WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., October 16, 2012 — On Tuesday, Oct. 30, Williams College will host a conversation between alumnus Greg Jordan '92 and baseball legend Willie Mays Aikens, the subject of Jordan's new book. The 8 p.m. event, moderated by Will Dudley, college Provost and Professor of Philosophy, will take place on the MainStage of the '62 Center for Theatre and Dance. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets are available online at http://62center.williams.edu/62center/ or by contacting the theatre box office at 413-597-2425, Tues. through Sat., 1-5 p.m.
Jordan's book, Willie Mays Aikens: Safe at Home, provides a portrait of Aikens, who established himself as a top slugger before his promising career was derailed by cocaine use. Aikens was sentenced in 1994 to the longest prison sentence ever given to a professional athlete in a drug case. He was released in 2008 after changes were made to federal drug laws. Jordon's biography examines not only baseball culture in the 1980s but also the United States penal system.
"Willie Mays Aikens: Safe at Home is far too complex to be regarded as just a baseball book," wrote Tom Verducci, senior writer at Sports Illustrated and coauthor of The Yankee Years. "Gregory Jordan is a master storyteller, expertly weaving a narrative that is both fascinating and disturbing while ever mindful of the human spirit."
Jordan has written about sports, movies, politics, and books for publications such as The New York Times, Crisis Magazine, and The Hill. Jordan worked with Mark Shriver on A Good Man (2012), a biography of Sargent Shriver. Jordan also collaborated on books with former National Football League player Joe Ehrmann and attorney Ron Shapiro. Jordan received his B.A. from Williams College in 1992.
The event is sponsored by the Provost's Office and the President's office.
