Press Releases from John Paul Godges (16 total)
“Oh, Beautiful” Wins IndieReader Discovery Award for American Studies
At the first annual IndieReader Discovery Awards, announced this week at the BookExpo America trade show in New York City, the award in the category of American Studies went to Oh, Beautiful: An American Family in the 20th Century by John Paul Godges.
Judges for the awards included publishers, agents, publicists, reviewers, authors, bloggers, and producers. Nina Sankovitch, author of Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, a memoir of reading a book…
"Oh, Beautiful" Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2011 Book List
Often called “the world’s toughest book critics,” Kirkus Reviews has named Oh, Beautiful: An American Family in the 20th Century to its Best of 2011 book list. The book titles making up the five categories of the list were announced this week.
Oh, Beautiful appears within the Best Indie of 2011 category, which encompasses all genres of independently published books. The titles named to the Best Indie of 2011 category are…
Genealogist Asks Godges for Advice on Family Memoirs, Family Members
Lauding the family memoir "Oh, Beautiful: An American Family in the 20th Century” as a “wonderful illustration for all family historians grappling with writing their family history,” Lynn Palermo, also known as The Armchair Genealogist, asked author John Paul Godges for tips about writing and publishing a family memoir and also about involving family members.
Godges stressed the importance of establishing a theme and building a complementary outline very early in…
American Family Besieged by Outside Forces? Godges Espouses Contrary View
Going head to head with Michael Ray Dresser, host of the “Dresser After Dark” talk radio show, author John Paul Godges shared contrary opinions about the state of the American family in an age of global communications, multicultural relations, and anti-immigrant legislations.
“The biggest problem we have is outside intervention in the family,” Dresser began.
Godges, the author of Oh, Beautiful: An American Family in the 20th Century, acknowledged that…
Indie Book Award Finalist "Oh, Beautiful" Honored in Two Memoir Categories
Big news on the book beat! "Oh, Beautiful: An American Family in the 20th Century" has been named a finalist in two memoir categories of the 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, which honor the most exceptional independently published books written in the English language throughout the world.
Independent publishers include university presses, publishers that are not part of large conglomerates or multinational corporations, and self-published authors like John Paul Godges,…
Author Honors Greatest Generation at Sunrise Senior Living Community
It was a chance to pay tribute to those who have helped make America great.
“This is the first time I’ve been invited to speak to a group of people from the greatest generation,” John Paul Godges told an audience of mostly senior citizens at the Sunrise Senior Living community in Seal Beach, California, on May 14, 2011. “I’ve been hoping to do so as a way to thank you for…
Author of "Oh, Beautiful" Memoir to Appear at L.A. Times Festival of Books
Author John Paul Godges will be signing and selling copies of his family memoir, Oh, Beautiful: An American Family in the 20th Century, at the 2011 L.A. Times Festival of Books this coming Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1, at the University of Southern California near downtown Los Angeles.
Godges will be exhibiting his book and chatting away with Angelenos about everything from what keeps a family together to…
Beach Reporter Covers Local Turf and Surf of Godges Family Memoir
Serving the beach cities of Los Angeles County, this week’s Beach Reporter highlights many local spots that play important roles in the Godges family memoir, Oh, Beautiful: An American Family in the 20th Century. Among the spots are the family home in Redondo Beach, Saint Lawrence Martyr Elementary School, Redondo Union High School, the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica, and the beach itself.
Throughout the memoir, “Godges weaves the personal…
From Abduction to Camelot and Beyond, Author Recounts American Story
In an interview with Manhattan Beach Patch.com reporter Bethany Eanes, local author John Paul Godges shared his biggest surprise in chronicling his family’s history in America in the 20th century and speculated that the core American experience will not change much in the next century. He also described the American and Californian experience at the time he was growing up in nearby Redondo Beach, California.
Highlights from the interview are as…
Author Tells WNTN Radio Why He Dedicated Family Memoir to Nephews
Author John Paul Godges spoke on WNTN AM 1550 in Newton, Massachusetts, in early January about the three living generations of his family, particularly the youngest generation, to whom he dedicated his family memoir.
“One of the underlying motivations for me to write the book is I want my nephews to grow up in a country as beautiful as we grew up in,” said Godges, the author of Oh, Beautiful: An…
Godges Family Memoir Hits #8 on Amazon Kindle Bestseller List for Gay & Lesbian …
Independent author John Paul Godges has beaten the odds by hitting #8 on the Amazon Kindle bestseller list for gay and lesbian nonfiction with his family memoir, Oh, Beautiful: An American Family in the 20th Century.
"Independently published books are notorious for slow sales and for difficulty in reaching an audience," said Godges. "Any time a self-published book makes it onto an Amazon top 10 bestseller list is an exceptional accomplishment,…
Godges Pops Off with KAHI's Mary Jane Popp over Immigration
Known for her high-octane interviews, Mary Jane Popp, host of the nationally syndicated radio show “PoppOff,” sparked a lively debate over immigration with author John Paul Godges in late December. Popp and Godges, author of Oh, Beautiful: An American Family in the 20th Century, nonetheless carved out a swath of common patriotic territory in favor of a clear and consistent path to citizenship.
Broadcasting from radio station KAHI AM 950 in…
On KKZZ, Author Calls Mentally Ill Sister “Heart and Soul” of Family Memoir
In a wide-ranging conversation with radio host Bill Frank, known as “Billy the Brain” on KKZZ AM 1400 in Ventura, California, author John Paul Godges credited his sister Geri, who has struggled with paranoid schizophrenia for more than four decades, as being “the single most important reason why we have remained united and indivisible as a family.”
“If it weren’t for my sister Geri,” the author elaborated in his mid-December interview,…
KOCI Radio Probes for Inspiration, Clues to Overcoming Family Conflicts
Broadcasters from radio station KOCI 101.5 FM in Costa Mesa, California, asked author John Paul Godges about the inspiration for his family memoir, Oh, Beautiful: An American Family in the 20th Century, and about any “nuggets” it contains for those struggling with family conflicts over the holidays.
Interviewing Godges three days after Thanksgiving, radio host Barry Jorgensen and parenting expert Elizabeth Giglio prodded Godges to reveal how his parents had remained…
Godges Outsells George W. Bush, Nears Keith Richards at Village Books
Time to smile! The humble family memoir by John Paul Godges has sold twice as well as the memoir by former U.S. President George W. Bush and nearly as well as the memoir by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards at Village Books in Pacific Palisades, California, according to store owner Katie O’Laughlin.
“This was a very great turnout!” she noted merrily while tallying her receipts from Godges' November 15 discussion and…
New "Family Memoir" Portrays Enduring Quest for Meaning in America
From the decapitation of a migrant laborer to the exertions of his great-grandchildren nearly a century later, a newly released book chronicles the true story of an American family and their unrelenting quest for meaning and a sense of belonging in America.
The product of ten years of historical and genealogical research, Oh, Beautiful: An American Family in the 20th Century recounts how this family of Italian and Polish ancestry struggle…
