For Better And Verse

He got a jump start on his legal education this winter when, while researching his novel, he interviewed several lawyers and law-enforcement agents in Arizona and the Dominican. He has also picked the brains of several priests and rabbis to develop themes for the book. "Writing a novel is different from poetry," he says. "You have to build an atmosphere in your mind and then describe it. It takes a lot of work and time."

Much as his pitching career has.