Jack and Omari Daniel sign books, share stories in Union

A father and son team, who wrote in tandem about their mutual life experiences and how each… A father and son team, who wrote in tandem about their mutual life experiences and how each influenced the other, autographed copies of their book in the Pitt campus bookstore.

Dr. Jack Daniel, Pitt’s Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Dean of Students, and his son Omari Daniel, a Pitt graduate and an English teacher in the Montgomery County, Md. public school system, wrote of their fishing adventures together.

The Daniel men shared their stories in a book of father-and-son bonding through fishing. The book, called “We Fish: The Journey to Fatherhood,” is a record of both men learning from, and sticking by, each other in difficult times.

“Parents who have kids need to learn to pause [and] take a break when it comes to punishing a child, and do something different. Parents and children need a safety net to help them do something different,” Omari Daniel said.

Jack and Omari Daniel celebrated their book’s release in the William Pitt Union Ballroom with family, students and University staff members. Both Jack and Omari Daniel were on hand to autograph their book for their fans. Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and Provost James Maher congratulated them on their success as new authors.

Nordenberg praised the book during his introductory speech at the ballroom.

“[This book] celebrates the richness and diversity of the University of Pittsburgh Press. It speaks to the human experience about the relationship-building within the family and workplace,” Nordenberg said.

Adolph Sims, membership chair of the Black Action Society, said, “Mr. Jack Daniel has been an advocate of many black students at Pitt and he always responds to e-mails or questions.”

Jack and Omari Daniel both read their favorite excerpts from the book. Omari Daniel shared the book’s first poem, titled “Greek Picnic,” a poem about growing up black in Pittsburgh during a violent period in the city.

“There my sister lay, more dark African blood, spilling into American soil,” he read.

Jack Daniel recited the introductory paragraph of the first chapter.

“I felt a strange, confusing pain when, during a 1993 Kwanzaa celebration, I heard a 16-year-old, African-American male give thanks for having lived to see his 16th birthday.”

Nathan James, a senior pursuing a degree in Theatre Arts and Africana Studies, said he hopes to “do the same thing as a writer and poet. Jack Daniel inspires me to stay on course as a writer.”

Jack Daniel said, “Teaching today is not about knowing [what is] right, but knowing what should be right. Faculty members should step out of their roles to enhance the student relationship with faculty, as well as students should step out of their roles to enhance their relationship with the faculty.”