Friday, August 29, 2025
Monday, August 25, 2025
Publishing Portal--August 25, 2025
The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
Cantigny Park
=The iconic Wheaton, Illinois landmark will once again host an Eckhartz Press author.
=September 4, 6:30-7:30 in the Cantigny Visitor's Center Theatre, A book talk by Jeff Reiter about The Best of Words on Birds. Register here.
Printer's Row Litfest
=The 40th anniversary Printer's Row Litfest will be quite the literary event. You can meet up to eight different Eckhartz Press authors.
Saturday September 6
=From 10am--12:30pm, Eric Litt will be signing and selling copies of his Eckhartz Press books Oscars Biggest Mistakes and Worth a Second Look. He will be in the Chicago Writers Association tent.
=From Noon-1pm, Mark Wukas will be on the center-stage discussing his novel The Kiss of Night along with other Chicago authors James Stewart III, Defiant Acts, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr., The El in conversation with Vincent Francone.
=From 12:30-3pm, Larry Rosenbaum will be signing and selling copies of his book The Flip Side. He will be in the Chicago Writers Association tent.
Sunday September 7
=From 10am--2pm, Jeff Reiter will be signing and selling copies of his book The Best of Words on Birds. He will be in the Chicago Writers Association tent.
=From 2pm-6pm, Mark Wukas will be signing and selling copies of his book The Kiss of Night. He will be in the Chicago Writers Association tent
=There are several other Eckhartz Press authors you might bump into this weekend, including Randy Richardson (Lost in the Ivy, Cheeseland, Cubsessions), Donald G. Evans (An Off-White Christmas), and Eckhartz Press publishers Rick Kaempfer and David Stern. Randy is the president of the Chicago Writers Association and Don is the head of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. Rick will be there on Saturday. Dave will be there on Sunday.
Urban Birding Festival
=This is a new event for Eckhartz Press, but we're confident the right Eckhartz Press author will be there...
=September 12-14, Jeff Reiter (The Best of Words on Birds) will be manning a table, signing and selling copies of his book.
Illinois Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
=At previous ceremonies, Eckhartz Press author John Records Landecker (Records Truly is My Middle Name) has been recognized. This year, Eckhartz Press will be on stage once again.
Naperville Irish Fest
=What's the use of having an Irish author if you can't appear at the Irish Fest?
The Steppenwolf
=Looks like our newest author Tony Fitzpatrick (book available for pre-order soon) is going to help us class up the joint.
This event is like the best kind of road trip, with landmarks and rest stops appearing as poems, dispatches and works of art which explore Tony's childhood as a "no-goodnik" in suburban Chicago, to discovering comics, poetry and an appreciation for nature and finding sobriety and community with some of America's greatest musicians, artists and poets along the way.
This production follows the publication of Tony's
newest book, The Sun at the End of the Road: Dispatches From an American
Life, a collection of dispatches, haiku, poetry, collages, etchings and
drawings, edited by Marika Mashburn, designed by Danny Torres and published by
Eckhartz Press in Chicago, Illinois.
There are a few more events already scheduled for October. Keep an eye on this space for upcoming information.
=This week in 1976, Boston released their iconic debut album. Naturally they made an appearance at The Flip Side.
=Larry Rosenbaum is one of the famous brothers who owned the legendary Flip Side Records locations in Chicago. His birthday is this week (August 25). Have a great birthday Larry!
=Another Eckhartz Press author is celebrating a birthday this week (August 27). Happy birthday to I Bear Witness author Dan McNeil.
Tom Shaer
=Although Tom hasn't technically written a book for us, he has been a very valuable editor on several projects. Tom was instrumental in editing three Eckhartz Press books: Last Comiskey (where he also served as emcee at the launch party), Chili Dog MVP, and Ike and Me. Tom is also celebrating a birthday this week (August 27).
=Another short audio clip featuring Mark Wukas from his interview at Max and Benny's in Northbrook. In this clip, Mark talks about his favorite writer, James T. Farrell.
=This week Windy City Reviews posted their excellent review of Mark's book. Full review is here. This is a short excerpt...
This book is not a who-done-it type of mystery novel, nor is it meant for a quick summer beach-read. This is a thoughtful novel that challenges the reader to think about important issues, like whether the ends justify the means, and if so, when. If you enjoy the literary fiction genre, this book is for you.
=This Friday (August 29) Celtic Knot author Bob Conlon will appear on the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast with Vicki Atkinson and Wynne Leon. We will post the link on our facebook page when the interview goes live.
=South African poet Maggie Watson reviewed the Eckhartz Press memoir Surviving Sue this week, and she did in poetic form...
Vicki’s courage and strength shine throughout this book,
and I could sense empathy for her mother despite what she suffered.
All mental illness has a root cause, I believe, and often requires
a deeper level of understanding
I applaud Vicki for writing this book with grace and sprinkles of humour, too.
These things are not easy to survive, but somehow we find the strength
to do so, and sharing our story is part of the healing.
Joe Jackson vs. Chicago American League Baseball Club
=This week in 2023, David Fletcher was making the rounds talking about his new book Joe Jackson v. Chicago American League Baseball Club. The book is a trial transcript of the Shoeless Joe trial in Milwaukee from 1924. Amazing historical document. One of the shows he appeared on was the Baseball Talk podcast.
=This week in 2006, author Rick Kaempfer wrote about his time as Steve & Garry's producer for the first time ever. A few of these stories later made it into the book The Loop Files.
=This week in 2021 (August 29), Paul Banks made an appearance at the Manchester United fan club meeting at Fado's in Chicago. Everyone watched the Man United game, and at halftime Paul spoke to them about his book Transatlantic Passage. It was the earliest Guinness that Eckhartz Press publishers Rick and Dave ever consumed (well before noon).
=This week in 2019 (August 25), Rick Kaempfer appeared on Rick Kogan's WGN Radio show to talk about his book EveryCubEver. At the time, Roger Badesch was working as Kogan's newsman. It was during this show that Roger announced he too was working on a book for Eckhartz Press. That would later turn into The Unplanned Life. (Photo: Rick Kaempfer, Roger Badesch, Rick Kogan)
=Every member of the 1972 White Sox is featured in the Eckhartz Press book Chili Dog MVP. One of them was born this week (August 27) in 1946, former catcher Ed Herrmann. Unfortunately Big Ed passed away in 2013.
=This week in 2017, Lee Kingsmill's book Safe Inside was officially released by Eckhartz Press. We took that opportunity to do a Q&A with Lee. You can read that here. Lee's book later was named an honorable mention winner for the Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year.
=Eckhartz Press was asked to publish the literary journal of the Chicago Writers Association, and we have done so four times now. This week in 2023 (August 29), the 4th volume of the book came out. That book will also be available in the Chicago Writers Association tent for Printer's Row Litfest.
=One of the contributors to the first volume is celebrating a birthday this week. Happy birthday to NY Times Best Selling author James Finn Garner (August 29)
Sunday, August 24, 2025
Minutia Men
The latest episode of Minutia Men has dropped. Mascots in the news, performative males, a bratwurst dispute, the world’s oldest chicken, and how a chicken nearly killed Elvis are among the minutiae topics discussed this week. https://t.co/rl6XVSJxjk
— Rick Kaempfer (@RickKaempfer) August 23, 2025
Friday, August 22, 2025
Free Kicks is Back!
Back for an 8th season of Free Kicks. https://t.co/uzvPL9EvCD
— Rick Kaempfer (@RickKaempfer) August 22, 2025
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Monday, August 18, 2025
Publishing Portal--August 18, 2025
The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
Coming Soon: A New Book By Tony Fitzpatrick
=The name of the book is The Sun At the End of the World: Dispatches from an American Life and features artwork, essays, and poems by esteemed Chicago artist Tony Fitzpatrick. He posted the front and back cover on Facebook this week.
=This will be Tony's first book for Eckhartz Press. He did, however, previously contribute to our book The Loop Files. Tony was a prominent member of the Loop staff, co-hosting Drive In Reviews with Buzz Kilman, and later co-hosting a show with Wendy Snyder. But radio was always a side-gig for Tony. He is world renowned as an artist. If you live in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, maybe you've seen Tony's murals (below). This book contains many examples of Tony's artwork, but also features the brutally honest and gritty words that Tony has become famous for in his long stint as a columnist/writer at New City.
=Thanks to everyone who came out to see Mark Wukas interviewed by Richard Reeder at Max and Benny's in Skokie last week. Great turnout. Richard tells us that was his 108th interview. This one featured Mark reading from his book The Kiss of Night. We were there to record it...
=Next up for Mark, an appearance at Printers Row Litfest. He will be appearing on the center stage for a discussion at noon Saturday September 6. Here's the description of that discussion: "New Chicago Fiction: Grit and Grace featuring James Stewart III, Defiant Acts, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr., The El, and Mark Wukas, The Kiss of Night in conversation with Vincent Francone."
=Mark will be signing and selling his books at the Litfest the following day as well (Sept 7) from 2-6pm. He will have a table in the Chicago Writers Association tent.
=This week we got a shipment of thumb drives containing the 14-hour audio book of Mob Adjacent. Look for your chance to pick up this convenient "just plug it in your car's USB port" version soon. We'll have an announcement next week.
=The fellas keep plugging away...
=Jeff Reiter's latest Words on Birds column came out in the Daily Herald this past week and featured a nice plug for the book. You can read the whole article here.
=The column also announced his talk/book launch party at Catigny on September 4th (Register here), his appearance at Printer's Row Litfest on September 7 from 10am-2pm (in the Chicago Writers Association tent), and another one at the Urban Birding Fest September 12-14 (he will have a table selling his book there). For information about the Urban Birding Fest, click here.
=The seventh edition of EveryCubEver is still going strong. Remember to check the daily updates at Rick's Just One Bad Century facebook page.
=One of the most enthusiastic supporters of EveryCubEver was the late great WXRT morning man Lin Brehmer (Born August 19). Here's what he said about it...
From the immortals to the footnotes, they’re all here. Every player has a story. An enduring fascination for any baseball fan with the curiosity to ask, hey, who were those guys?”
=Also, this week in 1996 (August 18), EveryCubEver author Rick Kaempfer took his oldest son Tommy to his first ever Cubs game. (Photographic proof below). Tommy has gone to at least one Cubs game every year since then (except the Covid year when no-one was allowed to go). An older lady saw Rick and Tommy that day in 1996 and asked: "Are you going to make him a Cubs fan?" When Rick responded in the affirmative, the old lady said: "That's child abuse." True story.
=The Flip Side co-author Larry Rosenbaum will also be appearing at the Printers Row Litfest on Saturday September 6th. He'll be in the Chicago Writers Association tent from 12:30pm-3pm.
=Speaking of The Flip Side, on August 19, 1977—Foghat Live was released. It became their top selling album, and naturally led to a record store appearance in The Flip Side.
Worth a Second Look and Oscars Biggest Mistakes
=Since it's called "Litfest" it's only natural that Eric Litt, author of Worth A Second Look and Oscars Biggest Mistakes will be also be appearing at the Printer's Row Litfest on Saturday September 6th. He will be there from 10am--12:30pm at the Chicago Writers Association tent selling and signing copies of both of his books.
=Happy birthday (August 19) to The Living Wills co-author Brendan Sullivan. The Living Wills was our first book, and Brendan has been it's champion. He also contributed to the book The Loop Files.
=One of the closing chapters of Dan McNeil's book I Bear Witness features his tributes to the Bears who have passed away in the last few decades. One of those was Cedric Benson. He died this week (August 17) in 2019. Here's what Dan writes about him in his book...
Benson and a female passenger died at the scene when his motorcycle crashed with a minivan in Austin, Tex. He was 36.
The Heisman trophy winner, picked fourth-overall in ‘05, went 5-11 and 225 with tremendous burst and cut-back quickness. Benson never got out of second gear in Chicago and was shown the door in ‘08 after two alcohol-related arrests in a month. His rap sheep grew considerably as his NFL career devolved. He muscled out a few respectable years with the Bengals before one final season with the Packers.
Weed. Criminal trespassing. Boating under the influence. Punching a bartender.
Cedric Benson lived recklessly.
I admired Benson’s college career at Texas. He was a four-year starter and finished with 5,500+ career rushing yards, second only to Ricky Williams in Austin. He was my kind of back. Low to the ground. Powerful, but sleek. Elusive, but tough.
At training camp in Bourbonnais, Benson pulled up a chair in the air-conditioned RV to do a segment on my ESPN 1000 Mac, Jurko & Harry show. We were in a commercial break when Benson entered the trailer, so I attempted small talk and apologized for the lengthy wait before we got started.
“All good,” Benson said softly. “I got nobody else to go talk to.”
He was serious. Teammates paid him little or no mind. The beatings Benson endured following his 36-day holdout (defenders tackling him at full speed during thud time when tacklers don’t take ball carriers to the ground) were only rookie hazings but proved detrimental. An already bashful guy pulled away even more. Ced never closed the distance from teammates and was a football tragedy.
=Author Deborah Brasket reviewed a few of her favorite books on her blog this week. Among them was Vicki Atkinson's Surviving Sue. Read the whole review here. This is a small excerpt...
Writing about trauma is healing not only for the writer but for the reader as well. For those readers who have suffered or are suffering from similar trauma, it helps them to know they are not alone and gives them coping mechanisms to emulate. For those who have not suffered this way, it gives them a peek into another’s life and helps build empathy and awareness. I learned a lot from reading the excellent memoir and highly recommend it.
=Surviving Sue is a popular choice for book clubs, by the way. Vicki has even put together this book club resources page on her website.
=What a great book launch party a year ago this week for To the Men I've Loved. Thanks so much to everyone who came out. It was a great turnout. Here are a few pictures...
=This week in 2017 (August 20), there was an article in the Cap Times about Eckhartz Press author Lee Kingsmill.
=Exactly one year later in 2018 (August 20), Lee made an appearance on WGN Radio with Rick Kogan to talk about his award-winning book Safe Inside. You can still listen to it here.
=A few notable birthday boys from this week are featured in the pages of Randy Merkin's sports interview book Behind the Glass. Bill Parcells (August 22), Kobe Bryant (August 23) and these guys below. John "Jurko" Jurkovic (foreground with Randy and Henry Winkler and Carmen DeFalco) and Cal Ripken Jr. (August 24)
National Radio Day
=August 20 is National Radio Day. We can't remember, have we ever published a book about radio?
=Speaking of The Loop Files, one of the biggest stars in the history of the station is celebrating a birthday this week (August 19). Happy birthday to the newsman/bluesman Buzz Kilman, seen below with Dennis Hopper and Johnny B, with Johnny B, Kevin Matthews, and Danny Bonaduce, and in the old Loop studios shortly after he arrived in Chicago in 1980.
=This week in 2014, Bruce Bohrer appeared on Pete McMurray's WGN Radio show to talk about his book Best Seat in the House.
=A few of our authors have had brushes with the biggest of the bigshots. That's Life Behind the Camera author Chuck Quinzio with the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton. It's Clinton's birthday this week (August 19)
=Another week, another slew of rock star birthdays. Naturally, We Have Company author Bobby Skafish has featured all of them in his book, Robert Plant (August 20), Joe Strummer (August 21), and Tori Amos (August 22)
=This week in 2021 (August 20), Margaret Larkin's novel Wicker Park Wishes was also released as an e-book. It's still available in that format, of course.
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=Carl Amari has a birthday this week (August 20). He was a big fan of Beth Jacobellis' Eckhartz Press novel Cameo. Here's what he said at the time...
Beth Jacobellis is a masterful storyteller and her latest work, “Cameo” takes us on an unforgettable journey through a powerful representation of timeless love.
=August 21 is World Fashion Day. Believe it or not, we have an author who was a model, Mark Gelinas. His cancer journey is chronicled in the book GelStrong, and induced support from fellow models, including this one, wearing postcards promoting Mark's book...
=This week former Bears wide receiver Dennis McKinnon is celebrating a birthday (August 22). Chet Coppock wrote about Dennis in his book Your Dime My Dance Floor, but he was saving the best Dennis stories for a book he was writing with Dennis. The final draft of that book was turned in to Eckhartz Press the week before Chet died. After Chet's death, Dennis self published the book instead. It's on Amazon, if you're interested.
