Welcome to Writer & Author John Nemo's Web Site!
Author & Freelance Writer
Biography
(Click here to view John Nemo's Work History/Resume.)
The son of two English teachers, John Nemo grew up in Minnesota with a love for reading - and sports. He was reading The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated regularly by the age of 8, and wrote his first sports story - a third grade essay - on a Minnesota North Stars-Chicago Blackhawks game. His father was a fanatical Minnesota Twins fan who took Nemo and his two older sisters to countless Twins games inside the monstrosity known as the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome every summer during the 1980s and early 1990s. Nemo began writing in high school, deciding at age 16 he wanted to become a journalist. His first published story, a piece on the life of the NBA beat writers covering the Minnesota Timberwolves, won Nemo first place in a High School Sportswriting contenst sponsored by the team.
Nemo attended the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, from 1993-97, writing and editing for the student newspaper, The Aquin, and in 1996 won First Place in Feature Writing as part of the Minnesota Newspaper Association's "Better Newspaper Contest" among all college newspapers in the state. Nemo graduated from St. Thomas in 1997 and was named the school's Outstanding Senior in recognition of Leadership, Scholarship and Professional Dedication in the field of Print Journalism. After graduating from St. Thomas, Nemo won a prestigious Pulliam Fellowship, given to only 20 college seniors across the country, and spent the summer of 1997 working as a reporter at the Arizona Republic newspaper. His first story assignment - covering a visit by the Rev. Jesse Jackson to a Phoenix school for homeless children - turned into a national ruckus that found the 21-year-old Nemo squaring off under the national media spotlight with Jackson. The event is chronicled in Nemo's nonfiction book of essays, Full Contact Trivial Pursuit, Plinko and Dogs: 47 Essays on the Laughter of Life.
After working at the Republic covering politics, features, breaking news, cops and courts and the Internet, Nemo left Arizona in 1999 to accept a position in the Minneapolis bureau of the Associated Press. Nemo worked at the AP editing stories, covering breaking news - including a media stalking of an FBI fugitive's family, also chronicled in Full Contact - and creating graphics and maps. Nemo left the AP in 2001 to go out on his own as a full-time freelance writer and author. His work has appeared in dozens of newspapers, web sites and magazines around the country, and ranges from covering sports for publications including NBA Inside Stuff, MLB.com and Sports Illustrated's web site to reviewing more than 250 concerts - including The Eagles, Eric Clapton and Billy Joel/Elton John - for the St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper.
Nemo also works as a freelance writer for regional and national magazines including NWA World Traveler, Minnesota Monthly, Mpls.-St. Paul Magazine, Effect Magazine and dozens of newspapers, web sites and other publications covering news, features, business, cooking, travel, architecture, arts & entertainment, gardening, home improvement, culture, religion and more.
As an author, Nemo self-published his first book, The King's Game, in 2006. He used his dual backgrounds in journalism and public relations to put together a comprehensive marketing plan for the baseball novel that resulted in coverage from national media including Major League Baseball's web site, Sports Illustrated's web site and numerous television, radio and print media coverage around the country.
Nemo has subsequently published two more novels: Jumper, the story of how 17-year-old Sal Polongetti's curiosity about a dark family secret ends up propelling him back in time to 1926 in gangster-friendly St. Paul, Minnesota, and Miller's Miracle, the story of one man, an amazing gift and a spiritual journey that will leave him - and thousands more - changed forever.
Lastly, Nemo has published a nonfiction book of essays, (Mostly) True Stories, 47 Essays on the Laughter of Life, chronicling his time as a reporter and syndicated columnist during the late 1990s/early 2000s for the Arizona Republic, Associated Press and others.
John Nemo has also spent the past several years working in radio, first as a recurring talk show guest on KATE AM radio with John Focke and later as a reporter, producer, phone screener and on-air commentator for the segment "Faith and Fastballs" as part of "Along The Way With Kim Jeffries" on KTIS AM radio in Minneapolis.
John Nemo has also spent the past several years working in radio, first as a recurring talk show guest on KATE AM radio with John Focke and later as a reporter, producer, phone screener and on-air commentator for the segment "Faith and Fastballs" as part of "Along The Way With Kim Jeffries" on KTIS AM radio in Minneapolis.
Currently, Nemo works as the Public Relations Director for a large, international trade association (ACA International) based in Minneapolis.
John Nemo parlayed his extensive experience in the book publishing industry into the popular class "Make Your Book A Reality: Self Publishing Made Simple," which he teaches around the Twin Cities. Nemo also does consulting as a freelance book editor and publicist.
John Nemo lives in the Twin Cities with his wife, Sara, and their three sons.
John Nemo parlayed his extensive experience in the book publishing industry into the popular class "Make Your Book A Reality: Self Publishing Made Simple," which he teaches around the Twin Cities. Nemo also does consulting as a freelance book editor and publicist.
John Nemo lives in the Twin Cities with his wife, Sara, and their three sons.
