POSTPONED…Sunday, March 15, 4 PM: Author Event for John Frohnmayer, whose new book is “Carrying the Clubs: What Golf Teaches Us About Ethics” (Luminaire Press, Eugene). John was born and raised in Oregon. A retired lawyer, he was Chairman for the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2008 Frohnmayer ran against Jeff Merkley for Senator. This is his fifth book
Carrying the Clubs is part personal memoir, part golf lesson and part exploration of the good life. Ethics, at its root, is about how to be happy in this one, precious life of ours. But we humans seem to do our best to screw up our lives — to fill ourselves with regrets and might-have-beens. Just like golf. That is why golf and ethics should have a conversation.
Who should read this book?
*People who play golf (that narrows it down to about 25 million of you)
*People who care about ethics (everybody, I hope)
*Those who are struggling with issues of religious faith
*Those who are wondering what we, as a country, stand for
These are all serious topics (well, maybe not golf per-se) but the approach of this book is to cut us some slack. It isn’t up tight or dull. It may confirm your insights or suggest some new ones. It may make you laugh. I hope so.
Just remember, life is a moving target and anything we can do to reign it in is good, just like sinking a sea-going putt.
With degrees from Stanford, Chicago and Oregon in American History, Ethics and Law, John Frohnmayer’s views on freedom of speech and public funding of the arts became well known during the first Bush Administration when he was Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. That national debate over obscenity, censorship and freedom of speech is recounted in his book: Leaving Town Alive: Confessions of an Arts Warrior.
A lifelong trial lawyer, John is also a competitive masters rower, a singer and guitar player and a frequent author of commentaries for print and radio. His fifth and most recent book is: Carrying the Clubs: What Golf Teaches Us About Ethics. It is an exploration of where ethics come from-- how we decide what to value and how we will interact with our world. His books and speeches are funny and provocative, full of wit, irreverence, and insight.