Rosengren, John

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Rosengren, John

PERSONAL: Married; wife's name Maria; children: two. Education: Saint John's University, B.A.; Boston University, M.F.A. Hobbies and other interests: Hockey.

ADDRESSES: Home—Minneapolis, MN. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Sourcebooks, Inc., 1935 Brookdale Rd., Ste. 139, Naperville, IL 60563. E-mail—john [email protected].

CAREER: Freelance journalist and author.

MEMBER: American Society of Journalists and Authors, National Writers Union, Catholic Press Association, Pax Christi International.

AWARDS, HONORS: Outstanding Achievement in Journalism award, for Life Is Just a Party: Portrait of a Teenage Partier; Best Regular Column award, Catholic Press Association, 2003, for general commentary.

WRITINGS:

Life Is Just a Party: Portrait of a Teenage Partier (fiction), Deaconess Press (Minneapolis, MN), 1989.

Meeting Christ in Teens: Startling Moments of Grace, Saint Mary's Press (Winona, MN), 2002.

Big Book Unplugged: A Young Person's Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous, Hazelden (Center City, MN), 2003.

Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win (nonfiction), Sourcebooks (Naper-ville, IL), 2003.

(With Esera Tuaolo) Alone in the Trenches: My Life As a Gay Man in the NFL (biography), Source-books (Naperville, IL), 2006.

Also author of pamphlets and short stories. Contributor to periodicals, including Elysian Fields Quarterly, Lower Stumpf Lake Review, Denver Catholic Register, Minnesota Daily, Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Our Sunday Visitor, Turtle River Press, Minnesota Monthly, Cincinnati Business Journal, City Business, Orlando Business Review, Corporate Report, Twin Cities Business Magazine, Minnesota Sports, Twin City Sports, Minnesota Cyclesport, Catholic Spirit, Maximum Golf, Philadelphia Inquirer, National Catholic Reporter, Bridal Guide, U.S. Catholic, Today's Catholic Teacher, Midwest Home & Garden, Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine, IEEE Spectrum, History Channel Magazine, Wisconsin Trails, USTA Magazine, AARP the Magazine, Basilica, Tennis, Spike, P.O.V., World Traveler, Lakestyle, American Hockey, Reader's Digest, and Sports Illustrated. Author of a syndicated column.

SIDELIGHTS: John Rosengren is a freelance journalist who has written on a wide range of topics, including sports, celebrities, travel, business, and religion. Several of his early books are about adolescent issues, including drinking, drugs, and questions about spirituality. A lifelong hockey fan, Rosengren wrote Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win, which features the Jefferson High School Jaguars, a nationally ranked high school hockey team. Rosengren followed the team closely, attending their meetings and practices and getting to know the players and coaches intimately. Although he was disturbed to discover that some of the athletes took drugs, overall the journalist found much that was hopeful about their story and the players' love of the game. Booklist contributor Mike Tribby called it a book "not to be missed."

Rosengren helped former football player Esera Tuaolo tell his personal story in Alone in the Trenches: My Life As a Gay Man in the NFL. Tuaolo, an ethnic Samoan from Hawaii, had a nine-year career in the National Football League, playing for several teams. During this time, he lived in constant fear that his homosexuality would be discovered, resulting in his being ostracized or kicked out of the league. Fortunately for Tuaolo, he made it through the experience and now has a successful singing career, a loving partner, and adopted children. Critics such as Booklist reviewer Wes Lukowsky praised the work for its "admirable frankness." A Publishers Weekly writer also lauded the book, stating, "His book communicates a warmth and openness that will appeal to both football fans and the gay community."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 15, 2003, Mike Tribby, review of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win, p. 563; November 1, 2005, Wes Lukowsky, review of Alone in the Trenches: My Life As a Gay Man in the NFL, p. 12.

Library Journal, January 1, 2006, David Azzolina, review of Alone in the Trenches, p. 139.

Publishers Weekly, September 26, 2005, review of Alone in the Trenches, p. 71.