I Vote for Jeff – Confidently

My first real conversation with Jeff Fleischer came one evening when we walked back from the Indiana Daily Student to the Brownstone Terrace Apartments.

I’m not sure if it was my sophomore or junior year. Jeff would know. He remembers everything.

At the time, R.E.M’s “Man on the Moon” was in constant rotation on the radio. I loved the song but  was perplexed by the lyrics. Jeff told me the song is a tribute to the comedian Andy Kaufman, who at the time I had never heard of. Jeff had and that led to more stories.

This became a pattern. If I didn’t know or understand something, I would ask Jeff. Jeff was insanely versatile whether the topic was sports, music, history or politics.

You should have heard our conversations about art and philosophy. They were legendary.

Actually, I never asked about philosophy or art but if I had I am sure his insights would have been stellar.

Since college, Jeff and I have attended sporting events, concerts and closed late-night diners after filing stories for the Daily Herald.

Jeff is the type of guy who would do anything for a friend, and also the type of guy who should be on Jeopardy!

Wait, he was, and I even drove him to the airport for that trip. Jeff enjoyed the experience but said timing the button is harder than it looks. The internet has let us down because I can’t find a link to that episode.

Since appearing on Jeopardy, Jeff hasn’t slowed down. He is a prolific freelance writer and in 2016 I was elated when his book, Votes of Confidence: A Young Person’s Guide to American Elections, was published to critical acclaim.

Publishers Weekly wrote, “Fleischer’s well-contextualized, nonpartisan approach results in a valuable resource for readers looking to understand and become involved in a complicated system while avoiding spin.”

The second edition of Votes of Confidence was published earlier this year and the reviews were just as impressive.

ALA Booklist wrote,” Fleischer clearly and understandably explains how the American government came to be and how it’s supposed to work. … Fleischer avoids making the topic dry or boring by using conversational language and includes surprising facts that make this a very readable, engaging, and entertaining history of American elections and politics for young people. Highly recommended.”

This was my favorite, courtesy of the School Library Journal. “Written in a conversational tone, the text reads like course notes from a beloved teacher. Fleischer presents a potentially didactic subject matter in a digestible and organized manner. … This title is a history lesson, civics compendium, and call to action combined in one engaging volume.”

Ahead of middle school and high school graduation season, consider Votes of Confidence for the graduate in your life or any young person for that matter. Books can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound or wherever you buy books.

Jeff, thanks for the friendship, the stories and the knowledge over the years.

Let’s let Michael Stipe and guest singer/guitarist Bruce Springsteen play us off with my all-time favorite version of “Man on the Moon.”