Blimp pilot entertains at Just Desserts
As a columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal, Dyer has gotten the chance to experience life as few people do. And while he was experiencing it, he won 53 regional and national awards, including a Pulitzer Prize.
In his second book, “Blimp Pilot Terrorizes Akron,” Dyer has collected some of his best columns from his years in Akron. Those columns include the title column, Dyer's story of his “crash course” in the Spirit of Akron in the November of 1998. After riding in the passenger seat, the pilot asked if Dyer would take a turn at the wheel. The Spirit of Akron was then seen floundering through the sky and taking a dive towards the Rubber Bowl, which was just finishing. “The players and fans must have had a flashback to the movie ‘Black Sunday,'” Dyer writes.
According to Dyer, his success in writing has come from two practices, writing “things people think, but don't necessarily want to say,” and refusing to be “paralyzed by political correctness.”
In his Saturday, April 26 talk and book reading, presented by the Holmes County Friends of the Library, Dyer revealed his connection to the area. “My wife is from the area,” he said. “Millersburg has really become a special place to me.” Not that he has ever undervalued local roots; his book is a tribute to the Akron area. “There is so much written about politics,” he said. “Not many are writing about Akron. So that's what I write.”
As a part of his reading, he explained some of his most memorable moments. A trip to the Dr. Phil Show to talk race issues with Al Sharpton, judging a pickle competition and an appearance on the ESPN morning program “Cold Pizza” were among those mentioned.
In each case, Dyer characteristically spoke about the experience frankly. People weren't blown into astronomically large celebrities, even though they may be celebrities, and situations were rendered as strange, everyday happenings—just as he experienced them.
After a short question and answer session, Dyer agreed to a book signing.
As if reliving some of Dyer's experiences wasn't enough, Library director Bill Martino and Friends of the Library president Lucille Hastings, as well as other members of the Friends of the Library, provided a smorgasbord of desserts and a raffle with prizes from many area businesses. T-shirts, coffee mugs, glassware, chocolates, hotel stays and free meals were given to ensure an exciting night.
All proceeds from the event go to the Friends to help pay for projects that will benefit the library throughout the year.