I have to make a confession. I didn't immediately realize that today was Dale Earnhardt's birthday. He was born April 29, 1951 and would have been 73 (updated to 2024).
In 2007, I got a call from Cumberland House executive Ron Pitkin asking if I'd like to update IRDE. I said I would, and I spent the next two months interviewing new people, rewriting and editing what I'd written in 2001. And I added about 20,000 words.
Pitkin was looking for a new name for the book, and I gave it to him almost by accident. I sent the editor a story I'd written calling Earnhardt the Angel in Black. Ron loved it, and one of my suggestions was Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr. Obviously, that's the title we used.
That book, by the way, is still for sale.
My fourth racing book, Then Junior Said to Jeff..., was originally written by Jim McLaurin and the late David Poole. I wrote nearly 20,000 words for it as the co-writer, and, as I had for Angel in Black, I edited what had already been written.I'm working on a fifth racing book called RACING HEARTS. I'm looking to add a subtitle; I'm searching for the right words.
Earnhardt may be on the cover of RACING HEARTS, but I doubt it. It might be better to go in another direction. But Dale will get his own section in the book; I wouldn't be able to avoid him.
Happy birthday, Dale.
EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com TWITTER: EDITORatWORK
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You are welcome. Thanks for the comment.
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