Musings, observations, and written works from the publisher of Eckhartz Press, the media critic for the Illinois Entertainer, co-host of Minutia Men, Minutia Men Celebrity Interview and Free Kicks, and the author of "The Loop Files", "Back in the D.D.R", "EveryCubEver", "The Living Wills", "$everance," "Father Knows Nothing," "The Radio Producer's Handbook," "Records Truly Is My Middle Name", and "Gruen Weiss Vor".
=Thanks to everyone who came out to see Dan McNeil this past weekend in Morton Grove. A fun time was had by all. Eckhartz Press publishers Rick and Dave might have accidentally spent a little cash on some baseball card goodies as well.
=Two more chances to see him this week. Tomorrow night (January 14) in Blue Island (photo below) and Sunday in Orland Park (The Orland Park Civic Center). Tomorrow night is at a brewery (Blue Island Beer Company) and Sunday's event is a sports card collector show. Either way, lots to do in addition to getting this critically acclaimed book personally autographed by the author.
=This coming Friday (January 17), Dan will be a guest on Garry Meier's podcast Garforce Radio. That's a live Facebook event during the 5pm hour (central time)
=This week is also Julius Peppers birthday (January 18). The recently inducted Hall of Famer rates a big write up in Dan's new book.
=Next week (January 21) he will be appearing on the WGN-TV morning show.
=Ken will be also be doing a presentation (“A SoxFest ‘Tailgate’ presentation by Last Comiskey” author, Ken Smoller, about the lessons of Comiskey Park’s destruction and impact on Chicago’s current debate about new stadiums for the Sox, Bears, Northwestern and Fire”) at a Sox fan event hosted by Sox Fans 479 at Paterno’s Pizza & Bar (located at the corner of Milwaukee/Central on the northwest side) beginning at noon on Saturday, January 25.
=Then he'll do another signing the same day, Saturday January 25th at AU Sports at 6006 Dempster in Morton Grove from 2:00-3:30pm.
=Also, a happy birthday is in order for one of the big supporters (and featured Sox players) in the book. Jack McDowell (January 16) is not only in the book, he appeared at the big launch party at the Chicago Historical Museum...
It's the week of Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year Awards (this coming Saturday, January 18). One of our books (Hospital Heal Thyself!) won this year and we'll be on hand to congratulate author Mark Taylor. But it's not the first time Eckhartz Press brought home the hardware...
=This week in 2017 (January 15), the Chicago Writers Association named Pat Colander's Eckhartz Press book as the CWA Book of the Year. This is a photo of Pat the night she accepted the award.
=This week in 2018 (January 14), Eckhartz Press author M.L Collins also accepted her award for CWA Book of the year for the zany/off-beat novel Out the Door! Eckhartz Press publishers Rick and Dave were on hand to help her celebrate.
=In 2022, Chili Dog MVP was also honored by the Chicago Writers Association. Authors John Owens (left) and David Fletcher (right) were on hand to receive their award.
=The book is about the 1972 White Sox and two of them have birthdays this week. Unfortunately Alvarado (born January 15) died in 2001, but Forster turns 72 this week (January 14), an appropriate number for the 1972 Sox hurler.
=In 2019, the Eckhartz Press book EveryCubEver was also a finalist for CWA Book of the year. Don't forget that author Rick Kaempfer features a Cub every day on the Just One Bad Century facebook page. For instance...
=This week in 2017, Eckhartz Press publishers Dave and Rick had breakfast with Lee Kingsmill and made the deal to publish his outstanding novel/memoir Safe Inside. Their faith in Lee was rewarded when the book was named as a finalist for CWA Book of the Year in 2018.
=This week in 2016, TV sportscaster (and Eckhartz Press author) Rich Kingannounced his retirement from television. At the time he had already written two books for Eckhartz Press (My Maggie, Back in the Game). His retirement allowed him to write one more. Ike and Me was a finalist for CWA Book of the Year in 2022.
=Martin Luther King Jr. was born this week (January 15) in history. One of our authors not only knew King, he got the opportunity to interview him on television. Joel Daly tells that story in the pages of The Daly News.
=On January
18, 1974—Black Oak Arkansas appeared at the Auditorium in Chicago. The Flip Side brothers (Carl & Larry) were there, presenting the show...
=This week in 2023 (January 14), Chuck Swirsky made an appearance at The Windy City Bulls, and signed copies of his book Always a Pleasure. Two of the many basketball legends who appear in the book are celebrating birthdays this week, former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and Bulls player Dwayne Wade
=This week in 2012 the authors of our first book The Living Wills made an appearance on the WGN-TV Midday News. It was the first of many TV appearances by Eckhartz Press authors.
=Rarely has an interviewer and interviewee hit it off as quickly as Eckhartz Press author Richard Reeder and TV personality Rabbi Doug. This interview is from this week in 2019.
=Vicki Quade is famous in Chicago for her theater work, but she also penned a witty Eckhartz Press book Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind about her everyday encounters with Chicagoans. We love the way she organized the stories by location. For instance, an entire chapter is about her experiences in the post office. This might be good week to read that chapter. The first U.S Postmaster, Benjamin Franklin, was born on January 17.
=We have two books about soccer in the Eckhartz Press library. One is called Grun Weiss Vor! and the other is Transatlantic Passage. That second book is about the Premier League in England. Author Paul Banks was lucky enough to get to speak to some legends, including this week's birthday boy (January 18) Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
=Cubsesessions is a book about celebrity and die-hard Cub fans, and what Cubdom means to them. One of the featured fans was the Bleacher Preacher Jerry Pritikin, seen below at the book launch party with Eckhartz Press publisher David Stern. His birthday is this week (January 18).
=Another contributor to the book was Pat Brickhouse, widow of Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack. She not only contributed to the book, she contributed to our website justonebadcentury.com. Unfortunately Pat passed away this week in 2022.
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!
=Eckhartz Press children's author Ken Korber is celebrating a birthday this week (November 30). Ken has written eight books for us over the years, our most prolific author. Here he is with publishers Rick and Dave holding up a few of his covers....
=Don't forget that this Saturday (November 30) from 1-4pm Dan McNeil is having his book launch party at Bridges in Griffith Indiana (121 N. Griffith Road). He'll be signing and selling copies of his very timely book about Chicago Bears dysfunction. This photo from the book (Dave Wannstedt & Dan) was actually taken at Bridges.
=We'll be getting the copies of this hot-selling book into our warehouse any day now, and will start shipping them out to the hundreds of you who have already pre-ordered it. The authors (Carl & Larry Rosenbaum, and Ken Churilla) already have their copies.
=In the meantime, here's a free picture from the book. This week's birthday boy Howie Mandel (November 29) with Flip Side co-owner Carl Rosenbaum.
=Launch Party for the book is scheduled for Sat - Dec 7th from noon to 3p at Garibaldi's in Hoffman Estates. 2346 W. Higgins Road. It's actually next door to their former flagship store location. Come meet the authors, get a book signed, and get some pizza. =Then there's another upcoming event for this book along with two other Eckhartz Press books. On Sunday December 8th, the authors of four captivating
books will be answering questions and signing books at the Studio 64 room on the 2nd floor of the Arcada Theater noon and 2:00 pm. These books and
their authors are:
ØThe Flip Side – Where Chicago Rocked by Flip Side record store chain founders and music entrepreneurs Carl and Larry Rosenbaum.
ØThe Loop Files – An Oral History of the Most Outrageous Radio Station
Ever by Eckhartz Press publisher, writer and Chicago radio
producer Rick Kaempfer.
ØDoin’ the Cruise – Memories from a
Lifetime in Radio and Rock & Roll by Legendary Chicago FM radio personality Mitch Michaels:
Ø70s Chicagoland Rock Concerts by veteran rock concert photographer Jim Summaria and writer Mark Plotnick.
At 3:00 pm, The Ides of March will be performing on
the Arcada Theater’s main stage. Purchase tickets and make it a day of great rock
‘n’ roll memories. The Arcada Theater is in St. Charles.
=Last year at this time, Loop Files author Rick Kaempfer was all over the place. His first appearance (November 24) was at Blue Village Vinyl in Westmont. A bunch of former Loopers joined him there. (Mitch Michaels, Leslie Harris, Scott Childers, and Jeff Hoover)
=The same day Rick went to another former Looper's house, Leslie Keiling, and appeared on yet another former Looper's podcast, Garry Meier. Former Teenage Radiation drummer Gregg Potter was on that podcast too. You can watch it here.
=And the following night (November 30), the official book launch party happened at Pippin's Tavern in Chicago. This is where a lot of Loopers used to hang out back in the day. Many, many of them turned out for the party. Thanks to Will Byington for hopping on the bar to take this photo of us.
=And happy birthday to Looper and artist Tony Fitzpatrick. His birthday was November 24. Tony is also featured in the book. As is today's birthday boy (November 26) Roman Sawczak. Roman was the leader of Steve Dahl's band Teenage Radiation, and also later the producer of Steve & Garry's show.
=Those of you who have read Victoria Atkinson's book Surviving Sue know about her sister Lisa. She is one of the main characters of the book. Lisa is currently a resident at Clearbrook, and Vicki wrote a wonderful piece on her blog in support of that fine organization. You can read it here. Please consider giving to Clearbrook this holiday season.
=This week in 2016 (November 26), Mark Gelinas held the first of two book launch parties for his book Gel Strong. This one was at that Broken Oar Marina Bar & Grill in Port Barrington. Huge turnout. Great night.
=Ryan Baker is celebrating a birthday this week (November 25). The Channel 2 sportscaster was kind enough to come out to Rich King's book launch party at Guaranteed Rate Field and interview Rich and Ike. The interview aired on Channel 2's morning show.
=Two huge sports stars were born this week, Joe DiMaggio (November 25) and Oscar Robertson (November 24). Chet Coppock knew both men and featured them in his Eckhartz Press book Your Dime My Dance Floor. This photo of Chet and Oscar was taken in the locker room following the Milwaukee Bucks championship in 1971.
=Because the book is about the 1972 White Sox, every single member of that team gets a mention in the book, including Jorge Orta, born this week (November 26) in Mexico. Jorge was very young in 1972, but went on to become a World Series champion (with KC).
=This week in 2022 (November 25), Podcaster (Destination Eat Drink) Brent Petersen interviewed Back in the DDR author Rick Kaempfer about the many foodie moments in his novel. You can listen to that here.
=If that name Brent Petersen sounds familiar, you're right. He's also an Eckhartz Press author. This week in 2017 (November 30), he was following the war crimes trial from the Hague. The criminals on trial were the sorts of men portrayed in Brent's novel Truffle Hunt.
The Balding Handbook
=Author David Stern was at his guerilla marketing best this week (November 27) in 2012 when he was promoting his book The Balding Handbook. He went viral when he took out an ad for an obituary in a Seattle newspaper for Hedda Haire. Get it? Read more about that here.
=This week (November 30) in 2016, Rick Kaempfer released this video to promote Father Knows Nothing. The song lyrics appear in the book. The video makes it come to life. Ironically, the video is edited by Rick's son Tommy, the original target of the song. Vince Argento is the singer.
=Nobody got bigger celebrity endorsements for his book than Life Behind the Camera author Chuck Quinzio. How does he do it? At the time of this photo, Rahm Emanuel was the Mayor of Chicago, and Chuck was a photographer for WFLD-TV, Channel 32. Rahm's birthday is this week (November 29).
=This week in 2011 (November 30), we released our first ever book, The Living Wills. We weren't expecting it to get such an outpouring of good reviews. Here are a few from readers...
"I absolutely loved this book! I enjoyed everything about it - the characters, the storylines, and how it all fits together in the end. It took a few chapters for me to really get into it, and then I didn't want to put it down. I cried when I finished it, but mostly because it was over. The story illustrates how connected our lives really are to so many other people, and in ways that we may not even realize. I read Rick Kaempfer's first novel, "$everance", and I liked that one too, but this one was even better! I would love to see more books from this team of authors - keep it up, guys!!"
--Chocoholic mom
""The Living Wills" is a wonderful story of the meaning of family and friendship in life. This book especially strikes a chord if you're from Chicago, but I would think that any reader would identify with at least one of the main characters, their problems, joys and relationships. Highly recommended!" --Dina S.
"I am an avid reader across many genre. I enjoy taking diverse ideas and rubbing them together to see how I might surprise myself and learn something new, feel something different. The Living Wills is a terrific story that does the same thing between its covers. I laughed, I cried, I thought deeply, and I have taken action based on the wonderful and realistic story. This is a magnificent book for adults and particularly those of us who are into the second half of our lives or who know someone who is. It gives new insights into how to measure the meaning of one's life - whether in its entirety or just two seconds." --Gil H.
"I absolutely loved this book! I loved the characters, the storylines, and especially how the stories all came together at the end. I also laughed and cried, and was sad when I finished the book. I would love to read more books by these two authors. Keep writing, guys!!!" --Carol R.
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