Odegard, Kevin 1950-

views updated

Odegard, Kevin 1950-

PERSONAL:

Born September 29, 1950, in Princeton, MN; son of Robert (a fund-raiser) and Barbara Odegard; children: Jessie, Jenny. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Attended University of Minnesota. Politics: Republican. Religion: Jewish. Hobbies and other interests: Family history research.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Stillwater, MN. Agent—Paul Bresnick Literary Agency, 115 W. 29th St., 10th Fl., New York, NY 10001. E-mail—kevinodegard@msn. com.

CAREER:

National Academy of Songwriters, Hollywood, CA, executive director, 1984-94; writer. Musician (guitarist) with KO Band.

AWARDS, HONORS:

John Bettis fellowship award, National Academy of Songwriters; Helen King Founder's award, National Academy of Songwriters.

WRITINGS:

(With Andy Gill) A Simple Twist of Fate: Bob Dylan and the Making of "Blood on the Tracks," Da Capo Press (Cambridge, MA), 2004.

Founding publisher of SongTalk newsletter; also contributor to periodicals, including USA Today, Mpls. St. Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Business Monthly, and Minneapolis Star Tribune.

SIDELIGHTS:

Kevin Odegard told CA: "Ernest Hemmingway and Elmore Leonard first got me interested in writing. The most surprising thing I've learned as a writer is that the agent's role and participation in preparation for ‘shopping’ material is far more involved than one might think. I hope my books will provide factual information for current and future generations of readers."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, March 1, 2004, Gordon Flagg, review of A Simple Twist of Fate: Bob Dylan and the Making of "Blood on the Tracks," p. 1252.

Library Journal, March 15, 2004, Henry L. Carrigan, Jr., review of A Simple Twist of Fate, p. 78.

Publishers Weekly, February 9, 2004, review of A Simple Twist of Fate, p. 74.

ONLINE

KO Band Web site, http://www.koband.com (February 20, 2006).