Contact Information: Contact: Rachel Friedman Rachel@newsandexperts.com
TAMPA, FL--(Marketwire - October 22, 2009) - Bruce Blackburn always wanted to write a book.
A journalist by trade in the rich arts community of Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, Blackburn chronicled the adventures of the artists, authors,
playwrights, painters, sculptors, songwriters and cultural icons who
emerged from the eclectic enclave in southern Pennsylvania. Author James
Michener called Bucks County "the Genius Belt," in honor of the remarkable
phalanx of creative talent the region has housed over the decades.
But after a long battle with chronic health problems, Blackburn passed away
in December of 2005 without getting the chance to write his book.
As a tribute to his life and writing, his wife, Marie Izzo, assembled some
of his favorite columns about the people and art of Bucks County and
combined it with remembrances of Blackburn from dozens of the people he had
interviewed over the years. The end result was "A Bucks County State of
Mind... in his words," from Inside Review
(www.abuckscountystateofmind.com), a book that posthumously carries his
byline.
"Bruce was a romantic soul who lived life on a more emotionally enriching
plane and his link between the written word and love was undeniable," Izzo
said. "An interview with Bruce Blackburn was like talking to your best
friend. This insightful, brilliant man got you to reveal your soul and then
when you read what he wrote, you realized he captured your essence in a
comfortable way that connected you to him forever."
Blackburn's interview subjects were a collection of some of the most
iconoclastic artists and creators in American culture, including Robert A.
Beck, Irving Berlin, Dick Perez, Phillip Lloyd Powell, Michael Graves,
Gordon Haas, Al Hirschfeld, Lilly Salvatore, Bob Krist, Foster Winans and
many others. Nearly 40 of them contributed to the lush tome aimed at
encapsulating not only Blackburn's professional life, but also his passion
for this creative cooperative and its inhabitants.
When he passed in December 2005, he left a fissure in the Bucks County arts
community, but he also left behind a charming and poignant memoir that, at
the time, he didn't even realize he was writing.
About Marie Izzo
Marie Izzo, who was married to journalist Bruce Blackburn, is a consultant
in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.