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Over the course of nearly three decades, Associate Professor of the Practice in Communication Michael Keith has had the distinction as author of the most widely adopted textbook on radio. This year, with the book entering its ninth edition, Keith has an additional honor: His name is now part of the title.
First published by Keith in 1986, The Radio Station is billed as a complete guide for beginning radio professionals to the internal workings of the soundcasting media, including broadcast, satellite and – more recently – Internet radio. The book, which was printed for the eighth time in 2009 and is in use by some 150 universities worldwide, has been cited by Freedom Forum’s Media Studies Journal as one of seven key works published on the topic.
Last year, Keith was contacted about continuing the series, with John Allen Hendricks of Stephen F. Austin State University and Bruce Mims of Southeast Missouri State University updating the work. But while Keith would no longer have the author credit, the publisher had an idea for retaining some continuity.
“He suggested retitling the book Keith’s Radio Station: ‘Your name’s synonymous with it, anyway, so why not make it official?’” says Keith. “I was pretty happy about that. I guess if you live long enough, you get to have your name on the product.”
Keith has already reached another publication milestone this year. He’s just released his sixth collection of short stories, The Collector of Tears, continuing his foray into what he describes as “speculative fiction,” a blend of fantasy/sci-fi/horror/paranormal genres.
“I was always interested in the writing that went into TV series like ‘Twilight Zone’ and ‘Outer Limits,’” says Keith, who was nominated for a Pushcart Award in short fiction in 2010. “Like them, most of my stories have a message or social statement of some sort – ecology, for instance, or the economy – and are less about creatures and monsters than naturalism and realism.”
And on yet another front, Keith has co-scripted a screenplay for his well-received 2003 memoir The Next Better Place, and signed on with an entertainment agency in hopes of a potential film adaptation.
“I enjoy writing about media-related subjects, but some years back I felt I wanted to try something else,” he says. “I’m not trying to make a profound impact on literature, just seeing how far I can take my creativity.”
For more on Keith’s work, see michaelckeith.com.