Rocky's Sheeler lands contract for book

Patti Thorn, Rocky Mountain News

Published February 17, 2007 at midnight

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Rocky Mountain News Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Jim Sheeler won further recognition Friday when the Penguin Press bought the rights to a future book by Sheeler.

The work will be based on his articles about fallen American soldiers in Iraq and the families who mourn them.

The contract was sealed after intense interest by major New York publishers, who were given a sample of Sheeler's articles, said the reporter's literary agent, Simon Lipskar. Lipskar and others declined to divulge the purchase price.

"It was a very, very fast process," he said. "People got this on Tuesday, and we had an offer from Penguin the next day, and by Friday we had closed the auction. . . . Many publishers around New York read and were deeply moved by this work."

The book will utilize Sheeler's previous reporting about the fallout of the Iraq war, including his Pulitzer-winning story, "Final Salute." The much-lauded piece detailed a year in the life of casualty assistance calls officer Marine Maj. Steve Beck, as well as the mourning families whose lives he touched.

The sensitivity and compassion of Sheeler's work attracted the publishing house, said Penguin editor Jane Fleming.

"From reading Jim's work, you can tell what an incredible amount of heart he has and what a good reporter he is. You can tell from his work that these families have allowed him into their lives at a most difficult time and that they trust him. It's heart-wrenchingly good and really emotional, and it makes you feel everything more deeply."

Sheeler plans to take six months off from the Rocky to revisit families he has previously interviewed and to flesh out their stories. He hopes to weave these stories into one, seamless narrative.

Sheeler said he will donate a portion of the proceeds to a military charity.

"It's not something that's about the money," he said. "It's about the memory. . . . I thought that by putting these stories in a book, I could reach a larger audience and hopefully keep their stories alive and their sacrifices recognized."

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