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Book Signing Honors Author Dave Distel
Dave Distel, Ontonagon resident and author, penned personal greetings in readers’ copies of his popular book, The Sweater Letter, and regaled attendees with a self-effacing account of his writing career at a book signing held in his honor at the Trout Creek Library on Saturday, May 22. The event, sponsored by The Library Committee, Inc., drew readers from across the U.P., and a few as far away as downstate Michigan. This diverse group of interested readers attested to the widespread appeal of Distel’s book, which chronicles the investigation of a purported hunting accident that resulted in the criminal prosecution of a pre-meditated murder here in our own north woods of Ontonagon County.
During an impromptu talk given by the author during the book signing, one Hancock resident commented that what impressed her most about Distel was his sincere desire to honestly and respectfully portray the characters and the events. Though a book agent had suggested that the author would sell more books if he were to embellish the story with drugs or sex, Distel’s decision to authentically portray the events and characters earned him high marks with all those attending this event.
The author, collaborating with his wife Lynn, a native of Ontonagon, spent over a year researching and compiling the material for The Sweater Letter, which has been hailed by Jean Peerenboom of The Green Bay Press-Gazette as a “spell-binding tale that is well written and easy to follow.” In addition to the interest the book has generated here in the upper Midwest, The Sweater Letter will be featured on Court TV’s Forensic Files on June 9.
All of the attention and notoriety heaped upon Distel has had no observable impact on the author, who though spending a lifetime as a sports reporter for the Los Angeles Times, remains very matter-of-fact and modest about his abilities. Well, for the thousands who have enjoyed his faithful and riveting account of murder and deception as well as those at the Trout Creek Library’s book signing charmed by his warm and personal manner, this author stands at the top of our best-seller list as an author and sensitive human being.