Date: Oct 26, 2007

Hofstra Professor Publishes Book of Essays on His Love for the New York Mets

"Mets Fan" author to give reading of book that details joys and frustrations of rooting for team

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY - Hofstra English Professor Dana Brand knows about hope, disappointment, and frustration. But he also knows about the joy of amazing comebacks and ultimate victory. He is, after all, a lifelong Mets fan. Now, he has taken his passion for the team and put it into a book of essays called "Mets Fan" (McFarland & Company, Inc, 2007).

"I was inspired to write a book that would explain why a relatively sane or intelligent person might want to follow baseball, and why someone might enjoy rooting for the Mets in particular," said Professor Brand, who will give a reading from his book on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Monroe Lecture Center Theater, south campus. A reception for Professor Brand will precede the reading from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the lobby of Starr Hall, south campus. 

The book covers 40 years of Mets history and details what it means to be a Mets fan, from the sights and sounds and tastes of Shea Stadium to the amazing 1969 World Series victory, from his admiration for Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman and Rusty Staub to his hatred of the cross-town rival New York Yankees. Professor Brand was introduced to the Mets as a child by his parents, Brooklyn Dodger fans who lost their team and then embraced the new team in town, and it has been a family affair for him ever since.

"At Shea, with my daughter Sonia, I've enjoyed hot dogs, knishes, pretzels, Cracker jack, and some of the most wonderful afternoons and evenings of my life," Professor Brand writes in his acknowledgements in the book, which came about after an article about the Mets that he wrote Newsday elicited a tremendous response from other Mets fans, some of whom posted it on Mets blogs on the Internet..

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