Dallas Heritage Village presents the third annual Nancy Farina Lecture Series, a FREE event, honoring the late Farina, a 20-year employee of Dallas Heritage Village, and huge baseball fan. This year’s lecture features baseball historian Talmage Boston discussing “Baseball: The Nature, the Personality, and the Power of the Game,” on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 6:30 p.m. (reception); 7 p.m. (presentation), followed by a Q&A and book signing, in Browder Springs Hall, at Dallas Heritage Village, 1515 S. Harwood, Dallas, Texas 75215.
Talmage Boston has practiced law as a commercial trial and appellate litigator in Dallas, Texas, since 1978. He has been board certified in Civil Trial Law since 1988, as well as board certified in Civil Appellate Law since 1990, by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Since 1997, he’s been a shareholder at Winstead PC. He has been recognized in Texas Monthly as a “Texas Super Lawyer” every year since 2003. He has also been recognized among the “Best Lawyers in America,” and “Top 100 Attorneys in Dallas/Fort Worth Region.”
Though much of Talmage Boston’s time is occupied by a successful law practice, he has also written two critically acclaimed baseball history books: 1939: Baseball’s Tipping Point (foreword by John Grisham, Bright Sky Press, 2005) and Baseball and the Baby Boomer (foreword by Frank DeFord, Bright Sky Press, 2009). Additionally, he has been inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame as a Media Member.
After reading 1930: Baseball’s Tipping Point, Hall of Fame Pitcher Nolan Ryan stated, “Some of my favorite things about baseball got started in 1939—Little League, the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and televised baseball games. Talmage brings these stories back to life.”
In the July 12 issue of The Dallas Morning News, a column by Boston and William McKenzie, editorial director at the George W. Bush Institute, discussed how baseball is tied to American culture. The column highlighted how economics, immigration, data/technology, the quest for freedom and equal rights, and even storytelling are all ways in which baseball is connected to American culture.
Boston has spoken about baseball at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York; The Great Fenway Park Writers Series in Boston, Massachusetts; St. Louis Cardinals Legends Camp in Jupiter, Florida; The Denver Forum in Denver, Colorado; Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey; Dallas Theater Center Guild in Dallas, Texas; and The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas.
In recent years, he has also become one of the best known onstage public interviewers in Dallas, conducting interviews in front of large audiences with the likes of Henry Kissinger, David McCullough, Michael Lewis, Ken Burns, Douglas Brinkley, Jeffrey Toobin, Richard North Patterson, Frank Deford, and Tom Seaver.
Talmage and his wife Claire live in Dallas, Texas, and have a son and a daughter.
“If Nancy Farina were with us today, she would be very excited to hear Talmage Boston speak,” said Melissa Prycer, president and executive director, Dallas Heritage Village. “Her love for baseball and the Texas Rangers were frequent topics of conversation during her days at Dallas Heritage Village. After her passing, many of her friends, colleagues, and family members made contributions in her memory to Dallas Heritage Village, and we decided that the most appropriate use of these funds would be to establish an annual author lecture and reception in her name. We hope you can join us for this very special lecture.”
Light refreshments and beverages will be served the event, which is free and open to the public. Copies of Boston’s books will be for sale after the talk. Reservations are requested at dallasheritagevillage.org or by calling 214-413-3669. For more information, visit www.dallasheritagevillage.org.