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News Release

The Clark County Public Library in Winchester will host a book signing for Kentucky sportswriter and author Jamie H. Vaught’s new and sixth book about the University of Kentucky basketball.

The library event will take place on Saturday, June 10 from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.   

The title of the 408-page hardcover is “Forever Crazy About the Cats: An Improbable Journey of a Kentucky Sportswriter Overcoming Adversity.”

The entertaining book, which also contains UK football stories, features many fascinating and inside accounts about the Kentucky Wildcats, including a chapter about former UK star Maci Morris, a former Kentucky Miss Basketball from Bell County High School.

The other featured individuals include Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Dan Issel, Mike Pratt, Cawood Ledford, Tubby Smith, John Calipari, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Ray Correll, Blanton Collier, Fran Curci, Jerry Claiborne, Vic Adams and Oscar Tshiebwe (and his high school coach Rick Mancino). Appropriately, the hardcover begins with a chapter on legendary broadcaster Cawood Ledford and ends with a chapter on legendary coach Joe B. Hall. Also featured is a fascinating chapter about former prep basketball superstar J.R. VanHoose of Paintsville High School who was once recruited by UK. In addition, the book includes an enjoyable chapter about Vaught’s childhood friend Roberto Clemente and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“If you’re feeling nostalgic for the University of Kentucky’s glorious basketball past, this could be the book for you,” said Vaught, a longtime professor at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College who moonlights as a sportswriter.

In addition to numerous UK stories and interviews, the book is also part memoir about Vaught’s long, adventurous career of covering the Wildcats in basketball and football while overcoming personal adversity — a devastating hearing loss since birth. The author discusses his early personal struggles in dealing with his severe hearing impairment.

In addition to Amazon (with free shipping), the book is available at Lexington’s Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Lexington’s Kentucky Branded and Hazard’s Read Spotted Newt bookstore.