John Jeffire

Infobox Writer
name = John Jeffire


imagesize =
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birthdate = birth date and age|1962|4|6
birthplace = Detroit, Michigan, United States
deathdate =
deathplace =
occupation = Writer, Teacher, Novelist, Playwright, Poet
genre = Fiction
movement =
notableworks =
influences = Philip Levine, Raymond Carver, John Edgar Wideman, August Wilson
influenced =
website = http://johnjeffire.com

John Joseph Jeffire, born April 6, 1962 in Detroit, Michigan, is an American author, poet, and playwright.

Biography

Born in Detroit of Armenian descent, he was raised in the East End of Dearborn, a southern suburb of Detroit. Later, his parents bought a bar in Ohio, where he spent his formative years tending bar, bouncing, and cooking. He was formally educated at St. Lawrence University, Northeastern University, and Boston University. He has taught at Northeastern, Heidelberg College, The University of Findlay, and for three years at The Allen Correctional Institute, a medium security prison [http://www.cvs.k12.mi.us/jjeffire/jteacherpage/j-bio.htm Bio from The J Page] ] .

Wrestling has also been an important part of his life. He took part in several hundred bouts as an athlete, and his 1995 team at The University of Findlay won the small college national championship, earning Jeffire NAIA national collegiate coach of the year honors. In 1997, he was enshrined in the Hancock County (OH) Athletic Hall of Fame [http://www.thecourier.com/sports/hall-of-fame/allamericans.htmDead link|date=May 2008] and in 2006 he was inducted into The University of Findlay's Athletic Hall of Fame. [ [http://www.findlay.edu/newsevents/news/newsreleases/2006/09/athhalloffame_sept06.htm UF to Induct Six Into Athletic Hall of Fame] ]

He currently lives in Clinton Township, Michigan, with his wife, daughter, son, and two hyperactive Jack Russell Terriers.

Career

John Jeffire is the author of "Motown Burning", a novel set during the 1967 Detroit Riots and its aftermath. In 2005, the book won Grand Prize in the Mount Arrowsmith Novel Competition, which ultimately led to release of the book by Trafford Publishing [http://www.albernivalley.biz/arrowsmith.html MOUNT ARROWSMITH NOVEL WRITING CONTEST - 2005] ] . In the summer of 2006, his play adaptation of Motown Burning was performed as a staged reading by Detroit's Abreact Theater at the Heartlande Drama Festival. Motown Burning also won gold medal in the 2007 Independent Publisher Awards regional fiction category. [http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1157 2007 Independent Publisher Book Awards Results - National Categories] ]

Jeffire's stories, poems, and essays have appeared in magazines and journals such as Parenting, The English Journal, America, Into the Teeth of the Wind, and The South Coast Poetry Journal [http://www.cvs.k12.mi.us/jjeffire/jteacherpage/j-bio.htm Bio from The J Page] ] . His first book of poetry, "Stone + Fist + Brick + Bone", was released in March 2008 and is available at the Aquarius Press page. [ [http://stores.aquariuspressbookseller.net/Detail.bok?no=9 Aquarius Press description page] ]

Most recently, the first chapter of his second novel, tentatively entitled River Rouge, won first prize in the Springfed Arts Metro Detroit Fiction Contest.

Bibliography

Author

Novels

* "'67 THE JAMS"
* "Motown Burning" (2006)
** "River Rouge (novel)"

Poetry

*“Small Man on the Skeleton Crew Down at Olympia Stadium”
*“Lionfish”
*"In This Poem I Will Tell You About the Luncheon Following the Final Day of Class at the 2004 Meadow Brook Writers Program"
*“Reading Between the Wire”
*“Panties”
*“Green Cologne”
*“Routes”
*“Those Days”
*“Morning”
*“The Age Demands”
*“Welcome”
*“Angel”
*“Wedding Day”
*“Lea Nicole”

All of these poems are available to read at http://johnjeffire.com/PoetryIndex.htm

Awards

* "2007 Springfed Arts Metro-Detroit Prose Contest Winner
* "2007 Independent Publisher Awards Gold Medal for Regional Fiction [http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1157 2007 Independent Publisher Book Awards Results - National Categories] ]
* "2005 Mount Arrowsmith Novel Competition Grand Prize Winner [http://www.albernivalley.biz/arrowsmith.html MOUNT ARROWSMITH NOVEL WRITING CONTEST - 2005] ]
* "2005 thedetroiter.com POE-try Contest Winner [ [http://www.thedetroiter.com/b_lit/blogs/index.php?blog=2&s=Motown+Burning&sentence=AND&submit=Search Shoveling Snow in a Snowstorm (thedetroiter.com)] ]
* "Gival Press 2004 Short Story Competition Finalist
* "2001 Current Magazine Short Story Contest Runner-Up
* "Whiskey Island 1999 Short Story Competition Winner

References

External links

*
* http://stores.aquariuspressbookseller.net/StoreFront.bok