Gary M. Pomerantz
Encyclopedia
Gary M. Pomerantz is an American
author and journalist who serves as a visiting lecturer in the Department of Communication at Stanford University
. His fourth and newest book, "The Devil’s Tickets" (Crown/Random House, 2009), is a true-crime thriller set in a bygone age when the card game of bridge was all the rage. The Devil's Tickets evokes the last echoes of the Roaring 20s and the darkness of the Depression when a suave and cunning Russian named Ely Culbertson
became the Barnum of a bridge craze that fueled marital uproar across the nation, including a husband-killing and sensational trial in Kansas City. The widow Myrtle Bennett was defended in the murder trial by James A. Reed
, former U.S. Senator from Missouri and one-time Democratic presidential candidate. A brilliant orator, Reed put on a dramatic courtroom show of eloquence, logic and a few tears.
Earlier, Pomerantz wrote about Atlanta’s historic rise and racial conscience in "Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn", named a 1996 Notable Book of the Year by "The New York Times
". His second book, "Nine Minutes Twenty Seconds" (2001), is a heart-pounding story about an aviation crash, also published in China, Germany and Britain. In "WILT, 1962" (2005), Pomerantz recreates the legendary night when basketball’s Wilt Chamberlain
scored 100 points in a game against the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pa. Named an Editors’ Choice book by The New York Times, WILT, 1962 was called by Entertainment Weekly “a meticulous and engaging narrative – a slam dunk of a read.”
Pomerantz spent nearly two decades as a daily journalist. He served as a sportswriter for The Washington Post
(1981–1988) where he covered the Washington Redskins, Georgetown University basketball and the National Football League. He then moved to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(1988–1999) where he wrote profiles, special projects, columns and served on the newspaper’s editorial board.
Pomerantz was born in N. Tarrytown, NY, the youngest of three boys. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley
(Class of 1982) with a degree in history. He later served as a Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan
where he studied theater and the Bible.
From 1999-2001 he served as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Journalism at Emory University
in Atlanta. For the past three years at Stanford University
in Stanford, Calif., he has taught courses on specialized reporting and writing.
He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area
with his wife and their three children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author and journalist who serves as a visiting lecturer in the Department of Communication at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. His fourth and newest book, "The Devil’s Tickets" (Crown/Random House, 2009), is a true-crime thriller set in a bygone age when the card game of bridge was all the rage. The Devil's Tickets evokes the last echoes of the Roaring 20s and the darkness of the Depression when a suave and cunning Russian named Ely Culbertson
Ely Culbertson
Ely Culbertson was an entreprenurial American contract bridge personality dominant during the Thirties and Forties. He played a major role in the early popularization of the game, and was widely regarded as "the man who made contract bridge"...
became the Barnum of a bridge craze that fueled marital uproar across the nation, including a husband-killing and sensational trial in Kansas City. The widow Myrtle Bennett was defended in the murder trial by James A. Reed
James A. Reed
James Alexander Reed was an American Democratic Party politician from Missouri.-Biography:Reed was born on a farm in Richland County, Ohio. He moved with his family to Cedar Rapids, Iowa at the age of 3. He went to public schools and attended Coe College...
, former U.S. Senator from Missouri and one-time Democratic presidential candidate. A brilliant orator, Reed put on a dramatic courtroom show of eloquence, logic and a few tears.
Earlier, Pomerantz wrote about Atlanta’s historic rise and racial conscience in "Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn", named a 1996 Notable Book of the Year by "The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
". His second book, "Nine Minutes Twenty Seconds" (2001), is a heart-pounding story about an aviation crash, also published in China, Germany and Britain. In "WILT, 1962" (2005), Pomerantz recreates the legendary night when basketball’s Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
scored 100 points in a game against the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pa. Named an Editors’ Choice book by The New York Times, WILT, 1962 was called by Entertainment Weekly “a meticulous and engaging narrative – a slam dunk of a read.”
Pomerantz spent nearly two decades as a daily journalist. He served as a sportswriter for The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
(1981–1988) where he covered the Washington Redskins, Georgetown University basketball and the National Football League. He then moved to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only major daily newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and its suburbs. The AJC, as it is called, is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the result of the merger between The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta...
(1988–1999) where he wrote profiles, special projects, columns and served on the newspaper’s editorial board.
Pomerantz was born in N. Tarrytown, NY, the youngest of three boys. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
(Class of 1982) with a degree in history. He later served as a Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
where he studied theater and the Bible.
From 1999-2001 he served as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Journalism at Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
in Atlanta. For the past three years at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in Stanford, Calif., he has taught courses on specialized reporting and writing.
He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
with his wife and their three children.
Books by Pomerantz
- Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn (Scribner 1996)
- Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds (Crown 2001)
- WILT, 1962 (Crown 2005)
- The Devil’s Tickets (Crown, 2009)