BookPeople Presents: Jim Matthews - Shine The Light

Please welcome Jim Matthews and RJ DeSilva to celebrate Shine The Light - How Sandlot Baseball Connects People in a Disconnected World!

This event is free and open to the public.

• Start time: 4:00 P.M.
• Run time: 45-60 minutes, followed by a signing line.
• Location: The second floor of BookPeople.

The author will be signing and personalizing copies of the book after the speaking portion of the event.

• To get a book signed, a copy of the event book or an item of equal value must be purchased from BookPeople.

Guidelines:

• Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

• If you have any other questions, please visit our Eventbrite FAQ. If your question isn't covered in the FAQ, feel free to email us at [email protected].
• All event guidelines are subject to change.
• BookPeople reserves the right to cancel or postpone this event if necessary.
• There will not be a live stream or recording available.

About the book:

The sandlot movement is sweeping the nation, drawing players of all ages back to their roots. If you remember playing baseball in yards and alleyways or an open field, you’ll be glad to know the tradition continues in grownup leagues across the United States.

A lifelong fan, author Jim Matthews creates a story that chronicles the creation of the Austin Moontowers, co-founded by him and former Nike President Elliott Hill.

As adults, Matthews and Hill decided that going back to their roots - baseball—might be just what they needed. It wasn’t until the pandemic that Jim and Elliott set their sights on being part of a team…and when that did not work out…they did the next best thing. Created their own.

This book shares the stories of learning, laughter and life as played out on the diamond as a young man and when the pressures of growing up take center stage, Jim drifts away from the sport that he loved so much. Jim’s journey from TV sportscaster to entrepreneur to practicing attorney set the stage for accomplishment, but the pull back to baseball was always present.

Shine the Light includes stories of friendships resurrected half a century later and new friendships that cross generations. It shares a personal backstory, the parents who shaped Jim, and tragedies mixed with soaring milestones along the way. Most of all, this is a book about cross-country adventures that landed Jim home - back in Austin and reconnected to the people and the sport that always fueled his soul.

About the author:

James “Jim” Matthews is a lifelong fan of baseball, which segued into a career as a TV sports anchor, journalist, filmmaker, PR professional, small business owner, lawyer, co-creator of the Austin Moontowers sandlot baseball team, and now an author.
Jim grew up in Austin and attended The University of Texas where he received a journalism degree. From there he began an award-winning career as a television sports anchor in California and Texas, including KXAN-TV in Austin from 1996–2000. After leaving television, he worked as a media director for Ketchum Public Relations and trained top corporate executives for Fortune 500 companies.
In 2004, he founded Slipstream Films, a full-service production studio producing documentaries, corporate videos, television commercials, and reality shows.
Jim also taught journalism for the American Forces Television Network and graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio. He is currently licensed by the Supreme Court of the State of Texas since 2013.
Jim is married with two sons. Besides baseball he enjoys playing golf and the piano, going to concerts and watching University of Texas sports and the Chicago Cubs.

About the moderator:

RJ DeSilva is the Communications Director for the Railroad Commission. He has spent more than two decades in broadcast news and communications in Austin. His first job in the Capital City was at KXAN-TV, which is where he met Jim. They’ve gotten to know each other well over the years thanks to work, concerts, holidays, and a few shenanigans mixed in!
As an award-winning news reporter and anchor RJ covered stories locally, around the nation and internationally. Following his stint at KXAN, he began working in communications divisions at Texas state agencies. His multiple roles have included overseeing external communications with the media and the public, internal employee communications and social media outreach.
Prior to moving to Austin, RJ worked in TV news in Delaware and for the Nasdaq Stock Market in Washington D.C.
He graduated with Finance and Journalism degrees from the University of Maryland. Go Terps!

By purchasing a book from BookPeople, you are not only supporting a local, independent business – you’re showing publishers that they should continue sending authors to BookPeople.

Thank you for supporting Jim Matthews, RJ DeSilva, and your local independent bookstore!

Host or Publisher BookPeople