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".
The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
PRINTERS ROW RECAP
=Here's a photo from this past weekend's Printers Row Lit Fest. Eckhartz Press publisher David Stern (middle) and our new authors, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and her co-writer Mark Eleveld. Many more photos of the many Eckhartz Press authors who attended the Lit Fest can be found at the bottom of this week's column...
=The memoir of Cook County's Treasurer, Maria Pappas, is available now on Eckhartz Press! What is the book about? It traces her life from a working-class Greek-American childhood in West Virginia to becoming one of the longest-serving elected officials in Cook County. Lots of twists and turns along the way. Pappas doesn’t ultimately define herself primarily as Treasurer Maria Pappas. She defines herself as the same person she believes she was as a little girl: someone searching a room for the person who needs help.
=Joni Hirsch Blackman is releasing a delightful collection of her Cul-de-sacs columns that she wrote for the Naperville Sun and the Daily Herald. It's a heartwarming anthology about parenting in Naperville, and a chronicle of her life around the turn of the 21st century. The book is currently at the printer and will be available very soon. Time to pre-order your copy today!
ECKHARTZ PRESS HITS THE ROAD!
We can't be confined by Chicagoland, at least not this week. It's road trip time to...
=Happy birthday Chuck Quinzio (September 17)! Chuck's book about life in the local TV news business is a must-read for anyone who has an interest in the subject. He has some incredible inside stories about some of the biggest names in Chicago TV history.
=Patty & the Stump co-author Tim Clue is also celebrating a birthday this week (September 20). Tim isn't just an author, he's an educator, and a gifted stand up comedian. Here's a good podcast example of that.
He was destined to have a great nickname because he was named after the famous Yankees relief pitcher “Blind Ryne” Duren. Ryno was just a throw in to the Iván de Jesus/Larry Bowa trade with the Phillies. The Phillies had two other second base prospects who were pretty good (Juan Samuel, Julio Franco), but needless to say, neither one of them had the career Ryno had. He is in the Hall of Fame. Nicknamed Ryno for obvious reasons (not his similarity to the horned beast), Sandberg held the record for home runs by a second baseman when he retired. He was an MVP (1984), a ten-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glover, seven-time Silver Slugger, and the most popular Cubs player of his era. One spectacular weekend afternoon in 1984 (June 23), he hit dramatic homers in both the 9th and 10th innings to tie the game against the Cardinals and their Hall of Fame (and former Cub) closer Bruce Sutter. That day will always be remembered as the Sandberg game. It was broadcast on national television on NBC and helped propel Ryno to the MVP that year. After his playing career, he went back to Single-A ball to manage, and worked his way up to Triple-A. When the Cubs didn’t give him the big league manager job, he left the team to manage the Phillies. That was just a short excursion from his Cubs life. Ryno still holds the record for most hits by any player born in the state of Washington. He scored more runs than any other Cubs player in the 20th century and hit more homers for the entire decade of the 1980s than any other Cub (139). The Cubs retired his number 23 on August 28, 2005. He continued to work for the Cubs as a goodwill ambassador, but in late 2024 he announced that the cancer he had beaten a few years earlier had returned. He passed away on July 28, 2025.
Historical note: On the day Geraldine Ferraro made history by being named the first female VP candidate (1984), Ryno won a game with a tenth inning homer against the Dodgers in Wrigley Field.
=Perhaps the most famous alumnus of the City News Bureau was born this week in history (September 19, 1932), the unforgettable Mike Royko. His earliest journalism days are chronicled in Sirens in the Loop.
=Mark McEwen has a birthday this week (September 16). McEwen went on to become a nationally recognized television personality as a weatherman at CBS, but in the early 1980s, he was spinning tunes and jamming on the air at the Loop. That's him on the left in the studio with Sky Daniels. (Photo by Mike Bucek)
=The Bears season began last weekend. The man who put this team together, Ryan Poles, is celebrating a birthday this week (September 20). Dan McNeil devotes an entire chapter to Poles in his must-have Bears book, I Bear Witness.
=The Eckhartz Press book by Tony Fitzpatrick came out a year ago this week. It's a collection of Tony's dispatches, haiku, poetry, collages, etchings and drawings. It was designed by Danny Torres and edited by Marika Mashburn. Tony described it this way in the introduction:
What follows here is some of what I remember, some of what I have learned and damn near all of what I love—birds, stories, people and dogs. It is all part of a less-than-holy life. Are there any great parables to be gleaned from these dispatches, poems and pictures? I haven’t a clue. What’s most important is all that I learned along the way: that which is for remembering, for not forgetting.
=Gloria Golec's book came out the same day as Tony's. It’s a memoir about the joys and struggles of growing up in an era when family, church and neighborhood were solid anchors. The stories recall daily life from the 50s in a working class Chicago neighborhood, Archer Heights. Gloria will be returning to her old neighborhood in a few weeks (October 10) at the Archer Heights Library (2pm) as part of their Polish Heritage Month celebration.
=This week last year, Eckhartz Press author Mitch Michaels became a member of the Illinois Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We were there to cheer him on.
=Congrats to Mitch. He was inducted alongside fellow rock radio legend Bob Stroud, and introduced by fellow broadcaster Pat Cassidy. Naturally there were also some music legends on hand. The Chi-Lites, Richard Marx, Billy Corgan, Disturbed, Head East, and the descendants of Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Bo Diddley. Star-studded event.
=This wasn't our first rodeo at the Hall of Fame. On September 17, 2023, author Rick Kaempfer was on stage at the Illinois Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The Loop was inducted as a radio station, and Rick was one of the Loopers on hand to accept the award, along with Jimmy Mac McInerney, Wendy Snyder, and Bridget Kaempfer.
=One of the most dramatic moments in The Loop's history happened this week in 1993 (September 14). That was the day the famous radio duo Steve & Garry broke up. The drama around that memorable event is chronicled in the Loop Files.
=This week last year Jeff Reiter appeared at the Urban Birding Festival in Chicago. (Photo: Jeff with Wayne Klockner, executive director of American Birding Association)
=Eckhartz Press author Alex Burkholder passed away this week in 2024 at the age of 84. Alex wrote the incredibly well researched book Death of the Angels, which was about the famous Our Lady of the Angels fire in 1958. At our first meeting, Alex arrived with a box of cassettes filled with interviews of dozens of people who were there the day of the fire. It was really a life-long passion of his to get to the bottom of that tragedy. He finally did it with the publication of his book in 2018, on the 60th anniversary of the fire. The veteran TV producer was a founding member of the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago. He was also a heck of a guy. Alex is missed by us all.
=This week in 2018, Chet Coppock appeared on Steve Dahl's show on WLS to celebrate the release of his book. (Photo below, L-R: Steve Dahl, Chet Coppock, Rick Kaempfer, Dag Juhlin, and Brendan Greeley)
Back in the Game
=This week in 2014 (September 15), Rich King staged a launch party for his second book, Back in the Game. It was a star-studded party at Volare in Chicago. The book is no longer in print (because Rich has a newer one out now--Ike & Me), but it had a good run. Do you recognize any of the attendees below?
=This week in 2013, legendary WLS morning man Don Wade passed away. Don was a contributor to Records Truly Is My Middle Name. He told some stories about John Landecker, and Landecker in turn, told some stories about Don. Those are presented here as a free excerpt from the book. Below is a photo of Don (on the right) during his days at WIBG-Philadelphia.
=Helmut Schoen was the coach of the West German men's national team that won the World Cup in 1974. The following year he visited a touring group of Green White Soccer Club players barnstorming through West Germany. The photo of that meeting is part of the great history of the club, and is obviously included in the book...and below. Helmut was born this week (September 15) in 1915.
=When Joel Daly turned in the first draft of his book The Daly News, it included a single line about hanging out with the Beatles for a day. We said..."Joel, you have to tell us more about that story!" So happy he did. You can read it here as a free excerpt. It happened 62 years ago this week (September 15, 1964).
A reminder...
=This week (September 15) is World Lymphoma Awareness Day. It's a day we never neglect to mention because of John Martucci’s book When the Beast Comes for You. It's the sort of book that stays with you many years after you read it because of the unique perspective Martucci brings to the subject. He was a doctor who treated lymphoma before he became the patient.
=Janet Sutherland appeared on the Crisis Cast podcast last week to discuss the upcoming Brain Aneurysm Foundation Walk/Run. You can listen to it here.
Photos from Printers Row Lit Fest
What a weekend for Eckhartz Press at the Printers Row Lit Fest this weekend. You couldn't turn around without bumping into an Eckhartz Press author. Here are 14 examples...Gloria Golec, David Stern, Maria Pappas, Mark Eleveld, Rick Kaempfer, Randy Richardson, Dan Burns, Don Evans, Bob Conlon, Vicki Atkinson, Tom Serritella, Nick Digilio, Bob Williams, and Jim Slusher.
The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
It's going to be a very busy fall season for Eckhartz Press. We have some really big books coming...
Maria the Pappas
=Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is the newest Eckhartz Press author. This book makes its debut at Printer's Row Lit Fest on Saturday, September 12. Maria will be doing a talk at 1pm on the North Stage (South Dearborn Street just south of Ida B. Wells), with a signing immediately following the talk. After that, it will also be available at Eckhartz Press...
Cul-de-sacs
=Jodi Hirsch Blackman's book, Cul-de-sacs, will be available for pre-order beginning next week. Here's what the front cover looks like...
=Here's a little more information about Joni, from the back cover of the book...
Joni Hirsch Blackman can’t
remember not writing — she was the high school yearbook editor, a college
newspaper reporter, a lifestyles reporter for a small daily paper in Texas. A
stint at Denver’s Associated Press bureau preceded 5 years as a general assignment
and city hall reporter for The Denver Post. A move to Seattle created
opportunities to work for several national magazines and to begin to write a
few columns. A goodbye column about her Seattle cul-de-sac sparked a desire to
write more like those.
Settling in Naperville a few
years later, Joni noticed her local newspaper lacked the perspective of many
newcomers to town. She sent an unpublished column she’d written to the new
managing editor and a new career began — Cul-de-sacs, named after what she’d
left behind & where she landed.
Joni also has written a
subsequent recurring column about the history of many downtown Naperville
building (Building Memories) and wrote the Look to the Western Sky column for
West Suburban Living magazine for many years. She is also the author of Downtown Naperville (Arcadia
Books) and This Used To Be Chicago (Reedy
Press.) In 2028, her debut picture book will be released from Chronicle
Books.
Feature Creature
=Frank Mathie's memoir about his incredible journey as a television reporter in Chicago is nearing publication. It will be out this Christmas season. Frank was working on some last minute edits with Eckhartz Press publisher Rick Kaempfer the other day. Almost there!
The CEO's Symphony
=One last teaser: A memoir from former CSO CEO Henry Fogel is also on the way. It won't be long before you get a chance to pre-order this classic...
There are at least two more Eckhartz Press books that will be out before the end of the year. More information about those books in the coming weeks.
=We're expecting a full house tonight
at Max & Benny’s for Richard Reeder. He'll be talking about his brand new novel, Sarasota. The event is at 7pm. Max & Benny's is located at 461 Waukegan Road in Northbrook.
=Your chance to meet Sirens in the Loop co-author Jim Elsener is coming this week (September 2) in Richland, Michigan. He'll be appearing at the Richland Public Library (8951 Park Street) from 5-7pm, telling famous stories from City News Bureau history. For instance...
=This week in 1961 (September 1), a TWA airliner crashed during takeoff at Midway Airport, killing all 78 on board. City News Bureau was first on the scene reporting the news.
=City News Bureau alum, Shamus Toomey, is celebrating a birthday this week (September 4). He tells his own City News story in the book. Shamus is the publisher and co-founder of Block Club Chicago.
=The article is mainly about the film he was producing at the time, My Father, Dick Allen. It's a film version of Chili Dog MVP with additional tales, including a particularly heartbreaking story about the way Allen was treated as the first African-American player in Little Rock, Arkansas.
=This weekend Dick's former minor league club is making amends. They are retiring Dick's jersey, and staging Dick Allen Bobblehead Day on September 6 at the ballpark in Little Rock. The entire production team, and Dick's family, will be on hand.
=And the following week (September 17-21), the documentary will be shown at the Boston Film Festival.
=It's shaping up to be a star-studded event. Here's what Variety wrote about it this week...
Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen are set to appear at the 42nd annual Boston Film Festival to discuss the event’s opening night premiere, the feature “Unleashed Spirits: The Rise of the Hollywood Vampires.” The movie shows how Cooper’s secret 1970s “drinking and social club” eventually inspired the rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires, with Cooper, Perry, Henriksen and Johnny Depp.
The Boston Film Festival, which runs Sept. 17 to Sept. 21, will also include the world premieres of feature films “Bolio” and “A Minor Time,” as well as documentaries “Papertown,” “My Father, Dick Allen,” “4000 Days,” “Come What May” and “Tony Foster: Painting at the Edge.”
=Thanks to everyone who came out to see Bob at the Irish Heritage Center.
=Two more appearances next week for Robert Conlon. He'll be at the Book Cellar in Lincoln Square (4736 N. Lincoln Avenue) at 6:30pm on Wednesday (September 9), and Printers Row Litfest on Saturday, September 12th from 10am-12:30pm.
=This 150th anniversary of the Cubs is getting a lot of hype this week...
=Not named to the 150th team? A Cub who was born this week (September 2) in 1850. Albert Spalding is a Hall of Famer. Here's his writeup in EveryCubEver...
Albert Spalding 1850–1915 (White Stockings player 1876-1877, owner 1878-1891)
Spalding was already a four-time champion in Boston before he came to Chicago and convinced a few of his teammates to help stock the first National League team in Chicago. It was the beginning of a dynasty in Chicago. In Spalding’s first year with the White Stockings the pitcher won 47 games (including the first ever Cubs win in the National League, a 4-0 shutout versus Louisville). But though Spalding was a great player, he was always a little ahead of his time. For instance, while he was still playing, he became the first “sissy” who insisted on wearing a glove. And he did it because he wanted to sell them at his sporting goods store. It worked. His business mind eventually took over, and he bought the team. There was simply more money to be made in ownership than in playing the game.
Spalding came up with several innovations (other than the glove), including spring training (in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1886) and night baseball (which didn’t catch on in 1883). Al also created the world’s first league-wide salary cap, an idea that lives on today in many other sports, but ironically, not in baseball. Spalding is a Hall of Famer and a visionary, but he was not a popular man because of the horrible way he treated his players. During a barnstorming world tour, one of his best players, Ed Williamson, was hurt in London. Spalding not only left him there, but he also refused to pay for his medical bills or his return passage to America.
After the 1886 season, a season in which they lost the 19th century version of the World Series (an exhibition), Spalding decided that he had identified the problem. Spalding believed that alcohol was evil and felt that his team simply had too many drunks. The Cubs certainly did have their share of drunks, and none was more obvious than their biggest star King Kelly. Kelly was known to show up drunk, drink during the game, and then get drunker still after the game. So, to clean up the team, King Kelly was one of the first players Spalding jettisoned. Kelly was sold to Boston for an unheard-of sum of money…$10,000. But Spalding was just getting started. Next, he got rid of the rest of the outfield. George Gore, a perennial .300 hitter, was traded to New York. Abner Dalrymple, their leadoff man and left fielder for their many pennant winners, was traded to Pittsburgh. Only one “drunk” remained on the team, a future Hall of Fame pitcher named John Clarkson. He was sent away the following off-season. So how did the team fare after the drunks were moved out and the team was purified? They didn’t sniff the pennant for another nineteen years. It got so bad that the entire team quit to form a new league in 1890. That signaled to Spalding that it might be time to step away from the game, which he did shortly after that.
Historical note: On the last full day of General George Armstrong Custer’s life (1876), Al Spalding was on the mound for a 16-2 Chicago win over New York.
=This week in 2021 (September 2), John Landecker had Rick Kaempfer on his WGN Radio show to talk about the Cubs. At the time, people were saying that year's Cubs team was the worst ever. Rick gave John many more examples of teams that were worse. Far worse. You can listen to it here.
=This week in 1928 (September
2), St. Bruno’s church in Archer Heights held its first mass. That church is featured prominently in South
Side Memories by Gloria Golec.
=Gloria is returning to her old neighborhood soon. She sent us this note...
I will be
doing a reading and book signing at the Archer Heights Library on October 10th
at 2 p.m. So happy to be doing a reading in the neighborhood of my book. I'm also
part of the Polish American Heritage Month celebration and will be on the
cultural calendar for the library.
=Her book reads like a love letter to her old neighborhood, so it's only fitting she's returning to it. Before she does that, however, Gloria will be appearing at Printer's Row Litfest. Her time slot will be on Saturday September 12th from 12:30-3pm. (Photo: Gloria with Eckhartz Press publishers Rick and Dave)
=Vicki's next appearance is next Saturday at Printers Row Litfest (10am-12:30pm). She'll also be in the CWA tent.
=Meanwhile, both of her books are still getting great reviews. Nancy Naumann of the Barrington Writer's Workshop had this to say about Slivers...
What are slivers? Where do they come from? Can they be controlled? Can you escape from them? Why do we experience what others can’t? Why can we share unspoken thoughts? These are the questions their young minds want answered. And they won’t give up until they get answers from the secret keepers—their family. This book is engaging and nail biting. The author paints you into the family portrait. You, the reader, like Jane, Katie and Eric are drawn to seek answers to these questions.
=This was her review of Surviving Sue...
This book engaged me from the first to last page. The narrative reflects no malice or unforgiveness in the author’s heart. A heavy heart? Sadness? Confusion? Yes, but this revealed to me the emotional toll Vicki paid to pen her story. This is a work to encourage those struggling with complex family issues. I’m grateful for Vicki’s courage to share her story.
Do you crave drama and suspense? Do you love characters that make you feel like you’ve known them forever? Does a hint of the unexplained keep you engrossed? If you answer yes to these questions, then I highly recommend Slivers – a masterfully written novel with an ending that stayed with me long after I turned the last page.
=The prolific Nick Digilio has three big events coming up in the next few weeks promoting both of his books. Pick your Nick (event).
=He'll be signing and selling 40 Years, 40 Films next Wednesday (September 9) at Classic Cinema's Lake Theater at 7pm. He'll also be screening the legendary Marx Brothers film Duck Soup.
=The following Sunday (September 13), he'll be at Printers Row Litfest from 2-4pm selling 40 Years, 40 Films. Look for him in the CWA tent.
=Then on September 19th, he's doing the launch party for his sequel, 40 Years, 40 Horror Films. It will be held at an all-night Drive-In Horror Film Festival in Sterling, Illinois.
=The inspiring tale of Tom Serritella's sobriety journey is helping people all over Chicagoland. Tom will be at the Printers Row Lit Fest signing and selling his book. Come on out and see him on Sunday September 13 from 10am--Noon. He'll be in the CWA tent.
=He has been very busy lately helming The Daily Herald newspaper, but managing editor Jim
Slusher will get out of the office for a day, Sunday September 13, and appear at the Printers Row Lit Fest (in the
CWA tent) 12-2pm. He'll be signing and selling his Book of the Year offering To Nudge the World.
=The author of our only foodie novel (Truffle Hunt), Brent Petersen, is now the editor-in-chief of the website Destination Eat Drink. He also hosts a podcast with the same name. He lives in Portugal and gallivants around the world, eating great food and drinking delicious beverages. Nice work if you can get it. He'll also occasionally slum, and check in with his humble Chicago publisher. Here's a photo of a library he sent us from Nice, France. Pretty cool.
=Speaking of libraries, we get a lot of questions about the photo we use at the top of this column every week. It is not a photo of Eckhartz Press headquarters in Chicago. It's another crazy library. This one is in Pesaro, Italy. (Photo by Rick Kaempfer)
=This week (August 31) is Jalen Brunson's birthday. Naturally Randy Merkin's new book about sports radio interviews features a story and photo about the reigning NBA Finals MVP. No big whoop.
=September 1, 1923, is the date of the famous Kanto earthquake in Japan. One of the many journeys of Tony Fitzpatrick’s life led him to the site of the earthquake. Here's a portion of the essay he wrote about it in The Sun at the End of the Road and the artwork that accompanied the essay.
Tsukiji was built after the great Kanto earthquake of 1923 devastated much of Tokyo, including the Nihonbashi market. The new market was built in the Tsukiji district in 1935 and became the world’s largest seafood market. It is a fascinating place; my friends and I went directly from the airport and were treated to a raw tuna breakfast at one of the ten-seater sushi huts, all for about twelve bucks. Around every corner was something fascinating and visceral: the nonstop butchery, on one hand brutal and, on the other, strangely beautiful; the men and women dressing the seafood, as they’ve done every morning for their whole working lives, engenders a virtuosity that is hypnotic to see. I watched a man dress a giant fish—about twice his size—in just four minutes. Seriously. A leviathan, pulled from the depths, carved into steaks, kibbles and bits—skippy, chopchop. We were an odd collection of visitors: a few visual artists and a film director, hanging onto every sight and sound, like children who'd wandered through to the other side of the looking glass. The fish market was at once otherworldly and very much of this world, expressing one great lesson and one sad moral.
The lesson? In the ocean, big fish eat the little fish and then, even bigger fish eat those fish.
The moral? Don't be a fucking guppy.
=Tony's family (his wife and kids) will be at Printers Row Lit Fest on Saturday, September 12th in the CWA tent from 3-6pm. They'll have copies of Tony's book on sale there.
=We've been trying to feature a bird a month from the excellent Best of Words on Birds book here in the publishing portal. This month's choice is the Grey Catbird. (Photo by Ryan Sanderson).
=Author Jeff Reiter's next appearance will be at the Elgin Garden club on September 18th.
=Here's a short audio clip featuring The Kiss of Night author Mark Wukas from his interview at Max and Benny's around this time last year. In this clip, Mark tells interviewer Richard Reeder about his favorite writer, James T. Farrell.
=If you missed it, Windy City Reviews posted an excellent review of Mark's book the same week as this interview. Full review is here. Here's a short excerpt...
This book is not a who-done-it type of mystery novel, nor is it meant for a quick summer beach-read. This is a thoughtful novel that challenges the reader to think about important issues, like whether the ends justify the means, and if so, when. If you enjoy the literary fiction genre, this book is for you.
=This week last year we received confirmation that the Eckhartz Press book, The Flip Side: Where Chicago Rocked, was placed in the permanent collection of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives in Cleveland. Congrats to Carl & Larry Rosenbaum, and their co-author Ken Churilla.
=Ten years ago this week (September 2), we released a book by M.L Collins called Out the Door!It was our little book that could. Unknown author, writing about Door County, and doing it with wit and charm. The cover was a grabber, it built a cult following, and sold well. Then, at the end of the year, it was named the Book of the Year by the Chicago Writers Association.
=This week in 2017, Mitch Michaels and Ken Churilla were all over the media promoting their book about Mitch's life, Doin' the Cruise. August 31st was a particularly busy one. It included a stop at WGN-TV...
=...and a star-studded launch party. Among the luminaries who came out: Bernie Tafoya, Barry Butler, Ray Stevens, Matt Bisbee (photo below), Leslie Harris, Stan Adams, Pat Cassidy, Catherine Johns, John Landecker and many more.
=A year later Mitch Michaels wrote about the experience of the year he just completed. The year of his writing and promoting Doin' The Cruise.
One year ago today my book was released: Doin The Cruise: Memories From a Lifetime in Radio & Rock n Roll.I wrote the book for me, for my kids and grand kids so they knew at least some of what I had done with my life, but I also wrote it for all those of you who have been listening throughout years. We’ve spent a great deal of time together and I thought a chronology of the Chicago radio landscape, from my point of view, over the past forty-five plus years might be of some interest. I wanted to say thanks to my publishers Rick Kaempfer and David Stern from Eckhartz Press who did such a great job and a special thanks to Ken Churilla (my co-author) who spent two years listening, recording and writing down my stories. Ken was required to learn a brand new language for this project. He had to learn “Mitch Speaks” and he learned it very well. Forgive me if this sounds like I’m reliving A Day in The Life, because that’s exactly what I’m doing! This day, one year ago was so special. It started with an interview on The Noon News at WGN-TV with Steve Sanders who turned out to be a fan. Big fun! Great guy!! Followed by a book release party later that afternoon, at Lloyd’s of Chicago, attended by old friends and co-workers alike. It was an amazing day! It’s been a whirlwind of a year and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
=The release party for Rich King's book Ike & Me was also one for the ages, not only because of its location (Guaranteed Rate Field), but also because it drew a who's who of Chicago television. One of the luminaries who attended that day was retired WGN-TV news anchor Robert Jordan. He's celebrating a birthday this week (August 31). That's him in the center of the photo flanked on either side by Rich and Ike, and on the corners by Dan Roan and Ryan Baker.
=This week in 2018, Judge Michael Bendersat down for this Q&A to talk about his book Protecting Children: Bettering the World One Child at a Time. His book was actually a top 10 Amazon hit.
=These two books have a few things in common, and one of them is the support of radio personality Johnnie Putman (September 5 birthday). She gave a wonderful endorsement to Roger's book...
“This book’s cover photo was taken on a night we’ll never forget. Trust us, we never had a night like that on the radio before or since and, along with our WGN radio listeners, were praying that Roger would survive. Spoiler alert: He did! In this book Roger shares the details of that night and other adventures, including his time with Chicago’s first black mayor, Harold Washington, and first woman mayor, Jane Byrne. “The Unplanned Life” of this man we’re so proud to call a friend was obviously part of a bigger plan. Thankfully, he listened to the universe and went along for the ride. Buckle up, it’s a good one!”
Steve King & Johnnie Putman, award-winning Chicago broadcasters and authors
=And then she made an in-person appearance at a Beth Jacobellis signing...
=Next up for Johnnie: She will be featured in an upcoming book by Janet Sutherland called "Great Dames."
=Bill Paige's book is one of the few you'll find with a Freddie Mercury interview. Freddie would have been celebrating a birthday this week (September 5).
=We just lost Bob Newhart in 2024, but the famous comedian/Cubs fan did contribute to our book Cubsessions back in 2019 (written by Randy Richardson and Becky Sarwate). Want to know how Bob felt in 2016 after the Cubs won the World Series? He had been a Cubs fan so long, he greeted the 1945 Cubs at the train station when they won the pennant. Bob's Cubs joy is found in the pages of Cubsessions. It would have been his birthday this week (September 5).
=Jeanne Bellezzo grew up in the Chicago area, but she lives in California now. This week in 2016, she came to town to do a launch party for her book at Lone Star Cafe on the Northwest Side of Chicago. It was a great night.
=Ken Smoller was in town this week in 2024, and he was everywhere from Printers Row Lit Fest to libraries in Crestwood, Riverside, Evergreen Park, and Lake Villa. (Ken shown here with Eckhartz Press publishers Rick and David)
=Can you identify the man who gave his name to this signature shoe? It's none other than former tennis star Jimmy Connors. Ryan Trembath writes about Jimmy and this shoe in his Eckhartz Press book about the celebrities who spawned the signature shoe world. Jimmy's birthday is this week (September 2)
=This week in 2018, Richard Reeder appeared on Rick Kogan's WGN Radio show to talk about his book 1001 Train Rides in Chicago.
WGN-TV Morning News
=This week (September 6) marks the 32nd anniversary of the WGN-TV Morning News. Most of the faces have remained the same since the beginning of that time, including Larry Potash, Robin Baumgarten, Paul Konrad, and Pat Tomasulo. The show has also been very gracious to Eckhartz Press over the years, featuring a number of our authors. Here are a few on set: Bobby Skafish, Chuck Swirsky, Rich King, Joel Daly, John Landecker, Robert Conlon, Ken Smoller and Rick Kaempfer.
Windy City Live
=This week in 2021, the show Windy City Live aired for the last time as a regular weekday show on Channel 7 in Chicago. Our authors always enjoyed their times on the show. Here are a few examples...
This week in 2014 (September 5) we almost lost four of our authors in a monsoon at Wrigley Field. James Finn Garner (contributor to Write City Review), Donald Evans (An Off-White Christmas), Randy Richardson (Cubsessions, Lost in the Ivy, and Cheeseland) and Rick Kaempfer narrowly escaped with their lives. The Cubs weren't as lucky.
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