Spring Break
The newest face of Foley
Mick Foley, the man behind a slew of characters in the ring, is now poised to conquer the literary world as well
Ben Erwin
Issue date: 10/31/03 Section: The Verge
Much like the characters he has portrayed, Foley is a multidimensional man who proves often hard to peg down effectively. He has survived countless chair shots to the head, a disfigured ear, lost teeth, literally hundreds of stitches and a dozen broken bones. But he also enjoys Christmas music year-round, loves amusement parks and is always content to step back from the spotlight to play "super dad" to his children. What could come off as a hardened demeanor is often belied by a gap-toothed smile, soft-spoken tone and seeming gregarious good nature.
Foley followed his previous literary success with the publication of a pair of children's books. "Mick Foley's Christmas Chaos," published in December 2000, and "Mick Foley's Halloween Hijinx," published in September 2001, were both achievements for Foley. But he had yet to conquer the world of fictional novels.
Foley's first novel, "Tietam Brown: A Novel" was released in July 2003 and was met with sales success, but with critics still unwilling to accept a former sports entertainer as a legitimate author.
"I've only gotten a little bit of flak," Foley has said of literary critics in an interview with wrestling magazine "UGO." "I think there is definitely a small but influential percentage of reviewers who would much rather not have me in their world and judge my work."
Unfortunately, Foley was unavailable for comment for this piece, as he is on the road promoting the aforementioned "Tietam Brown."
Foley was booked to speak at Eastern last year while "Tietam Brown" was still being edited. He is the primary speaker for the semester.
"Mick Foley would be our major event," lectures coordinator Shannon Brende said. "We figured that he would bring in a crowd, one similar to Bruce Campbell's. I think the students here and the surrounding community would be shocked if we brought a huge WWE wrestler here to Charleston."
Brende is anticipating Foley will follow in the footsteps of cult movie star Bruce Campbell, Eastern's most successful lecture to date. Brende is hoping to capitalize on the WWE's massive appeal and near nightly television showings on MTV and Spike TV.
"I'm hoping that there is a large WWE fan base," she said. "He is one of the best WWE wrestlers in history. I'm excited to meet him."
University Board has been promoting the show since the end of September through radio and print ads, and much of the Board's hopes reside in Foley's ability to capitalize on fans of both his books, as well as his massive history as a wrestler.
"We are hoping for a pretty big turn out ... I'm optimistic," Brende said. "I'm sure that a lot of people of any age would enjoy this lecture and the chance to meet him. This could be your chance to shake hands with a legend."
Tickets are $5 for students with a Panther Card and $8 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased at the box office in the Union or at the door the night of the event.
Foley followed his previous literary success with the publication of a pair of children's books. "Mick Foley's Christmas Chaos," published in December 2000, and "Mick Foley's Halloween Hijinx," published in September 2001, were both achievements for Foley. But he had yet to conquer the world of fictional novels.
Foley's first novel, "Tietam Brown: A Novel" was released in July 2003 and was met with sales success, but with critics still unwilling to accept a former sports entertainer as a legitimate author.
"I've only gotten a little bit of flak," Foley has said of literary critics in an interview with wrestling magazine "UGO." "I think there is definitely a small but influential percentage of reviewers who would much rather not have me in their world and judge my work."
Unfortunately, Foley was unavailable for comment for this piece, as he is on the road promoting the aforementioned "Tietam Brown."
Foley was booked to speak at Eastern last year while "Tietam Brown" was still being edited. He is the primary speaker for the semester.
"Mick Foley would be our major event," lectures coordinator Shannon Brende said. "We figured that he would bring in a crowd, one similar to Bruce Campbell's. I think the students here and the surrounding community would be shocked if we brought a huge WWE wrestler here to Charleston."
Brende is anticipating Foley will follow in the footsteps of cult movie star Bruce Campbell, Eastern's most successful lecture to date. Brende is hoping to capitalize on the WWE's massive appeal and near nightly television showings on MTV and Spike TV.
"I'm hoping that there is a large WWE fan base," she said. "He is one of the best WWE wrestlers in history. I'm excited to meet him."
University Board has been promoting the show since the end of September through radio and print ads, and much of the Board's hopes reside in Foley's ability to capitalize on fans of both his books, as well as his massive history as a wrestler.
"We are hoping for a pretty big turn out ... I'm optimistic," Brende said. "I'm sure that a lot of people of any age would enjoy this lecture and the chance to meet him. This could be your chance to shake hands with a legend."
Tickets are $5 for students with a Panther Card and $8 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased at the box office in the Union or at the door the night of the event.
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