The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
National Women's Month
=March is National Women's month, and we wouldn't be where we are today without the contributions of our female authors. We've published more than 20 books written by talented women, including three Pats (Pat Colander, Pat Camalliere, Pat Motto) and two Vickis (Vicki Atkinson, Vicki Quade), plus Jeanne Bellezzo, M.L Collins, Gloria Golec, Jessica Hagy, Beth Jacobellis, Judy Ann Jamerson, Margaret Larkin, Lauren LoGiudice, Deena Mendes, Kristin Oakley, Lori Oster, Becky Sarwate, Maggie Smith, Kim Strickland, Felitzitas Sudendorf, Janet Sutherland, Deb Tokarz, and Ann R. Wilson. We can't thank them enough.
=In addition, many of our editors have also been women. Two of them are still currently working with us, Lauren Schultz and Mary Leonard.
=And we can't forget our designers as well. The first few Eckhartz Press books (The Living Wills, Down at the Golden Coin, Records Truly is My Middle Name, Cheeseland, and Lost in the Ivy) had covers designed by Kelly Hyde.
Records Truly Is My Middle Name
=John Landecker's daughter Amy Landecker has directed and written her first film and she will be here this Thursday, March 5, along with her husband Bradley Whitford, to screen it at the Music Box theater. John Landecker will be there to moderate the discussion. We'll be there too...in the audience.
=Amy Landecker and Bradley Whitford were on The View last week talking about the film...
=Bradley Whitford was also on Stephen Colbert's Show last week talking about the film...
=A story Bradley tells on Colbert is also featured in Landecker's book Records Truly Is My Middle Name. This is a photo of the man he was talking about...Joseph Nye Welch, Amy's great-grandfather, and the man who famously derided Senator McCarthy with "At long last sir, have you no decency?"
Beyond the Glass
=We have a cover for Randy Merkin's second book! It will be available for pre-order soon. Here it is...
Surviving Sue and Slivers
=Vicki Atkinson has written a memoir for us (Surviving Sue) and now has a novel that will be coming out soon on Eckhartz Press. In the meantime, her blog gives a few clues about you might expect in the pages of her upcoming novel. It will be entitled Slivers.
=Robert Conlon was at the Boozy Book Fair on the Northwest Side of Chicago this past weekend. Thanks to everyone who came out.
=On March 1, 2024—Dune Part 2 was released. In Nick's book, he named it the Film of the Year.
=Nick Digilio's night at the Lake Theater is next Wednesday night March 11 in Oak Park. The film he has chosen to show this month will be Zero Dark Thirty.
=Did you catch Jim Elsener's guest shot on Minutia Men Celebrity Interview last week?
=Jim Elsener has scheduled his book launch party! Mark it on your calendar. It will be on Thursday March 19th, from 6-8pm at Kappy's American Restuarant at 7200 W. Dempster in Morton Grove. Fellow Eckhartz Press author Mark Wukas (The Kiss of Night) will be there too. Look for these two to make dual appearances in the future. Both of their books are about the same thing, the City News Bureau of Chicago. One is non-fiction (Sirens) and and one is fiction (Kiss). Both are fantastic!
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=Here's another upcoming Elsener appearance. He will be in Oak Park at the Book Loft on April 8th. More details in the coming weeks.
Oscars Biggest Mistakes & Worth a Second Look
=Eric Litt was at the Boozy Book Fair (Printers Row Brewing, 4801 N. Austin) this past Saturday. Thanks to everyone who came out.
=Next week he'll make his sixth appearance on Minutia Men Celebrity Interview, picking this year's Oscar winners.
=The Chili Dog MVP calendar is jam packed. This week they find themselves in Pennsylvania promoting the film about the book, My Father Dick Allen. They have two events there. One in Philly (March 5), and one in Dick Allen's hometown of Wampum (March 7).
=Of course, there's a reason this week was chosen. Dick Allen, the star of the book Chili Dog MVP, was born March 8,1942. Chili Dog MVP was released on his birthday in 2022. Last summer Dick was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame.
=Some behind the scenes moments during the filming of the Mob Adjacent movie in New York...
The Sun at the End of the Road
=On March 3, 2000, the movie Ghost Dog was released. What does that have to do with the Tony Fitzpatrick book The Sun at the End of the Road? It inspired the name of the dog on the book's cover. Tony liked this piece so much he also made it into a poster. He gave us a stack of them to sell the week before he died. Book is here. Poster is here.
=Where is our intrepid birder now? He's in San Diego. Sold some books to the West Coast types.
=In honor of Jeff Reiter's wonderful bird book, we're going to feature a bird a month in this column. Here's the bird of the month for March...Roufus Hummingbird (photo by Matt Miscewicz)
=Book of the Year winner Jim Slusher writes a column every week for the Daily Herald called "Letter to Readers". Two years ago this week (March 7) he wrote one that is timely to go back and read. It's about the value of art criticism. Seems appropriate as we head into Oscar week. Pick up your Book of the Year copy of To Nudge the World and read it there.
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=Two Loopers are celebrating birthdays this week, Laura Witek (March 4) and Scott Dirks (March 5). Both tell great stories in the book, including the stories behind these photos.
=Author Randy Richardson is a die-hard Cubs fan, so naturally his murder mystery takes place in Wrigleyville. Fellow Cubs author Stuart Shea provided this blurb for the back cover of the book...
"Randy Richardson’s Lost in the Ivy expertly captures the weirdness and excitement of the streets that the Chicago Cubs—baseball’s weirdest and most exciting franchise—call home. And aside from being a terrific “I’ve been there” walk through Wrigleyville, it’s a cracking murder mystery to boot!"
Stuart Shea, author of "Wrigley Field: The Unauthorized Biography" and "Wrigley Field: THE LONG LIFE AND CONTENTIOUS TIMES OF THE FRIENDLY CONFINES"
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=Lauren LoGiudice brings her Misfit Variety show to the Annoyance March 13. Show's at 9. Get your tickets here.
The Radio Hall of Fame
=The latest Illinois Entertainer is out and features suggestions for the next class of the Radio Hall of Fame. Public voting goes until April 1. Several Eckhartz Press authors are suggested, including Mitch Michaels (Doin the Cruise) and Bobby Skafish (We Have Company), as well as contributors to The Loop Files (Patti Haze, Bob Stroud, Kevin Matthews).
=Last year's March issue featured an interview with Flip Side co-owner (and author) Larry Rosenbaum.
=The Flip Side is still getting great reviews. Click on this one below to read it.
=Dan McNeil was making the rounds in his native Northwest Indiana this week last year. He appeared on the Tom Lounges radio show, then made a few library appearances in Highland and Merrillville. Thanks so much to everyone who came out!
=This week (March 5) is also the birthday of former Bears quarterback Justin Fields. Dan McNeil wrote about Fields in I Bear Witness.
=Two of the people Ken Smoller features in Last Comiskey are celebrating birthdays this week as well. Former White Sox pitchers Scott Radinsky (March 3) and Wayne Edwards (March 7).
=Former NBC news anchor Lester Holt is celebrating a birthday this week (March 8) too and is featured in the pages of Rich King's book Ike & Me.
=Author Bobby Skafish was making the publicity rounds this week in 2017 talking about his Eckhartz Press book We Have Company: Four Decades of Rock and Roll Encounters. Among his appearances, a visit to WCIU-TV's morning show.
=Legendary Bears safety Doug Plank celebrates a birthday this week (March 4). This is what he had to say about Your Dime My Dance Floor author Chet Coppock...
"When I think of Chicago sports, I think of Chet Coppock. Chet is everywhere and he knows everyone. He has done everything there is to do in sports reporting and broadcasting."
=Janet Guthrie is a trailblazing female race car driver. Her birthday is March 7. Chet Coppock got to know Guthrie during his days in Indianapolis, and wrote about her in Your Dime My Dance Floor.
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=This week in 2020, Roger Badesch's book The Unplanned Life became available for the first time via pre-sale. It immediately garnered praise from the dean of Chicago media.
“You may think you know Roger Badesch if you have listened over the years to his exact and artful news reports on radio, but between the covers of this book you will find so much more–a man of great depth, many passions and skills. His is a wonderful life that you can now share.”
Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, WGN Radio
=Harry Caray was born this week (March 1) in 1914. Chuck Quinzio has a great story about Harry that goes back to the Cubs playoff year in 1984. It's in the book Life Behind the Camera.
=Chuck Quinzio's harrowing tale of his life as a TV News cameraman garnered fans from across the spectrum, including Rob Reiner. The late filmmaker was born this week (March 6) in 1947.
=Chicago media critic Robert Feder wrote that one of the highlights of Joel Daly's memoir The Daly News is the inclusion of a few examples of his nightly commentaries from the Channel 7 News in the 1970s. One of those was delivered on the air this week (March 8) in 1972. You can read that free excerpt from Joel's book here.
=On March 7, 2013, The Living Wills became the first Eckhartz Press book to be used in a high school's literature curriculum (it's not the last). Co-author Brendan Sullivan was on hand at Marist High School the day it was introduced at the school.
=Pat Colander's book would go on to become the CWA Book of the Year in 2016. One of the book's biggest fans was Saturday Night Live alumnus Tim Kazurinsky, who is celebrating a birthday this week (March 3). Here's what Tim had to say...
As Paul Simon bookended…”Time it was, and what a time it was….A time of innocence. A time of confidences.” Chicago in the ’70’s was surreal, scary and freaking hilarious. My Second City kith and kin may have found brighter lights in N.Y. and L.A. — but we were spawned and fermented at North and Wells. Good thing Pat Colander thought to take notes and chronicle everything.
And finally, Happy Birthday to another one of our award winning authors (March 2), Lee Kingsmill! Lee wrote the incredible Safe Inside.
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