The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
Happy Birthday!
Two Eckhartz Press authors are celebrating a birthday this week. Happy birthday Rich King (March 18) and Mitch Michaels (March 20)
Two Eckhartz Press books had book launch parties this week, Cameo by Beth Jacobellis (2018) and Nose Over Toes by Janet Sutherland (2019). Photos from those book launch parties are below. By the way, this is 20th anniversary of Janet's aneurysm (which is what the book is about). She is still going strong.
=A peek inside Vicki Atkinson's book...
Records Truly Is My Middle Name
=This week in 2013 was a big week for Records Truly Is My Middle Name. You don't really know what you have with a book until the Chicago Tribune's Rick Kogan chimes in. His excellent review in the Tribune came out this week, and Rick also conducted this interview in the Tribune newsroom.
St. Patrick's Day
=St Patrick's Day has always been a big day for Eckhartz Press. Our Irish cup runneth over. Joel Daly (The Daly News) covered the parade for Channel 7 for 40 years. John Landecker been has going to the parade since the 1970s (photo below with Bob Sirott) and Brendan Sullivan (The Living Wills) wrote a piece for us about what it means to grow up South Side Irish. It's all here.
=This week in 2016, Dobie Maxwell was making the rounds in his native Milwaukee. He had a big appearance at Shank Hall.
=In 2023, Windy City Reviews dropped an incredible review of Rick Kaempfer's novel Back in the DDR...
“For those reminiscing on or wishing they could have visited Cold War Europe, this reviewer has the next best alternative for you, in the form of Rick Kaempfer’s fascinating new novel Back in the D.D.R. In his highly polished and breezy writing style, Kaempfer takes the reader on a literary adventure of a lifetime, back to Checkpoint Charlie and the whispers of espionage.
Having an understanding of the geography, when added to Kaempfer’s descriptive and detailed writing, helps to transport the reader to these locations. Indeed, the reader may begin to feel as if they are physically accompanying Rudi and his family as they travel.
This fantastic story ends on a triumphal note for thirteen-year-old Rudi, who is forced to mature in a short time. Emblematic of this dawning maturity is when Rudi states, “In Chicago I always felt like a German boy pretending to be American, in Germany I discovered that I was not pretending.”
=Two of the contributors to Cubsessions are celebrating birthdays this week, actor Gary Sinese (March 17) and Shawon Dunston (March 21). Dunston himself doesn't appear in the book, but the man who created the Shawon-O-Meter (Dave Cilha) does. That's Dave (on the far right) at one of the Cubsessions book signings. Others in the photo--author Randy Richardson, former Cubs ball girl Kathy Wolter, and Ronnie Woo Woo.
=This week in 1989, Steve Dahl got his vasectomy live on the radio, and Garry Meier had to describe it. That story is told in the pages of The Loop Files.
=When the Eagles came to Chicago a few weeks ago, Joe Walsh mentioned Steve & Garry on stage...
=Joe is also in the book...
=This week in 1861, Benedictine Sisters of Chicago founded. Eckhartz Press author Vicki Quade is a huge supporter of the organization, and they, in turn, are huge supporters of Vicki...
“Vicki Quade’s new book reminds me of Martin Buber’s quote which was always a favorite of mine: All real living is meeting. Anyone who loves or wants to know Chicago will enjoy Vicki’s keen humor and vivid memories. They invite us to find new ways to live and laugh, especially during this pandemic isolation. Maybe it will encourage some to write their own memories of human encounters!”
=This week in 2020, Lee Kingsmill's great book was given a long and heartfelt endorsement by WGN Radio's Steve King and Johnnie Putman.
=This week in 2023, Chuck Swirsky pitched his memoir Always a Pleasure in Canada. It was a coming home of sorts for Swirsky who was the play-by-play man for the Raptors for many years.
Chili Dog MVP
=One of the 1972 White Sox is celebrating a birthday this week (March 23). Jim Geddes is featured in the pages of Chili Dog MVP.
=The first day of Spring is this week, or as we call it at EveryCubEver headquarters, the first day of Jack Spring.
=The new version of the book is coming soon!
