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Tom Hallman Jr.

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Born

Portland

Member Since

March 2012

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I started my career in New York City right out of college. I was hired to work as a copy editor for a series of upscale home-decorating magazines. I had a fancy desk that looked out over the St. Regis Hotel, and I was so impressed with myself that on the masthead I had my name listed as Thomas B. Hallman Jr.

This was back in 1977 — Son of Sam, the Blackout and Reggie Jackson hitting three home runs in the World Series. My first week there, I lost $20 in a three-card Monte scam played by Times Square hustlers.

I lived in an old hotel that was being converted into an apartment building. The place was filled with a strange mix of residents: Young people trying to make it in the city, old people being pushed out of the building by the owner, and I started my career in New York City right out of college. I was hired to work as a copy editor for a series of upscale home-decorating magazines. I had a fancy desk that looked out over the St. Regis Hotel, and I was so impressed with myself that on the masthead I had my name listed as Thomas B. Hallman Jr.

This was back in 1977 — Son of Sam, the Blackout and Reggie Jackson hitting three home runs in the World Series. My first week there, I lost $20 in a three-card Monte scam played by Times Square hustlers.

I lived in an old hotel that was being converted into an apartment building. The place was filled with a strange mix of residents: Young people trying to make it in the city, old people being pushed out of the building by the owner, and artists and musicians, some on the way up, but more than a few on their way down.

I arrived in New York City with $750, a loan I had taken out at the credit union to use as an “emergency fund.” I promptly set up a bachelor pad. I bought a stereo, a three piece sectional sofa that I hauled piece by piece up Broadway and a glass-topped coffee table.

And then I was fired.

I returned to my hometown — Portland, Oregon — with only the stereo and loan payments since I couldn’t sell the furniture and had to leave it all behind. One day I spotted a classified ad placed by the editor of a small, Eastern Oregon weekly looking for a reporter. The interview took place at the local coffee shop. He was stunned that someone who had just been in New York City was interested in a job in Hermiston – known as Oregon’s watermelon capital. He hired me on the spot.

I’m now a senior reporter at The Oregonian, where I’ve worked for 32 years. I’ve written numerous stories for Reader’s Digest, and won every major feature writing award, some multiple times. I was twice a Pulitzer Prize Finalist, and won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing.

I’ve also worked at a car wash, a grocery store and a greyhound race track. I had a stint as a bartender for one week, and was once an answer to a question on the television show Jeopardy.

My wife and I have two daughters.

And, by the way, I still have the stereo I bought in New York City. ...more

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Tom Hallman Jr.’s books

Average rating: 4.08 · 191 ratings · 37 reviews · 10 distinct works • Similar authors

	Sam: The Boy Behind The Mask 4.13 avg rating — 112 ratings — published 2002 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Stranger's Gift: True Stories of Faith in Unexpected Places 3.60 avg rating — 47 ratings — published 2012 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dispatches from 1320: The Collected Works of Tom Hallman Jr. 4.69 avg rating — 16 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Life Well Lived: The Rhoni Wiswall Story 4.83 avg rating — 6 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Dark City Crime and Mystery Magazine: Volume 7, Issue 2 by Joseph S. Walker (Goodreads Author), Tom Hallman Jr. (Goodreads Author), Tom Larsen 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Stories From The Banks: The Collected Works of Tom Hallman Jr. 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Not By Chance: Stories of Individual Determination by Tom Hallman Jr. (Goodreads Author), Steve Silberman it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Virkelighedens fortællere - Ny amerikansk journalistik by Ole Sønnichsen, Mark Kramer, Mitchell Zuckoff (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Not By Chance: Stories of Individual Determination by Tom Hallman Jr. (Goodreads Author), Steve Silberman 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Not By Chance: Stories of Individual Determination by Tom Hallman Jr. (Goodreads Author), Steve Silberman 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Agent 6 (Leo Demidov, #3)

by Tom Rob Smith

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read in March 2012

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Tom Jr. said: " I just finished this book last night, and am glad I discovered this author. In the past few years, I have been drawn to mystery/thriller writers from other countries.

Sometimes these books take a while to "get going," even though the payoff is always ...more "

Mar 30, 2012 02:31PM · see review

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