Shawn Fury having more fun than a writer should be allowed

The life of a writer is hard and lonely.
Well, that’s what we’re told, at least. It’s even harder and lonelier when tasked to write a book.
But Shawn Fury, author of “Rise and Fire: The Origins, Science and Evolution of the Jump Shot,” puts all us so-called writers to shame when he talks about his experiences researching and compiling his latest hardcover.
“It was my dream book to write. I don’t know what could match it now, unless it would be Magic Johnson’s life story,” he told me on Wednesday from his home in New York City.
Shawn, a friend and former colleague of mine, spent 15 months researching and organizing his basketball book. He paged through countless historical materials and traveled around the country interviewing more than 70 people, including NBA greats Jerry West, Bob McAdoo and Dominique Wilkins; college stars Rick Mount and Steve Alford; Bobby Plump, the inspiration for the movie “Hoosiers;” and Iowa high school 6-on-6 legend Denise Long.
The book, published by Flatiron Books based out of New York, gets its official release on Feb. 23. I received my advance copy last week, and I can truthfully say I’m enjoying it immensely. It’s thoroughly researched and well-written. Shawn, a Janesville native who played college ball here at Minnesota West, has always been a serious basketball fan. His love of the game shines through every page.
The pre-publication views have all been positive, Shawn tells me. Vanity Fair, which interviewed him recently, wrote, “Shawn Fury nails the jump shot in ‘Rise and Fire.’”
Any day now, Gentleman’s Quarterly will submit its “Rise and Fire” review on its website. Shawn also talked to National Public Radio and was interviewed by local television personalities. He wrote a short article on basketball for the Wall Street Journal.
I asked Shawn how he feels discussing his work with broadcast journalists, and he said he was really getting the hang of it.
“I’ve never had a problem chatting. It’s kind of fun being on the other side of it sometimes,” he explained.
Shawn has lived with his wife, Louise — a native of South Africa — in New York for the past 12 years. He loves it there. And he’s already thinking of his next book, whatever that might be. He’s thinking he might want to tackle a novel.
We’ll see. Whatever he does, I know it will be expertly done.
Of course, I encouraged Shawn to return to Worthington where he might schedule a book signing. He’d like to get back here, he said, if only for a visit.