Publishing Portal--June 25, 2024

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 birthdays today. Bob Shannon (June 23) wrote the book Turn it Up for us in 2017. Roger Badesch (June 24) contributed The Unplanned Life in 2020. Happy birthday to both!

Last Comiskey

=Ken Smoller is coming back to town this coming weekend. He will be at Blue Island Brewing on June 29 selling and signing his book from 2-4pm, and then he'll be at the Windy City Thunderbolts game that same night at 6:05.

Records Truly Is My Middle Name

=This week in 2017, Eckhartz Press author John Records Landecker was named to the National Radio Hall of Fame. That led to the release of an updated version of his book, Records Truly Is My Middle Name.

=This week in 1978, John Landecker impressed his father for the first time when he appeared on NPR. You can listen to that segment here.

Best Seat in the House

=This week in 2014, Bruce Bohrer held the book launch party for this book Best Seat in the House at Tavern 60 in Mundelein. Here are a few photos from that memorable day. 

Surviving Sue

A new article about Surviving Sue and Writing for Wellness is out --featured in Happiness Between Tails by da-AL -- Writing/Tales + Tails + Culture + Compassion. Read more about that here, and congrats to Vicki Atkinson for the additional exposure.

EveryCubEver

=This week in 2019, author Rick Kaempfer appeared on Garry Meier's show on WLS to promote the book (June 24) and on-stage at the play about the Cubs, Miracle (June 27). Rick was asked to lead the crowd in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"

=This week in 1984 (June 23), one of the most famous games in Wrigley Field history occurred. The Ryne Sandberg game. Rick was there and told the story in this Just One Bad Century video...

Signature Shoes

=Bob Vorwald is a WGN-TV legend for his many years as the producer of WGN Sports. Bob is celebrating a birthday this week (June 23). He's a big fan of Ryan Trembath's book Signature Shoes. Here's what he said about it...

• “A loose mental inventory has me concluding I’ve owned around 200 pairs of shoes in my life. None will ever stand up to the 1979 white Adidas Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hi-tops I had for my last year of high school basketball. I played better (there was nowhere to go but up) knowing that I looked better. Those shoes were sweet and I thank Ryan for this fun project which sparked this memory.”

  Bob Vorwald, Director of Production at WGN-TV. Author of "Cubs Forever," "What It Means to Be a Cub: The North Side's Greatest Players Talk About Cubs Baseball," and "What It Means to Be a White Sox: The South Side's Greatest Players Talk about White Sox Baseball."

We Have Company

=Two big rock stars are celebrating birthdays this week, which means of course, that it's another good time to mention Bobby Skafish's great rock and roll interview book We Have Company. The Clash's Mick Jones (June 26) and indie-rocker Chris Isaak (June 26) both rate their own chapters in Bobby's great book. Both were interviewed by Bobby during his days at WXRT.

Everything I Know I Learned from Rock Stars

=Rocker Mick Fleetwood also has a birthday this week (June 24). Yes, he's in Bobby's book, but he's also featured in a long interview in Bill Paige's book Every I Know I Learned from Rock Stars

Your Dime My Dance Floor

=This week (June 28, 1997) is the anniversary of the infamous Tyson-Holyfield fight in which Mike Tyson bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield's ear. Chet Coppock wrote a whole chapter about that fight in his book Your Dime My Dance Floor. This week is also the birthday of former Bear Doug Buffone (June 27). Chet and Doug were colleagues and friends. This photo is in the book. (Doug and Chet are the two in the middle)

Ike and Me and My Maggie 

=Rich King has two books available through Eckhartz Press, and former WGN-TV main anchor Mark Suppelsa (June 25 birthday) plays a role in both of them. He is featured in this photo, the night the Cubs finally won the World Series in 2016, in the book Ike and Me (second from left. Rich is on the far right)

=He also provided this endorsement of Rich's first book My Maggie

• I breezed through the pages not only engrossed in the phoenix of Rich’s ‘second life’ with his new bride, but thoroughly enjoyed traversing with him through his memorable career. A truly good man who thankfully for all us chose to tell another good story about his remarkable life.

  Mark Suppelsa, Anchor, WGN-TV News

The Loop Files

=This week in 1988 (June 25), Loop morning man Jonathon Brandmeier set an attendance record at the Poplar Creek music venue. The Chicago Tribune wrote about it at the time. That story is also featured in the book The Loop Files.

Mob Adjacent

=One of the biggest fans of the Eckhartz Press book Mob Adjacent is former Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass, who is celebrating a birthday this week (June 25). Here's what he had to say about the book...

• “I love this book. A fascinating account. You’ve got to read this book before the movie.”

  John Kass, Chicago Tribune

Cubsessions

=The book Cubsessions is a collection of celebrity Chicago Cubs fans telling their personal stories about loving the team, and what the World Series victory meant to them. One of the stars featured in the book is former Parks & Recreation star Nick Offerman. He's celebrating a birthday this week (June 26) 

Inside Melania

=Who would have thought that this book would have a resurgence now that Donald Trump is running for president again? Well, one big fan, Joe Conklin (WIP Radio/Philadelphia) had a pretty good idea. He's celebrating a birthday this week as well (June 26). Here's what he had to say about the book...

• “Clever and hilarious.”

  Joe Conklin, WIP Morning Show

 Behind the Glass 

=For more than twenty years Randy Merkin was a sports radio producer. In that role he met a Who's Who of sports icons, including this week's birthday boy John Elway (June 28). Randy's John Elway story rates an entire chapter in the book. 

Always a Pleasure

=In recent months and years several of the greats mentioned by Chuck Swirsky in his book Always a Pleasure have passed away. One of the first was his broadcasting colleague Craig Sager.  His story lives on in the pages of Chuck's book.

Transatlantic Passage

=This week in 2021 (June 24), Paul Banks appeared on WGN Radio to talk about his book Transatlantic Passage. The book is about the popularity of the English Premier League in America. You can still listen to that interview here

 

Publishing Portal--May 14, 2024

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 Loop Files

=This past weekend The Loop Files author Rick Kaempfer appeared at the Pollyanna Brewing Company in Roselle. At least a dozen former Loopers were there interacting with the Loop fan crowd. Here are a few photos from that memorable event. 

=On Friday night Rick appeared with Dave Plier on WGN Radio. You can listen to that here.

=Thanks to Tom Barnas for this piece in his “Stories from the 78”

= On May 17, 1989, comedian Sam Kinison & his friend Guns & Roses guitarist Slash, visited the WLUP (Steve & Garry) studios. The story of that incredible day is told in the pages of The Loop Files. 

 

Last Comiskey

=The big official launch party of our latest book Last Comiskey is coming this Thursday, May 16. Among the celebrity guests appearing at this one; White Sox greats Ron Kittle, Jack McDowell and Donn Pall and Organist Nancy Faust. Please RSVP to info@stadiumvagabond.com.

Chicago--The Great Retirement Resource

=This week in 2023, Russ Fahrner & Bruce Bohrer released their book about retiring in Chicagoland. We got a chance to have a Q&A with them about their book. 

City U

=This week in 2021, the book City U was released. This Q&A with author Bob Boone explains that book pretty well.

 Severance

=In 2007, future Eckhartz Press publisher Rick Kaempfer released his first novel (with New York publisher ENC Press). The rights to that book have now reverted to Rick and is available via Eckhartz Press. 

=This interview came out this week in 2007. Radio Hall of Famer John Landecker interviewed Rick.

=In 2017, on the 10th anniversary of Severance, Rick wrote an update about media ownership for Illinois Entertainer.

=May 17 is also former media critic Robert Feder's birthday. Here's what he had to say about Severance when it came out...

• “Told with the keen insight of a veteran insider, it’s a humorous indictment of an industry that has lost all sense of purpose — except for making money, of course.”

  Media columnist Robert Feder

 

Behind the Glass

=Two sports legends celebrating their birthdays this week get a full chapter in Randy Merkin's book. John Smoltz (May 15) and Jim Nantz (May 17).

Records Truly Is My Middle Name

=Just a few months after the release of his book, John Landecker's former boss Paul Drew died. Drew famously asked Landecker to stop using his real name (the almost perfect radio name John Records Landecker) and go with Scott Walker. The free excerpt about that strange career moment is here. 

=This week in 2015, John and his daughter Amy (a successful actress in Hollywood, married to Bradley Whitford) made the media rounds in Chicago. 

Chili Dog MVP

=Two 1972 White Sox, featured in the book Chili Dog MVP, are celebrating birthdays this week. Carlos May (May 17) is the only player to have his birthday on his jersey. He was #17. (Photo: Eckhartz publisher Rick Kaempfer with Carlos). Steve Kealey (May 13) was a pitcher on that team. 

Your Dime My Dance Floor

=How many sportscasters do you know that interviewed Olga Korbut? Chet Coppock is one of them, and he wrote about it in his Eckhartz Press book. Can you tell it was the 1970s? Olga's birthday is this week (May 16) 

An Off-White Christmas

=Author Rosellen Brown (born May 12) is a big fan of Eckhartz Press author Don Evans, and gave this review to his book An Off White Christmas.

Donald Evans has a great ear and a light touch and together they lead An Off-White Christmas in unpredictable directions. Underlying what’s funny in these stories are real families, friends and lovers colliding or coming together in what promises, but doesn’t always turn out to be, the season of good cheer.

Rosellen Brown, author of Street Games, Before and After, Half a Heart and others

 

EveryCubEver

=This week in 2019, EveryCubEver author Rick Kaempfer met life-long Cubs fan George Will and gave him a copy of EveryCubEver. The sixth edition of the book is now available.

The Unplanned Life

=This week in 1981 (May 13), Pope John Paul II was shot. Roger Badesch was a journalist at the time and covered that story. He tells all about it in his book, The Unplanned Life. 

Mob Adjacent

=This week in 2018 (May 14), the authors of Mob Adjacent, the Gentile Brothers (Jeff & Michael), were interviewed by Tribune columnist and WGN+ podcaster John Kass. 

The Daly News

=The original Mayor Daley, Richard J. Daley, was born in Bridgeport this week (May 15) in 1902. Hizzoner always got a kick out of being interviewed by the second most famous Daly in Chicago during the 1970s, newscaster Joel. That story is told in Joel's book The Daly News.

 

The Living Wills

=This week in 2012 (May 14), the Daily Herald published an article about the first ever Eckhartz Press book, The Living Wills

 

Truffle Hunt

=In 2015 when Brent Petersen wrote his foodie novel Truffle Hunt, synthetic truffles didn't exist. He predicted (in the novel) that they would one day, and just two years later May 18, 2017 he was proven correct. 

Cubsessions

=This week in 2018, Cubsessions co-author Randy Richardson had a book signing at the Billy Goat on lower Michigan Avenue. Among the luminaries who came out that day were former Cubs ballgirl Kathy Wolter, Ronnie WooWoo, and Dave Cihla, the creator of the Shawon-O-Meter. Randy later appeared with Cub Willson Contreras at Club 400. Willson (yes two Ls) is celebrating a birthday this week (May 13).

Cameo

=This week in 2018 (May 18), Cameo author Beth Jacobelllis appeared on America's Most Haunted to talk about the haunting tale that inspired her novel.

Hugh Hefner's First Funeral

=This week in 2019 (May 18), writer Dave Hoekstra did a heartwarming tribute to the recently deceased Eckhartz Press author Pat Colander. That tribute is still on the WGN Radio website. 

 

A tour of Rick's office

=This week in 2020 (May 15), during the height of the pandemic shutdown, a group of writers and booksellers got together to help raise money and awareness of the plight of Indie bookstores, which were forced to close during the pandemic. One of the writers asked to contribute a video about what it's like to work at home was Eckhartz Press publisher, Rick Kaempfer. This is that video...

Axios Reviews The Loop Files

Publishing Portal--April 23, 2024

The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.

Last Comiskey

=Our newest book got a teaser in the Chicago Sun Times last week. Thanks to Jeff Agrest for this mention...First-time author Ken Smoller’s “Last Comiskey,” an adaptation of Matt Flesch’s 2023 documentary, will be released in May. It serves as a companion piece, combining Smoller’s photographs from the 1990 Sox season, content from the film and new material.

=So, who is author Ken Smoller, you may ask. 

    Ken Smoller (aka “Stadium Vagabond”) is a photographer and writer based in Brookline Massachusetts, with childhood roots in Chicagoland. In over three decades of extensive traveling, he has photographed more than 2,350 stadiums in 48 states and 24 countries. His mantra is that one of the best ways to understand the culture and fabric of a place is through its sporting arenas and stadiums. Today, Ken runs the “Stadium Vagabond” blog (www.stadiumvagabond.com and on social media @stadiumvagabond) to share his photographs and stories from years of sporting adventures around the globe. When he is not at the ballpark, Ken works as a commercial real estate attorney and lives with his wife, Jaime, and two sons, Simon and Charlie. He received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. Smoller also spent his college summers back in Chicago as a vendor at new Comiskey Park during its first three seasons, and on Sox off-days at Wrigley Field and Soldier Field. Despite living in the Boston area, his sporting loves remain the White Sox, Bears, Bulls and Blackhawks.

=This week he appeared on WCIU, The U, with Kenny McReynolds.

EveryCubEver

=April (Opening Day), May (Mother's Day), June (Father's Day) and December (Christmas) are the four busy seasons every year for EveryCubEver. Two of those are coming up soon. If Mom and/or Dad are Cub fans, the all-new 6th edition is out now!

=This week in 2019, Rick Kaempfer appeared at the Orland Park Sports Card show to sign and sell the book. Randy Richardson was also there signing and selling his book Cubsessions. That's former Cubs catching great Randy Hundley in the photo with him below.

=This week in 2023, Rick Kaempfer appeared on the Andrea Darlas podcast to talk about it.

=This week's birthday boy (April 25), former Chicago Bull Dave Corzine, has a copy of the book.

=Two other significant birthdays this week are featured in the book, Hall of Famers Hack Wilson and Rogers Hornsby. They were teammates on the Cubs and hated each other. Rick's blog will feature their book write-ups on Thursday.

=Here's one more bonus Cubs feature. A home movie from this week in 1938. 

Monkey in the Middle

=Dobie Maxell was in the news this week in 2016. The Milwaukee Journal reviewed his book Monkey in the Middle and had this to say...

    There has been talk of turning "Monkey in the Middle" into a movie. The book opens with Maxwell sharing his rough start in life, which included having a drug addict mother who abandoned him and his siblings, and a father who was in a motorcycle gang. Maxwell was separated from his siblings — they have since reunited — and raised from age 5 months by his grandparents near 20th and Hampton.
    Maxwell calls himself a dented can and, sarcastically, Mr. Lucky. But he has made a life working on the radio in Milwaukee, Chicago, Reno and Los Angeles, and in stand-up comedy, now mostly as a regular at Zanies clubs in the Chicago area. He also teaches comedy.
    Maxwell's humorous approach to life comes through often in the book, even in his exchanges with federal agents and prosecutors. "I realize you're a comedian, but this is damn serious," one of them warns him.

=Just a year later, this week in 2017, Dobie threw out the first pitch at a Brewers game in Milwaukee.

 The Loop Files

=Two events coming up. May 1, from 7-8pm at the ELA library in Lake Zurich. Reserve your slot here. Here’s what the program says…

    Author Rick Kaempfer transports you to the good ole days of radio, the 1970s and 1980s, when “The LOOP”  reigned supreme, shaking up the airwaves and grabbing listeners with a unique brand of programming unlike anything heard before. Kaempfer shares stories from his book told through the eyes of those who were actually there.

=Also, May 11 at the Pollyanna Brewing Company in Roselle. I’ll be there along with fellow ex-Loopers (like WGN-TV’s Jeff Hoover) from 3-7pm signing and selling books. If you don’t have a copy of the book yet, or you’d like your copy signed, that will be a great opportunity. We haven’t had an event in that area yet.

=Two of the contributors to the Loop Files are celebrating birthdays this week. Happy birthday to Vince Argento (April 21) and Kathy Voltmer (April 27). Both contributed stories to the oral history. In the first picture, that's Vince on the far right. He and his wife Liz are among the couples who met at the Loop and later got married, just like Rick and Bridget Kaempfer (also in the photo)

=A frequent guest on the Loop, Mayor Richard M. Daley, is also celebrating a birthday this week (April 24). That's Hizzoner in a photo with Loopers Carol Harmon, Catherine Beckman, Colleen Colleton, and Sandy Stahl.

=One last Looper from this week. Former Loop program director Bill Klaproth's birthday is April 27. That's Bill in a photo with fellow Loopers Matt Bisbee and Rick Kaempfer.

Records Truly Is My Middle Name

=This week in 1954, Joseph Nye Welch appeared at the McCarthy hearings and famously declared, "At long last, have you left no sense of decency?" That wasn't just a crucial moment in American history, it was a crucial moment in John Landecker's life. Joseph Nye Welch is the grandfather of his first wife. He tells that story in this free excerpt from Records Truly Is My Middle Name. 

 

 

Cameo

=This week in 2018, while Rick Kaempfer was down in New Orleans making Cameo available in jewelry stores that sell cameos, author Beth Jacobellis was on the Patti Vasquez show on WGN Radio talking about the book.

Always a Pleasure

=Three of the people featured in Chuck Swirsky's book are celebrating birthdays this week. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (April 25), the late Blackhawks great Tony Esposito (April 25), and Chuck's partner on Bulls broadcasts, Bill Wenningon (April 26)

The Balding Handbook

=This week in 2013, David Stern appeared on the Mancow television show on WPWR-TV. Who did he meet there? Chicago sportscaster Mike North, shown here taunting Dave with his full head of hair.

Brandwidth

=This week in 2018, Kipper McGee appeared on the Brandstorm podcast to talk about his book Brandwidth. 

 Inside Melania

=This week is the real Melania Trump's birthday (April 26). The fake one, Melania impersonator Lauren LoGiudice was in town recently. She does the world's best Melania impersonation, and wrote a whole book about it for Eckhartz Press.

 Best Seat in the House

=This week in 2015, Bruce Bohrer made the trek into enemy territory to promote his Cubs book about his years as a Wrigley Field usher. Penny Golden interviewed him on-stage at the Beverly Arts Center.

Turn it Up

=Bob Shannon's great book about radio personalities features an entire chapter about this week's birthday boy, the late Casey Kasem. Casey also makes an appearance in the Rick Kaempfer spy thriller set in 1976, Back in the DDR.

We Have Company

=Peter Frampton (born April 22) gets the full-chapter treatment in Bobby Skafish's great memoir about his rock and roll interviews...

Hospital, Heal Thyself!

=Congratulations to author Mark Taylor. We signed him to a deal at Eckhartz Press a few months ago, and his book was selling very well on our site. So well, in fact, that it caught the eye of a big publisher. When we sign our authors they maintain the copyright to their work, and we agree in advance that we won't hold them back if they get a better opportunity. That's what happened with Mark. He was very grateful for all we did for him...

“I was feeling pretty destitute when a friend referred me to Chicago’s Eckhartz Press in 2023. My first and only book, “Hospital, Heal Thyself,” had been rejected for several years by scores of publishers and book agents. They said it didn’t neatly fit into a marketing niche. Admittedly, it was a tough sell: part biography of Eugene Litvak, a math genius and Soviet émigré-turned- healthcare innovator, part jeremiad railing against a broken healthcare delivery system. But the very qualities that other publishers shied away from, Eckhartz Publisher David Stern embraced. He and his talented professional staff helped me to get my book into better shape and published it in early 2024.  

By mutual agreement, I maintained ownership of the copyright to my book. So when a large international publisher expressed interest in producing “Hospital, Heal Thyself” for a wider national audience, Eckhartz and Stern could not have been more supportive. He was kind, generous and totally helpful, a writer’s dream!  A few weeks later John Wiley & Sons, a publisher with deep contacts in business, academia and foreign language markets, agreed to publish my book. That never would have happened without Eckhartz’ help. I’m so grateful to David Stern and the Eckhartz staff for their support and assistance.”

 =Mark Taylor, April 2024