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Philip M. Potempa is a newspaper journalist who writes about entertainment, theater and celebrities in a newspaper column and stories which began being published in his flagship newspaper The Post-Tribune and The Chicago Tribune Media Co. in 2016. Previously, from 1995 to 2015, his columns and feature stories were published in The Times of Northwest Indiana and Illinois, in addition to his writing also being syndicated and shared with the more than 50 other newspapers in the Lee Media Enterprises newspaper chain, which includes The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other newspapers in their recently acquired Pulitzer Newspapers chain. Raised on a small farm in Northwest Indiana, he graduated from Valparaiso University in 1992 with a degree in print journalism. Although most of his daily writings concern celebrities, movies, television and pop culture topics, he also pens a weekly column launched in May 2002 under the title of "From the Farm," in which he shares memories of his rural youth and family stories, in addition to chronicling life from the relaxing perspective of a farm family with traditions steeped in a rich culture that is a far cry from his entertainment column musings about play openings, press parties and who's who boldface type notable "name dropping" and the nightlife he covers in Chicago. His weekly "From the Farm" columns, which beginning in May 2015 began appearing in The Post-Tribune and at www.ChicagoTribune.com, have inspired three popular semi-autobiographical books based from the same title: "From the Farm: Family Recipes and Memories of a Lifetime" (2004 Pediment Press $29.95) and "More From the Farm: Family Recipes and Memories of Lifetime" (2007 Pediment Press $29.95) and "Further From the Farm" (2010 Pediment Press $29.95). The first book was written with the help of his family friend, comedienne Phyllis Diller and the second book with family friend singer/actor Jim Nabors. The third book was written with family friend, actress and fellow Indiana native Betsy Palmer. His books also feature stories, photographs and recipe contributions from the famous people he writes about from his entertainment journalism circles, including Martha Stewart, Olivia Newton-John, Tommy Tune, Edie Adams, Vicki Lawrence, Bobby Vinton and the late twin sister newspaper advice columnists Abigail Van Burenand Ann Landers, among others. Primarily known mostly in the Midwest from his newspaper columns and book signings, he also occasionally appears on the air as a Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana radio commentator reporting on entertainment happenings as well as serving as a television broadcast contributor on regional PBS television stations and the Chicago NBC network affiliate WMAQ Channel 5, reporting on similar subject matters, as well as a broadcast contributor on WGN-Radio. In March 2008, he was was cast by director Michael Mannin a featured speaking role opposite Johnny Deppin the Universal Pictures motion picture Public Enemies to be released in July 2009. Playing a 1930s newspaper reporter at a jail news conference grilling Depp as gangster John Dillinger, Potempa convinced Oscar winning costume designer Colleen Atwood, who won an Academy Award for her costumes in "Chicago," to allow him, throughout the filming, to wear, as part of his costume, a vintage fedora hat from his own personal journalism memorabilia collection which had once been owned by famed gossip columnist Walter Winchell.
