Pro skater to speak at library

Professional skateboarder turned author and motivational speaker Doug Brown will make an appearance at the Dover Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m. Brown will speak as part of the library’s Nights at the Roundtable Author Series.

Brown said the transition from skateboarding to public speaking wasn’t the great leap for him one might think. “I grew up around theater and performing,” he said. “I was playing Tom Sawyer by age 9, so I’m very comfortable with an audience.”

Along with engagements as a motivational speaker around the country, Brown has authored six books. Some are for children, like “The Skater’s Night Before Christmas” and “ABC Skateboard Day.” Some are autobiographical, like “Bliss of the Unwind: My Life Beyond the Board,” while others are inspirational, like “Looking Glass of Self: Hope, Optimism and the Journey Within.”

“I originally pursued music as a career,” Brown said. “After becoming a skateboarder, I turned pro in 2002. I thought it would be a two-year thing at most. But here I am 15 years later.”

Brown said schools began requesting he speak at events. “I found that people of all ages were coming up to me after I spoke to say they found my story inspiring.”

That’s when he began to get his story down on paper and eventually into published works. “I started with the audience. I felt I knew from that perspective what I wanted to say.”

The popular books in turn brought more requests to speak around the country.

When Brown appears at the Dover Public Library this month, he’ll talk about his new book, “Speedy Entry: Advice for the Rebel With a Cause Teenager.”

“This book is focused on teens and the issues they face, definitely,” Brown said.

In it he draws heavily on his own experiences as a teenager. “I used to get detention for skateboarding in school,” he said.

He speaks of the difficult struggles of the teen years with parents, siblings, peer pressure, bullying, social media and other difficulties, leading them to see that the choices made in early life can impact the kind of life experience a person will have later.

“The choices we make as teenagers and as adults have a lasting impact on our own lives,” he said. “And it’s important to remember that our decisions impact the lives of others as well.”

Jim Gill, director of the library, said that while he is always seeking authors to speak about their books, he felt a personal connection to the material found in Brown’s work.

“I read his first book some time ago and really enjoyed it,” he said. “And then I ran into him an the Buckeye Book Fair, and that kind of ignited my interest, so we arranged for him to come and speak. I have teenagers at home, and I know that time can be complicated, difficult and messy. Doug has a really great way of connecting with that experience, and I know he’ll be an excellent speaker for us. His books are well worth reading.”

Register for the free event by calling the Dover Pubic Library at 330-343-6123. The library is at 525 N. Walnut St., Dover.