The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
The Sun at the End of the Road
=Tickets are available for Tony's show at Steppenwolf, get your tickets now. The show runs from October 16--November 2.
Richard Kind calls out Tony Fitzpatrick.., pic.twitter.com/ZpvjC0LV8R
— Rick Kaempfer (@RickKaempfer) September 27, 2025
=Tony was touched by that moment, even though he's a Sox fan. Another friend of his sent a cake with a slightly different message. The 100 represents the 100th loss by the White Sox. Tony may be sick, but he's still Tony.
=We have some photos from the red carpet preview of the Dick Allen movie, My Father Dick Allen, at the Boston Film Festival. Pictured below, producer (and author of Chili Dog MVP) David Fletcher. The second photo features Dick Allen's son Richard and another producer of the movie, Sharon Pannozzo. And finally the third photo is David Fletcher with Richard Allen and fellow Eckhartz Press author (Last Comiskey) Ken Smoller. Ken is the official photographer for the film.
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Mob Adjacent
=We're going to get our first look at the film based on our book Mob Adjacent this coming weekend. Can't wait. In the meantime, here's another trailer from the fellas...
=As long as we're sending out birthday wishes, one of the Mob Adjacent brothers, Jeffrey Gentile is also celebrating a birthday this week (September 29). Happy birthday Jeff! See you this weekend for the screening. ( Listen to Jeff talk about Mob Adjacent.)
=It's playoff time, Cub fans. How are we feeling about our chances? Hopefully it goes better than it did in 2008. See below.
=This week in 2008 (October 5), EveryCubEver author Rick Kaempfer was interviewed by CBS-2 TV just as the Cubs were ending their playoff run. It would be another ten years before EveryCubEver was completed. The seventh edition is out now. Perfect gift for your Cub fan friends. If you have a previous version, it's time to upgrade. This one also has hundreds of vintage photographs.
=Remember, nearly every Eckhartz Press author is available to come to your book club. Just ask Bob Conlon. He was in Crystal Lake this week for a bookclub, and enjoyed every minute of it.
=Sometimes we forget that we have actual newspaper journalists in the Eckhartz Press stable. Jeff Reiter's latest column was a front pager in this section of the Daily Herald last week (photo). Look for a full in-depth piece about Jeff and his book this week.
=Jeff isn't the only Daily Herald journalist in our stable. This week last year we staged a book launch party for Daily Herald editor Jim Slusher and his book To Nudge the World. Great turnout. Inspiring reading. His book couldn't be more timely today. Much of it examines the role of the press, and the freedom of the press.
Happy Birthday!
=Big week for author birthdays. Two more also have birthdays this week. 1001 Train Rides in Chicago author Richard Reeder (September 30), and Signature Shoes author Ryan Trembath (October 4). Listen to Ryan talk about Signature Shoes. Richard may have another book coming out soon. We have inside sources about these things.
=It's the one-year anniversary of Eric Litt's second Eckhartz Press book. Worth a Second Look is the book that every movie fan should have at their disposal when they can’t find anything to watch. Super Movie Fan and author of Oscars Biggest Mistakes Eric Litt handpicked 200 films that are either underrated, a forgotten hit, a hidden gem or a guilty pleasure from the past 50 years. This book is full of recommendations for terrific films that deserve to be seen again from almost every genre from action to comedy to horror to holiday. There is something in this book for everyone.
Staying Alive is a lot of Work
=It's also the one-year anniversary of Staying Alive is a Lot of Work. One day Pat Camalliere was finally enjoying her family, newfound success as a historical mystery writer, and singing in a classical chorus, passions she had put off during her forty-year career in medical administration. The next day she found herself struggling to survive after being diagnosed with advanced tongue cancer. With knowledge gained from a lifetime in the field of medicine, as a writer of character driven novels, and as a cancer patient herself, Camalliere walks readers through slices of her life growing up in Chicago, relating moving experiences with detail and humor, demystifying the day-to-day struggles of a cancer patient in a way few can do. There is no one better to explain the cancer experience from diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiation, through side effects and recovery. Although staying alive is a lot of work, personal efforts to understand cancer and the people who treat it can ease the journey to recovery. This memoir will benefit anyone who has or has had cancer, their loved ones, and all who treat and support cancer patients.
=Meta Stories is one of our stellar 2024 releases. We had a chance to sit down with author Dr. Joe Novak and talk about the book. The Q&A is here.
=Janet Sutherland was on WLS Radio to promote her annual walk for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. Thanks so much to Ray Stevens for having her on his show. You can listen to it here.
=Janet was recognized at last year's walk (the 10th annual) for her tireless work as the foundation's Ambassador for the past twenty years. A letter of thanks and recognition from Congressman Sean Casten was presented to Janet at the walk. Congrats to Janet!
=This week in 2016 (September 30), Bobby Skafish held the launch party for his book We Have Company. It was a star-studded event at Toons on Southport Avenue. In the photo below with Bobby...Greg Solk, Rick Kaempfer, and Johnny Mars.
=Speaking of rock stars, the immortal Jerry Lee Lewis was born this week in 1935 (September 29). Bill Paige features an interview with the Killer in the pages of his book.
=This week in 2022 (October 4), Bill Paige made a return trip to Chicago (He now lives in Thailand) and played a gig on the North side of the city. Eckhartz Press publisher Rick Kaempfer was there to cheer him on.
Pat Cassidy
=For years Pat Cassidy reigned supreme on the Chicago airwaves as the morning co-anchor at WBBM-AM (with Felicia Middlebrooks). He also managed to find his way into two Eckhartz Press books. That's Pat in Rich King's memoir Ike & Me (along with fellow WBBM pros Jim Benes and Bernie Tafoya), and there's Pat in Mitch Michael's memoir Doin The Cruise. Two very different books, but with one significant similarity...Pat Cassidy. Pat's birthday is September 30.
Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind
=This week in 1971 (October 1), the Chicago Reader was founded. The Reader has been a champion of Eckhartz Press author Vicki Quade her entire career. This is the quote they provided for Vicki's book Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind...
“I love observational journalism. When a writer simply listens and watches, and interprets a story through their senses. Chicagoan Vicki Quade is that kind of writer. She beautifully captures the small nuances of movement and conversation that make Chicago what it is—a city of people, a city of neighborhoods, and a city of a million stories, big and small.”
=October 1 is World Vegetarian Day. We have a few vegetarian authors at Eckhartz Press, but only Brent Petersen incorporated that into his novel (Truffle Hunt). Before he even wrote that fun foodie novel, Brent explained his vegetarianism in this essay. The money quote: “I am not a vegetarian because I love animals, I am vegetarian because I hate plants.”
=Not to brag, but how many authors have a photo of Sting (born October 2) holding a copy of their book? Chuck Quinzio has one.
=This week in 2018, Cubsessions co-authors Randy Richardson and Becky Sarwate appeared on the Club 400 show to talk Cubs. You can still listen to it here.
=One of the most colorful soccer players of all-time, Zlatan, is celebrating a birthday this week (October 3). Paul Banks writes about Zlatan in his Eckhartz Press book. He also once got close enough to the legend to snap this photo...
=This week in 1979 (October 4), Pope John Paul II came to Chicago to make a few appearances. Eckhartz Press author Roger Badesch was there covering the event as a newsman at WKQX. His report from that time, which is found in the pages of The Unplanned Life, includes a description of what it was like hanging out in a scrum of reporters outside the Cardinal's house (where the Pope was staying). Roger passed the time waiting for His Holiness by doing "latch-hook." He created something for his daughter's room.
=This week in 2021 (October 5), shortly after his book was released, Roger announced his retirement from WGN.
=This week in 2018 (October 4), Russ Fahrner (far left) and Bruce Bohrer (far right) appeared on WCGO with Bill Turck to talk about their retirement book...
Tony LaRussa
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=This week in 2018, Chet Coppock unveiled the promo video for his book...
=We still miss you Chet.
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