Hal Eisner Previews His Book 'An Accidental Career' on Los Angeles TV News

The Accidental Beginning

• 💡 Hal Eisner recounts how his journalism career began with a simple high school band contest in Dallas, Texas.
• 🎯 He entered a local radio station's contest to win a chance to report high school football scores, primarily motivated by wanting to meet girls.
• ✅ Winning this contest inadvertently set him on the path to a long career in television news.

A Life-Altering Accident

• 💥 While reporting, Eisner and his photojournalist, Joab Perez, were struck by a DUI driver who jumped the curb.
• 🤕 Eisner sustained serious injuries, including six fractured ribs and a fractured tibia plateau, while Perez suffered a disconnected collarbone and broken ribs.
• 📸 Footage from the incident, showing Eisner being thrown through the air, is included in his book.

Resilience and the Power of Support

• 💪 Eisner emphasizes that the outpouring of support from the public via emails and social media lifted him up during his recovery.
• 🚀 He was determined to recover and return to work, refusing to let the accident prematurely end his career.
• 💬 The incident highlighted how unexpected events, both negative and positive, can change the course of one's life.

A Front-Row Seat to History

• 🏛️ Eisner views his career as having provided a front-row seat to history in Los Angeles.
• 📰 He covered significant events such as the OJ Simpson trial, the Michael Jackson trial, the Columbine High School massacre, and shootings at a synagogue.
• 📖 His book is described as being almost like a history book, chronicling these major moments.

The Book's Unique Cover

• 🎨 Eisner collaborated with artist Lead Syla for the book's cover, opting for an oil painting instead of a typical author photo.
• 🖼️ He wanted a cover that was different and avoided the cliché of him standing in front of a camera with a microphone.
• ✨ The resulting artwork is described as perfect and fitting for his story.

Book Availability

• 🛒 "An Accidental Career" is available for purchase on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.
• 🗓️ The official publishing date is January 27th, though it may not be in bookstores immediately.