Join us for a conversation with Paul Grondahl, longtime Times Union journalist, UAlbany alumnus, and director of the NYS Writers Institute, discussing his new biography, Andy Rooney: A Lucky Life.

Born and raised in Albany, Rooney became one of America's most recognizable television personalities through his sharp, humorous and often curmudgeonly commentaries on "60 Minutes", where he appeared from 1978 to 2011.

Grondahl's biography, to be published October 1, covers Rooney’s early years in Albany, his WW2 experiences and his career in television that spanned seven decades.

Free and open to the public

Books will be available for sale. A signing will follow the conversation.

Praised by Ken Auletta as a portrait of " an uncompromising man who would not bend to flatter his bosses or his audience" and by Sam Tanenhaus as "vivid and crisp as one of Rooney's own monologues," Andy Rooney: A Lucky Life offers a fresh look at one of the most influential voices in American journalism.

Cosponsored by SUNY Press in celebration of its 60th anniversary and the University at Albany Alumni Association.