Three13 · Literary & Legacy Feature
Mitch AlbomDetroit's VoiceGone Global
For four decades, Mitch Albom has written Detroit's sports pages by day and, in his spare hours, produced some of the best-selling memoirs and novels in modern publishing — over 40 million books sold, and still counting.
Mitchell David Albom was born in Passaic, New Jersey, and trained at Brandeis and Columbia universities before landing in Detroit in 1985 as the Detroit Free Press's lead sports columnist. What began as a sportswriting career would eventually produce one of the best-selling memoirs in publishing history.
A Detroit Free Press Fixture
Since 1985, Albom has written for the Detroit Free Press, first as a sports columnist and, from 1989 onward, with an additional weekly column on American life and values. Both columns remain widely syndicated and continue to run in the paper today, making Albom one of the longest-tenured and most recognizable voices in Detroit journalism.
Tuesdays with Morrie
After seeing his former Brandeis professor, Morrie Schwartz, interviewed on ABC's Nightline about living with ALS, Albom reconnected with him and began visiting every Tuesday. The resulting book, Tuesdays with Morrie (1997), started with a modest 20,000-copy printing but climbed to No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list and stayed there for 205 weeks, eventually selling more than 20 million copies in 45 languages.
"Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live." — Morrie Schwartz, as recounted in Tuesdays with Morrie
A Prolific Second Act in Fiction
Albom followed his breakout memoir with a string of bestselling novels, including The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2003), For One More Day (2006), and The Little Liar (2023). Alongside his writing, he has founded and supported charitable causes, including the Have Faith Haiti orphanage in Port-au-Prince and the S.A.Y. Detroit organization, which funds homelessness and healthcare initiatives across the city he has called home for decades.
A Career in Motion
1985
Hired as lead sports columnist for the Detroit Free Press, quickly becoming one of the most widely read sportswriters in the country.
1989
Adds a weekly non-sports column on American life and values, syndicated nationally alongside his sports writing.
1997
Publishes Tuesdays with Morrie, chronicling his weekly visits with his dying former professor, Morrie Schwartz. The book spends 205 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and sells more than 20 million copies in 45 languages.
1999
The Oprah Winfrey-produced TV movie adaptation of Tuesdays with Morrie becomes the most-watched TV movie of the year and wins four Emmy Awards.
2003
Publishes his first novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, which sells over 10 million copies in 38 territories.
2010
Founds the Have Faith Haiti orphanage in Port-au-Prince following the earthquake, later chronicling his relationship with orphan Chika Jeune in the memoir Finding Chika (2019).
2021
As of this year, Albom's books have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, spanning memoirs, novels, and sports biographies.
2023
Publishes The Little Liar, a historical novel set during the Nazi occupation of Greece, debuting at No. 5 on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Recognition
- ◆Tuesdays with Morrie: 205 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, one of the top-selling memoirs of all time
- ◆Emmy Award-winning TV adaptation of Tuesdays with Morrie (1999)
- ◆The Five People You Meet in Heaven: over 10 million copies sold in 38 territories
- ◆Over 40 million books sold worldwide across his catalog
- ◆Founder of Have Faith Haiti orphanage and the S.A.Y. Detroit charitable network
Learn More
Frequently Asked
Is Mitch Albom from Detroit?+
Mitch Albom was born in Passaic, New Jersey, but has lived and worked in Detroit since 1985, when he became the lead sports columnist for the Detroit Free Press — a role he has held for decades alongside his career as a bestselling author.
What is Mitch Albom's most famous book?+
Mitch Albom's most famous book is Tuesdays with Morrie (1997), a memoir about his weekly visits with his dying former professor, Morrie Schwartz. It has sold over 20 million copies and is regarded as one of the best-selling memoirs of all time.
How many books has Mitch Albom sold?+
As of 2021, Mitch Albom's books have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, including Tuesdays with Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day, and The Little Liar.
What charitable work is Mitch Albom known for?+
Mitch Albom founded the Have Faith Haiti orphanage in Port-au-Prince after the 2010 earthquake and operates the S.A.Y. Detroit charitable organization, which supports homelessness, healthcare, and youth programs in Detroit.
About This Feature
This Three13 feature draws on verified public sources including Wikipedia and Mitch Albom's official website. Photos are sourced from Wikimedia Commons and used editorially.