Jody Will Read from The World Was Our Stage at the Eastern Sierra Book Festival - July 20, 2024
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In its seventh year, the Eastern Sierra Book Festival is a one-day celebration of books, writing, reading, and publishing. The festival is held at the beautiful Mammoth Museum at Hayden Cabin in Mammoth Lakes, California, on the Eastside of the Sierra Nevada.
Jody Cohan-French will join other local writers in the Author Variety Show with a reading from The World Was Our Stage: Spanning the Globe with ABC Sports. Jody is the co-author of this memoir written by 17-time Emmy winner and producer/director Doug Wilson.
Jody Cohan-French will join other local writers in the Author Variety Show with a reading from The World Was Our Stage: Spanning the Globe with ABC Sports. Jody is the co-author of this memoir written by 17-time Emmy winner and producer/director Doug Wilson.
Doug Wilson to be Inducted into Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame - 17 DEC 2019
Congratulations to my friend and collaborator, Doug Wilson, who will be inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in a ceremony to be held on December 17, 2019 at the New York Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. In his 50 years with ABC Sports, Doug produced and directed programming for ABC's Wide World of Sports and the network's telecast of 10 Olympic Games, which set the standard for sports broadcasting. Doug is most noted for his innovative work in figure skating and gymnastics, for which he received 17 Emmy Awards. You can read all about Doug's incredible career and the advent of sports television in his memoir (which I helped him write!), The World Was Our Stage: Spanning the Globe with ABC Sports. |
College Application Workshop @ Mammoth Lakes Library - 5 SEP 2019
College Application Workshop @ Girls Inc. of Alameda County - 25 JUN 2019
College Fair @ Mammoth High School - 3 OCT 2018
I had a great time meeting these Huskies and other students from the Eastern Sierra at my Essay Workshop at the Mammoth Lakes Library, I'll be back in October for the College Fair at Mammoth High! Wednesday, October 3, 2018 ● 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm Mammoth High School Library and Multipurpose Room 365 Sierra Park Rd ● Mammoth Lakes ● CA 93546 Click for more info |
Jody Interviewed by the Mammoth Times - 23 AUG 2018
Read Jody's interview in the Mammoth Times about the college application process. ![]()
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College Application Essay Workshop @ Anacortes Public Library - 25 JUL 2018
Jody will be in Anacortes, Washington to talk with high school seniors about how to get organized for the demanding college application process, interpret and break down the Common App and UW essay prompts, tap into the details of topics to find personal story angles, and break away from conventional structure to write memorable essays. Parents welcome. Tuesday, July 24, 2018 ● 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm 1220 10th St. ● Anacortes ● WA 09221 |
College Application Essay Workshop @ Mammoth Lakes Library - 27 AUG 2018
College App Essay Workshop @ Huntington Beach Central Library - 11 AUG 2018
Jody will be at Surf City's library to talk with high school seniors about how to get organized for the demanding college application process, interpret and break down the Common App and UC essay prompts, tap into the details of topics to find personal story angles, and break away from conventional structure to write memorable essays. Parents are also welcome. Saturday, August 11, 2018 ● 10:30 am - 12:30 pm 7111 Talbert Ave ● Huntington Beach ● CA 92648 Sign up at hbpl.libcal.com/event/4259436 |
Praise for Jody's New Book
“The Write Way into College is a worthwhile addition to available college readiness resources. Cohan-French offers user-friendly guidance and practical advice that will assist students in tailoring their personal message while simultaneously teaching skills that can be carried over into college.” EB Gathrid Mentor/Coach “Jody’s skilled and compassionate guidance has been absolutely invaluable for students looking to craft college application essays that shine. It’s wonderful to see her expertise on the subject gathered into one fantastic resource. How fortunate for college-bound seniors that this book is now available!” Leslie Awender, MFA Education Team Leader & Manager, Bold Future, WriteGirl |
Doug to Give a Presentation in Boca Grande, Florida
March 2, 2016
Doug Wilson presents "A Journey Thru the Golden Age of Sports Television" at the Boca Grande Community Center. Doug will recount his 50 year career that spanned 10 Olympic games and 51 different sports on five continents. He will also sign his book, The World Was Our Stage: Spanning the Globe with ABC Sports. Boca Grande Community Center Wednesday, March 2 - 5:00 pm Purchase Tickets ($10) |
Jody to Read at Lit Crawl Los Angeles
October 21, 2015 Jody joins fellow Squaw Valley Community of Writer Alums Kristin FitzPatrick, Grant Hier, Aline Ohanesian, Andrew Roe and Desiree Zamorano, at Lit Crawl L.A. Jody will read a selection from The World Was Our Stage: Spanning the Globe with ABC Sports. Skynny Kitchen 5166 Lankershim Blvd. NoHo Arts District 7:00 pm to 7:45 pm More details at: LitCrawl LA |
WriteGirl Launches It's Latest Anthology, Emotional Map of Los Angeles
Summer 2015 WriteGirl's 14th anthology features 190 L.A. stories from teen girls and their WriteGirl mentors, as well as writing tips and experiments for budding scribes. I'm proud to have a poem included. "Adios, Los Encinos," a look at how my hometown in the San Fernando Valley has changed since my childhood. WriteGirl is a creative writing and mentoring organization that promotes creativity, critical thinking and leadership skills to empower teen girls. To empower your daughter and support an organization that is making a difference, please buy the book at WriteGirl.org. Thank you! |
Doug to Appear at the World Figure Championship - Lake Placid, NY
August 29, 2015
For the first time in 25 years, ice skaters will compete in figures at the inaugural World Figure Championship and Figure Festival. Preceding the awards ceremony on August 29, Doug Wilson will present his "Memorable Moments in Figure Skating," a video montage including performances by Peggy Fleming, Torvill and Dean, and Brian Boitano. Doug's book, The World Was Our Stage, will also be available. 1932 Olympic Arena - 7:30 pm Purchase Tickets More Event Information |
Doug to Speak at the Greenburgh Public Library - Elmsford, NY
June 17, 2015
Seventeen-time Emmy Award winner Doug Wilson will talk about and share video clips from the Golden Age of Sports Television. He will also sign his book, The World Was Our Stage. Greenburgh Public Library 300 Tarrytown Road Elmsford, NY 10523 Event Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm |
The World Was Our Stage Receives Its Third Award!
November 12, 2014 The World Was Our Stage : Spanning the Globe with ABC Sports has been named a Finalist in the Sports Category of the 2014 USA Best Book Awards. |
The World Was Our Stage: Required Reading in Sports Storytelling Course at Asbury University
Doug Wilson’s memoir of a well-lived television life brings a globetrotters' vision and a suitcase full of television tales to my Sports Storytelling class. Wilson’s anecdotes and remembrances are valuable teaching tools that offer students a firsthand look at the possibilities before them. The World Was Our Stage provides examples of the critical thinking necessary to make things happen in the field and highlights the importance of connecting with one’s protagonists and their stories despite the ever-changing television landscape. D.T. Slouffman National Emmy winner and adjunct television professor Asbury University, School of Communication Arts |
The World Was Our Stage Wins the Sports Category in the 2014 National Indie Excellence Awards!
May 2014 The National Indie Excellence Awards celebrates the best of books in print. "This year the expert team of publishing insiders who serve as judges of the NIEA were challenged because of the quality of entries," said Ellen Reid, President & CEO of the NIEA. "I would have to say it was the fiercest competition we've seen." |
Doug Wilson Chats with Lara Spencer on GMA Live!
The World Was Our Stage is Named a Finalist in Two Categories!
March 13, 2014
Foreword Reviews has announced the finalists for its 16th Annual Book of the Year Awards, and The World Was Our Stage is a finalist in two categories: Sports and History. Finalist in Sports Finalist in History |
The World Was Our Stage is Featured in The Adelphean Magazine
Originally published in The Adelphean, Spring 2014 The official publication of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority Like many Americans in the 1960s and 70s, Jody Cohan, Alpha Chi—UCLA, spent her Saturday afternoons on the couch with her family watching ABC’s Wide World of Sports and experiencing “The thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat!” This groundbreaking sports anthology program brought many sporting events from around the globe to the public for the first time, whether it was tennis from Wimbledon or cliff diving from Acapulco. But what made Wide World so special was that the show was as much about history and human nature as it was about sports. Read more... |
Doug Wilson Talks About Terrorism and the Olympics, and the Changes in Broadcasting the Olympic Games Throughout the Years
TV Coverage of Olympic Competition Through the Decades
Originally broadcast on WDET-FM February 5, 2014 The Olympics begin in Sochi, Russia tomorrow and the opening ceremonies are on Friday evening. Doug Wilson covered several Olympics during his time as the Director and Executive Producer of ABC's Wide World of Sports and he knows what it takes to pull off the TV coverage of these games. Craig and Doug discuss this years media coverage. Listen to the interview... |
Doug Wilson's Interview with Ryan Stevens of Skate Guard
By Ryan Stevens Originally posted on Skate Guard January 28, 2014 When in the first few moments of our phone conversation Doug Wilson serenaded me with a rousing version of "O Canada," I just knew I was in for a wonderful time and I don't think I had any CONCEPT of just how wonderful a time I'd have. His 50 year journey in sports saw him as the producer and director of ABC's iconic Wide World Of Sports and in that journey he worked with Dick Button, Peggy Fleming, O.J. Simpson, David Letterman, Frank Gifford, Julie Moran, Terry Gannon and Jim McKay. He travelled to all corners of the sport presenting every sport imaginable and started his lifelong love affair with figure skating in 1964 when he covered his first U.S. Championships and watched Peggy Fleming take come the crown. He went on to be in attendance for almost every U.S. Championships from 1964 through to 2008. Read more... |
The World Was Our Stage: Must Reading Before the Sochi Olympics
Originally published on Lifeskate January 22, 2014 Do not watch the 2014 Sochi Olympics without first reading Doug Wilson's The World Was Our Stage. There are so many figure skating stories in this book that you will get a history lesson spanning 50 years and then more fully appreciate today's skaters and also television's coverage of skating! Read more... |
Doug Wilson on The Manleywoman Skatecast
By Allison Manley
Originally published on The Manleywoman Skatecast December 22, 2013 An interview with Doug Wilson, the ABC Producer and Director that I interviewed in 2008 on SkateCast #16. He contacted me again to talk about his new book,“The World Was Our Stage: Spanning the Globe with ABC Sports.” It’s full of wonderful stories of not only his coverage of figure skating, but so many sports and sports moments that are ingrained in our culture and memory. He talks about the changing role of female commentators, being able to talk with Irina Rodnina after the Iron Curtain fell, and why we should all listen to Carol Heiss. 1 hour, 06 minutes, 37 seconds. Read more/listen to the podcast... |
Doug Wilson Interviewed on WVOX 1460AM
Click to listen to Doug's interview with Paul Feiner on WVOX 1460 AM Rochelle, New York. December 20, 2013 |
Diana Nyad Recommends The World Was Our Stage
Originally published in The Wall Street Journal
December 13, 2013 If you remember the phrase "the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat," you will revel in these stories, from the terror of the Munich Olympics to the delight of Muhammad Ali. Diana Nyad Journalist and World Record Long-Distance Swimmer |
Originally posted on Kirkus Reviews
December 6, 2013 A behind-the-scenes look at ABC’s Wide World of Sports, the famous sports show. Wilson proves himself an excellent, entertaining guide ... providing readers with the perfect balance of insider politics, shrewd estimations of his celebrated colleagues...and a store of enthralling anecdotes.... A monumental show brought to life again in a perfectly pitched read for sports fans. |
The World Was Our Stage Reviewed in Skating Magazine
Book Review by Neal Reid Originally published in Skating magazine December 2013 To read Doug Wilson's book The World Was Our Stage: Spanning the Globe with ABC Sports is to take a step inside the realm of sports television production as never before, to learn the secrets that helped make the network's Wide World of Sports program a revolutionary hit on a global scale.... Reading the book becomes a pleasure from the first page, and Wilson's behind-the-scenes accounts of some of the most transformative events in the history of sports make it a tough one to put down. |
How Television Changed Figure Skating (Part #5): The Scandal Edition
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By Alina Adams
Originally published on Soap Opera 451
December 2, 2013
It's the Cyber Monday prior to a Winter Olympics! That means every skating fan's virtual basket should be filling up with books dedicated to their favorite sport, including veteran ABC Sports director Doug Wilson's The World Was Our Stage (see the Buy link at the bottom of this post).
And enjoy Part #5 - The Scandal Edition, below:
Wilson reveals, "There's a no-man's land between center ice and the corner, where we have no camera. Very often, great skaters -- because when they skate in arenas they want to cover the whole audience--will stand in that position, making eye-contact with the audience. And all I see is an ear. They're looking away. What they want to do to the audience of 1,000 people in front of them, they're not doing to the TV audience that's ten million people watching center-ice. If they're about to present themselves to the world, it's better if we see their faces."
Read more...
Ice Desk Live: Interview with Doug Wilson
My Neighborhood: The Wide World of Irvington's Doug WIlson
By Michael Nelson
Originally published in The Hudson News November 22, 2013 Doug Wilson has a wide sphere of influence, culled from a long career as a producer and director with ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.” From 1961 through 1998, Wilson helped to produce 10 Olympic Games telecasts and become known as the premier director in figure skating. No wonder he counts Dick Button and Peggy Fleming among his friends. Button says of him, “Doug Wilson has an elephantine memory.” Fleming wrote the foreword to his book “The World Was Our Stage: Spanning The Globe with ABC Sports,” which he co-wrote with Jody Cohan. Read more... |
How Television Changed Figure Skating (Part #4)
By Alina Adams
Original published on Soap Opera 451 November 5, 2013 At the 1988 Olympics, the plan was to make Russian Pair skater Ekaterina Gordeeva, the Olga Korbut, media-darling of the show. It was a fine plan, hampered by the fact that Pairs was, and typically is, the first discipline to finish competition. Meaning an immense build-up was impossible. Undaunted, television refused to abstain from their scheme, so that, even though she'd already won the gold, Katya stayed on the air for the duration of the Games, whether she was walking around the village, or simply sitting in the stands. Another plan that didn't come off quite as it was supposed to was Doug Wilson's coverage of Brian Boitano's Long Program... Read more... |
The DGA Quarterly Reviews The World Was Our Stage
By Carley Johnson Originally published in the DGA Quarterly October 25, 2013 Wilson’s new memoir, The World Was Our Stage: Spanning the Globe with ABC Sports, is a loving tribute to that halcyon, golden age of sports directing, and a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of what it was like to bring viewers “the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat,” week in, week out. |
Reading/Book Signing at Inquiring Minds Bookstores in New York
Three Decades with ABC Sports -- Interview on The Craig Fahle Show
Originally broadcast on WDET-FM
October 18, 2013 For over 35 years, director/producer Doug Wilson worked behind-the-scenes of America’s most beloved television sports programs, ABC’s Wide World of Sports. From Dorothy Hamill to Evel Knievel, Arthur Ashe to Muhammad Ali, Doug captured some of the most memorable moments of their careers and helped make them the celebrated athletes they are now. Craig talks to Wilson about his new book The World Was Our Stage: Spanning the Globe with ABC Sports... Listen to the interview... |
Doug Wilson on Fox Sports Radio Primetime
October 10, 2013 Doug chats with Pat O'Brien and Steve Hartman about his 50 years with ABC Sports and Wide World of Sports. Listen to the interview... |
Doug Wilson to Speak at The Irvington Historical Society / Oct 27, 2013
Official Book Launch at Skate America / Oct 19 & 20, 2013
The World Was Our Stage in New York's Times Square!
The Hudson Independent Reviews The World Was Our Stage
By Barrett Seaman
Originally published in The Hudson Independent October 2, 2013 IRVINGTON RESIDENT'S NEW BOOK RETRACES HALF-A-CENTURY OF TELEVISED SPORTS To be sure, on its surface, The World Was Our Stage is a string of anecdotal encounters with personalities made famous in part by how Wilson and his colleagues at ABC Sports captured them on camera. Underlying these charming yarns, however, is a cautionary tale about the precipitous rise and the almost imperceptible fall of television as a cultural and economic force in American society. |
World Champion Randy Gardner Announces Doug Wilson's New Book
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September 30, 2013
By Randy Gardner
Originally published on The Rink
TV DIRECTOR DOUG WILSON'S NEW BOOK!
If anyone can tell stories about figure skating, it's Doug Wilson. This new book covers his days at Wide World of Sports, Olympic coverage and more. I encourage you read this to get the inside scoop of figure skating and his decades of Emmy Award winning directing!
Read more...
By Randy Gardner
Originally published on The Rink
TV DIRECTOR DOUG WILSON'S NEW BOOK!
If anyone can tell stories about figure skating, it's Doug Wilson. This new book covers his days at Wide World of Sports, Olympic coverage and more. I encourage you read this to get the inside scoop of figure skating and his decades of Emmy Award winning directing!
Read more...
The Man Who Wrote the Book on Televised Figure Skating (Part #1)
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September 25, 2013
By Alina Adams
Originally published on Soap Opera 451
Long before I worked in televised figure skating, I knew the name Doug Wilson. Doug Wilson was the man who, more or less, invented televised figure skating. Or, at least, televised figure skating that we now take for granted as: The Way It Should Be Done.
Read more...
Aline Adams (aka Alina Sivorinovsky) is the author of Inside Figure Skating. In the book's chapter "Lights, Camera, Axel: How Television Changed Figure Skating," Alina writes about Doug.
By Alina Adams
Originally published on Soap Opera 451
Long before I worked in televised figure skating, I knew the name Doug Wilson. Doug Wilson was the man who, more or less, invented televised figure skating. Or, at least, televised figure skating that we now take for granted as: The Way It Should Be Done.
Read more...
Aline Adams (aka Alina Sivorinovsky) is the author of Inside Figure Skating. In the book's chapter "Lights, Camera, Axel: How Television Changed Figure Skating," Alina writes about Doug.
Get an All Access Pass to the Greatest Sports Stories in Modern History
Originally published on PR Newswire
September 25, 2013 AUTHOR AND ABC'S WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS PRODUCER & DIRECTOR DOUG WILSON GRANTS A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT LEGENDARY ATHLETES AND EVENTS NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- For nearly 40 years, people from all walks of life tuned into ABC's Wide World of Sports so they could experience "the thrill of victory...and the agony of defeat...the human drama of athletic competition"--all from their living room sofa. Now for the first time ever, sports fans and human drama aficionados can learn the stories behind the stories to the most memorable athletes in history... Read more... |
ABC Sports and Wide World of Sports not only changed but also virtually created the sports television landscape in the United States and set the standard by which sports coverage around the world is now measured. They had the vision to put the King/Riggs Battle of the Sexes match in prime time and it paid off for them and for Bobby and me, and it raised the profile of tennis worldwide—all while putting social change in the national spotlight. ABC Sports was a game changer and they fully understood the importance of bringing sports to the people.
Billie Jean King Sports icon and humanitarian, Cofounder, World Team Tennis |
Doug Wilson revisits a time when ABC's Wide World of Sports was must-see TV every weekend for millions of Americans. If some of these stories seem made up—trust me—they're not. I was there for many of them and would walk away thinking, "You can’t make this stuff up." It was great fun to witness and just as much fun to read about.
Al Michaels Emmy Award-Winning NBC Sportscaster, Previously with ABC SPorts for three decades |
As Olympic athletes, we always cherished ABC's Wide World of Sports for exposing sports like gymnastics to a much wider audience than our sport ever enjoyed before. Doug Wilson, who has been a friend for over thirty years, has always delighted us with his behind-the-scenes stories about this groundbreaking sports television show. We are thrilled that Doug has finally decided to share these incredible stories from the award-winning show that represented a paradigm shift in sports television.
Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci Olympic and World champions in gymnastics |
Doug Wilson tells a fascinating story in The World Was Our Stage, a unique personal journey that also recalls the riveting history of the coming-of-age of sports television. Doug is one of the finest and kindest gentlemen to ever work in the business, and it's a delight to go back in time with him as he spans the globe once more to tell the stories that he and his colleagues first told so magnificently decades ago. In Doug's storytelling, it truly still is a wide, and wonderful, world of sports.
Christine Brennan USA Today national sports columnist, ABC News commentator, best-selling author of Inside Edge |
Along with my father, Jim McKay, Doug Wilson was in many ways the heart and soul of ABC Sports. Doug's passion for his craft and his remarkable creativity are surpassed only by his storytelling ability, both on television and in print. The World Was Our Stage is a fascinating and compassionate behind-the-scenes look at many of the greatest sports television stories and personalities of all time. My father would have loved this book, almost as much as he loved working with Doug.
Sean McManus Chairman, CBS Sports |
In addition to all of the interesting and entertaining stories Doug Wilson tells with firsthand knowledge of the people and events that shaped ABC Sports, there is a great deal of history in this book. Not only is there plenty of sports history but also the history of the sports televisions industry from an insider point of view.
The World Was Our Stage should be required reading for every student of broadcasting. What is documented in this book is critical for understanding the origins of this industry. Jim Jennett Emmy Award-winning sports television director |
For 50 years, Doug Wilson embodied the spirit and creative excellence that was ABC Sports. His passionate storytelling played an integral part in the success of Wide World of Sports, the longest and most celebrated sports anthology show in television history. Doug allowed the places, events, and athletes to always be in the story. This book relives the lost age of innocence in sports and chronicles its greatest athletes, "up close and personal." I was fortunate to produce many of the world's greatest sporting events with Doug, and for that I am grateful.
Curt Gowdy Jr. Emmy Award-winning executive producer |
Reviews for What If Your Prince Falls Off His Horse?
Prior to my divorce, I handled my family's finances and was very aware of where the money was and what it was doing for us. Since becoming a financial planner, I have gained first-hand knowledge that many married women do not know a thing about financial planning, let alone how to balance a checkbook. These women should gain this knowledge, and they will find it in What If Your Prince Falls Off His Horse? --a book that is both easy and fun to read.
Sandra Cherry, PFP CEO of Financial Advocates for Seniors |