The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
Tom Dreesen
=So sorry to hear about the passing of Tom Dreesen.
=He was always a great supporter of Eckhartz Press. Tom was
interviewed and rates his own chapter in Cubsessions. He is
featured prominently in Records Truly is My Middle Name. He offered a wonderful review for The Living Wills. He also championed Randy Richardson's Lost in the Ivy and
contributed this for the back cover...
- This
book is not just for Cub fans but for all who love a great story. It’s a
wonderful read. Enjoy! I know I did.
=He particularly loved our book Leaving Glory For Greatness about his old friend LaMarr Thomas, and provided this blurb…
- “Lou
Macaluso has captured the very soul and spirit of a man that I thought I
knew and loved. Now I know so much more and wish I could have my friend
back for one more conversation. Some men get to the mountaintop and shout
out all the great deeds they have done and shout their name as well.
LaMarr Thomas never mentioned his great deeds and would only whisper his
name. Thank you, Lou, for taking LaMarr to the mountaintop and shouting
out his name. This book is a must read for all who want to know about a
great man who only wanted us all to love one another.”
=Our deepest condolences to the Dreesen family. Rest in Peace, Tom. We will miss you.
=We promised it last week. We're delivering this week. Richard Reeder's new novel about baseball in the Jim Crow South is available for pre-order now! Reserve your copy here.
This Thursday night might as well be Eckhartz Press night. You've got a chance to meet seven different authors that night. Pick your poison...you can meet David Fletcher, John Owens, Robert Conlon, Rick Kaempfer and Dave Stern at the Chicago History Museum, or Jeff Reiter in Schaumburg, or Vicki Atkinson in Carol Stream. More details below...
=Exactly one year ago, we asked Eckhartz Press author David Fletcher to tell us a little more about the film they were making based on his book Chili Dog MVP, and here is what he said...
I am currently working on the Dick Allen film that delves into Dick Allen's pivotal role in baseball history, from his offensive prowess to his resilience in the face of racial prejudice, and notably saving the Chicago White Sox franchise with his 1972 MVP season. The film examines key locations in Dick Allen’s life, including Little Rock, Arkansas, where he encountered significant racial hatred; Wampum, the racially tolerant Western Pennsylvania town where he grew up; and Cooperstown, where his Hall of Fame plaque is set to be unveiled on July 27th. By emphasizing themes of justice, forgiveness, and resilience, the film seeks to rewrite history by capturing the full extent of Allen's impact on both the sport and society. The star of the film is Dick's son, Richard Allen Jr. I assembled an esteemed production team, comprising executive producer Sharon Pannozzo, producer and writer John Owens, director Andy Billman, and photographer (fellow Eckhartz Press author) Ken Smoller.
=Don't forget he's got a big appearance for the West Suburban Irish
Mission coming up in Naperville on July 21, 6:30pm at the VFW in Naperville
(908 Jackson Avenue).
=In addition, her Poetry in the Park event from last week was rescheduled due to severe weather conditions. She'll be at the Barrington White House (145 W. Main Street) in Barrington on Wednesday, June 24. Details are here.
=Slivers continues to get great reviews. Two more are here.
Behind the Glass & Beyond 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 his first book, Behind the Glass.
=What's in his second book Beyond the Glass? This Q&A will give you a pretty good idea.
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Everything I Know I Learned from Rock Stars
=Great interview this week with Eckhartz Press author Bill Paige. He is now living in Thailand and explains why...
=Rocker Mick Fleetwood has a birthday this week (June 24). He is featured in a long interview in Bill Paige's book Everything I Know I Learned from Rock Stars.
=Great article this week about The Flip Side co-author Ken Churilla.
=Laverne and Shirley's David Lander (Squiggy) was born this week (June 22) in 1947. (He passed away in 2020). Lander and co-star Michael McKean (Lenny) made a memorable appearance at The Flip Side at the height of the show's popularity. This photo and story are in the book.
=Happy birthday to Bob Shannon (June 23). He wrote Turn it Up! for us in 2017.
=Another happy birthday to Roger Badesch (June 24) who wrote The Unplanned Life for us in 2020.
=This week in 2022 (June 25), Dr. John Martucci's book was released by Eckhartz Press. It's an important work that we're still very proud of publishing.
As an anesthesiologist and department chair at a busy hospital in suburban Chicago, Dr. John Martucci never considered the possibility that he may someday have to endure a life-threatening disease like the ones afflicting many of his patients. When he is diagnosed with stage IV mantle cell lymphoma after ignoring his symptoms for months, it upends his world and forces him to accept the unfamiliar role of the patient. John chronicles his year-long battle with lymphoma and his gradual transition from controlling physician to grateful patient. He endures setbacks, emergency surgery, and the consequences of chemotherapy, radiation, and stem cell transplantation. Seeing illness through a patient’s eyes gives him a perspective that will change many of his hard-earned professional opinions on patient care. His tremendous support team buoys him as he experiences pain, suffering, doubt, and his own mortality. Sometimes humorous, always compelling, his journey to renewed health can teach families of cancer victims and health care professionals the tremendous value they bring to patient care and well-being. His story can also inform and guide cancer patients as they negotiate their own treatment experience.
=This week in 2019, author Rick Kaempfer appeared on Garry Meier's show on WLS to promote the book (June 24). He also appeared 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...
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.
=June 22, 1944 is Peter Asher's birthday. Landecker didn't save many souvenirs from his radio days, but he did save a Peter & Gordon autographed 45 RPM record, which he received from the official Peter & Gordon fan club headquarters (look at the stamp below). He included that photo in the Hall of Fame version of his book...
=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.”
=This week in 2014, Bruce Bohrer held the launch party for his book Best Seat in the House at Tavern 60 in Mundelein. Here are a few photos from that memorable day.
=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.”
=This is a big week for rock and roll star birthdays, which means it's a big week for Bobby Skafish's book of rock and roll interviews, We Have Company. Each of these June 22nd birthday boys (Steve Page/Bare Naked Ladies, Don Henley/Eagles, Todd Rundgren, and Mike Edwards/Jesus Jones) rate an entire chapter in Bobby's book. Mike Edwards also rates a photo. This was taken at Bill Wyman's Sticky Fingers restaurant in London.
=But that's not all: The Clash's Mick Jones (June 26) and indie-rocker Chris Isaak (June 26) both rate their own chapters in Bobby's great book too. Both were interviewed by Bobby during his days at WXRT.
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=Rich King has two books that were released by 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 (Mark is second from left. Rich is far right).
=He also provided this endorsement of Rich's second book Back in the Game.
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.
=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)
=Who would have thought that this book would have a resurgence after the 2020 election? 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.”
=In recent 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.
=Hey World Cup fans, don't forget that we have a great soccer book called Transatlantic Passage. This week in 2021 (June 24), author Paul Banks appeared on WGN Radio to talk about his book, which chronicles the popularity of the English Premier League in America. You can still listen to that interview here.
=There are two big events that happened this week in history, and both play an important role in the novel Back in the DDR.
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