Msgr. Tonne Learning in Retirement guest

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN
Msgr. Arthur Tonne of Marion was the focus of attention at the April 6 program of the Tabor College Learning in Retirement Program held in the Wohlgemuth Music Education Center on the Tabor campus.



The 95-year-old priest, widely known for his series of nine books on ?Jokes Priests Can Tell,? was interviewed by Joel Klaassen of Print Source Direct, Hillsboro, in a program titled ?A Book Publisher and a Most Famous Author.?



Klaassen interviewed Father Tonne regarding his publishing ventures and showed the video clip of Tonne?s appearance on the ?David Letterman Show? in the early 1990s.



Paul Meysing, who accompanied Father Tonne to New York, recounted some of the details of the trip.



In addition to his ?Jokes? volumes, Tonne has written 54 books in his lifetime.



He said publishers usually end up with all the money, but Klaassen was quick to add that was true only about publishers in New York. Father Tonne has donated his royalties to charity through the years.



Klaassen told the group of about 100 people that everyone has a story to tell and that many people have done it through genealogies, autobiographies and poetry books.



He presented the stories behind the production of a dozen of the 80 or so books he has already printed and published since 1990.



With current technology and many methods available to produce books, he said it is feasible for almost anyone to pass down their life story to their children in booklet form.



Helping Klaassen in the presentation was Diane Steiner, graphic designer at Print Source, whose work appears in many of the titles Print Source has completed for others.



The books range from serious treatments to a book written by a woman who claimed to have been married to an alien.

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