John R. Powers is the author of four books. His most recent being "The Junk Drawer, Corner Store, Front Porch Blues." He is also the playwright and co-producer of the Broadway musical, "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?" which is presently playing in over a dozen cities. John Powers has an extensive communications background. He performed his own one man show, "Scissors, Paper, Rock" and has hosted his own PBS special. John has appeared on hundreds of radio and television shows including "Oprah" and the "Today Show." John has also received two Emmy Awards for his work in television. John Powers has been a motivational speaker for the past ten years and has spoken to such organizations as the American Bar Association, Arco Oil, Business Week, the British Petroleum Group, the Million Dollar Round Table, Re/Max International, the United States Post Office, and U.S. Steel. John holds a Ph.D. degree in communications from Northwestern University and was a professor of speech and performing arts at Northeastern Illinois University.