Sports

The Athlete as Role Model (2009): Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

By: Bill Dwyre, Diana Nyad, Michael Vetre

Narrated by: David Davis

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books began in 1996 with a simple goal: to bring together the people who create books with the people who love to read them. The festival was an immediate success and has become the largest and most prestigious book festival in the country, attracting more than 130,000 book lovers each year.

David Davis, an award-winning journalist, has written about the culture of sports since 1988. He is a contributing writer at Los Angeles magazine and a contributing editor for SportsLetter. Davis' book is Play By Play: Los Angeles Sports Photography 1889-1989.

Bill Dwyre was sports editor of the Los Angeles Times for 25 years until stepping down in 2006 to write a weekly column. He is the recipient of several awards, including the Los Angeles Times' Award for Sustained Excellence.

Diana Nyad, once the greatest long-distance swimmer in the world, has served as a correspondent for Fox Sports News, a host on CNBC and announcer of sporting events on ABC Sports. She is a frequent contributor to KCRW.

©2009 Los Angeles Times (P)2009 Los Angeles Times