal Gazette.

In 2000, he won the National Newspaper Award for sports-writing[1] and is recognized as one of Canada's leading sports journalists.[2][3]

In 2001, he published a memoir, telling the story of his resistance to the war in Vietnam which was nominated for the Governor-General's Award.[4] The Canadian title is The Taste of Metal, while the U.S. title is Desertion: In the Time of Vietnam.[5][6]

In 2008, Todd published his first work of fiction, Sun Going Down, a novel on the opening of the American West based on his family history as constituted from letters and diaries.[7][8] It was followed in 2010 with Come Again No More, which follows the family through the Great Depression.[9] The final work in the trilogy, "Rain Falls Like Mercy", was published in 2011.[10] Todd was interviewed for Ken Burns' 2017 miniseries The Vietnam War.[11]

Books
  • Desertion: In the Time of Vietnam (January 1, 2001) Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; 256 pages; ISBN 978-0618091553

References
  1. Lawton, Valerie (May 13, 2000). "Newspapers celebrate at national awards gala ; Globe and Mail wins four, Star gets two citations". Toronto Star. pp. A02. ProQuest 438141504.
  2. "Canwest team has big game covered". National Post. November 22, 2008. pp. S2. ProQuest 330673880.
  3. Houston, William (December 28, 2000). "Mixing media figures". The Globe and Mail. pp. S3. ProQuest 384381740.
  4. Martin, Sandra (October 24, 2001). "The kindest cut of all: The G-G's shortlist". The Globe and Mail. pp. R1. ProQuest 384127964.
  5. Robinson, Spider (April 14, 2001). "Half-metal jacket". The Globe and Mail. pp. D8. ProQuest 384186723.
  6. "White rabbit ; A hardscrabble Nebraska kid turned Montreal newsman leaves his gripping U.S. Army deserter's tale curiously unfinished". Toronto Star. April 8, 2001. pp. D13. ProQuest 438283265.
  7. Taylor, Peter Shawn (June 7, 2008). "This Old West is a family affair". The Globe and Mail. pp. D2. ProQuest 382711603.
  8. Gessell, Paul (May 25, 2008). "Back to his gritty roots; The men herded cattle, busted broncos and held lifelong grudges. The women did most of the same work, usually with one baby strapped on their back and another on the way". The Ottawa Citizen. pp. B1. ProQuest 241163453.
  9. McGillis, Ian (December 26, 2010). "Hard times; Jack Todd's western sequel is tough and tender". The Ottawa Citizen. pp. A14. ProQuest 821676414.
  10. McGillis, Ian (March 3, 2012). "An oft-told tale of murder told anew". National Post. pp. WP19. ProQuest 926246022.
  11. "The Vietnam War: 'The Definitive Statement'". The Vancouver Sun. September 16, 2017. pp. E8. ProQuest 1939469383.

Further reading
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