Millerton author co-writes bestseller

MILLERTON — It’s not every day that a village resident pens a New York Times bestseller. But Peter Richmond couldn’t be happier for his place of residence.

Richmond, who has lived in Millerton for 13 years, is the author of four books. His latest work is a collaboration with Frank Gifford, ex-football player and husband to former talk-show host Kathy Lee Gifford. The book, "The Glory Game: How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever," placed on the coveted New York Times Bestseller List at 24.

"People obviously like reading it, and I think that’s Frank," he said. "I did my job, which is take to take Frank’s story and my voice."

Richmond met Gifford around 20 years ago, during an interview for a magazine profile piece. The two kept in touch, and recently Gifford received an offer to write a book on the 1958 Superbowl between the Colts and Giants.

"He asked me to be the writer. I was flattered and thrilled to do it," Richmond added.

While Richmond’s previous book, a biography on jazz great Peggy Lee, was written over the course of four years, "The Glory Game" took Richmond only 10 months to complete.

"I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this is my fourth book and my first bestseller," Richmond joked. "I think a collaboration is something that every writer should have to do."

Richmond said that it was a lot of fun working with someone else.

"You try to channel their voice, and it makes you better because there’s someone else doing the work with you," he explained, adding with a bit of dry humor that "writers are too egotistical anyways."

Writing a bestselling book is quite an accomplishment by itself, but Richmond is looking to share the credit.

"I’m glad that Millerton has a best-selling author," he said, "and not because it’s me, because if it was my neighbor I’d be just as proud for the neighbor and for the village. I think Millerton is just the coolest place, and my family loves it here."

Richmond spoke about the village’s sense of community and how everybody looks out for everybody else.

"I’m glad to be one small part of it," he said. "Writing a book isn’t as important as driving a firetruck, but this is what I do, and if I can contribute just a little bit, I feel like I’m doing my part."

Richmond read from his new book at Oblong Books & Music on Nov. 29.

"I think it went well," he mentioned. "It was an interesting cross-section of people. There were some students that I used to teach over at Indian Mountain that came by. It was fun to have Dick [Hermans, Oblong’s owner] let me read, and I made friends with a local fireman who I’d never met, but we were able to sit and talk about the New York Giants together. That’s a good thing."