The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
COMING SOON!
Sarasota
Although Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color barrier in 1947, Black players were still dealing with racial segregation during spring training in the South in the early 1960s. It was then that the Chicago White Sox became a significant player in the civil rights movement. In a bold and courageous move, the team ownership bought a hotel in Sarasota, Florida, and integrated it immediately. Soon the other teams followed suit and integrated their housing accommodations as well. It was a major victory over the prevailing Jim Crow culture.
Sarasota, the novel, is a work of historical fictional leading up to the purchase of the hotel, told from the perspective of William Pennington, a crusading white journalist, who we first meet working on the Kennedy presidential campaign in Florida. After the campaign, Pennington lands a position in the White Sox public relations office where he comes to grips with painful truths about racism, both societal and personal, during that turbulent time in American history.
=It could be available for pre-order as early as next week. Stay tuned. Richard already has the first copy of the novel in his hands.
=Ever since The Loop Files came out, we have been asked the same question over and over again. What happened to the biggest star in Loop history, Jonathon Brandmeier? The author knew because he had interviewed Brandmeier for the book, but wasn't at liberty to share personal medical news. Johnny finally spoke out last week...
=Something just feels better about the media world in Chicago when Brandmeier is a part of it. Naturally he is featured prominently in the Loop exhibit at the Museum of Broadcast Communications. This poster is wall-sized. (L-R: Johnny, Kevin, Garry, Steve)
=The Chicago premiere of My Father, Dick Allen on June 25th is sold out (over 330 seats at the Chicago History Museum).
=Eckhartz Press publishers Rick and Dave will be there selling copies of Chili Dog MVP and Last Comiskey.
=Nick's Pix returns this Wednesday (June 10) to Classic Cinema's Lake Theater in Oak Park at 7pm. This month Nick Digilio has chosen the South Park movie. Come see it on the big screen (and buy a copy of Nick's great book about the movies), followed by discussion, trivia, and prizes. You do not want to miss this one. Grab your tickets now at classiccinemas.com/nick!
=When the movie South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut came out in 1999, it was considered an outlandish musical comedy. The main song from the film had the presposterous title "Blame Canada". Somehow it doesn't seem so preposterous now, does it...
=Two opportunities coming in the next few weeks to see Jeff Reiter giving a talk about birding. He'll also obviously be signing and selling copies of his book.
*The Elmhurst library (June 16, 7 pm)
*The Schaumburg library (June 25, 7 pm)
=Maybe he'll talk about this bird featured in the book.* No, it's not called Mike Cuellar or Jim Palmer, but those are two giant hints.
=It's only been out a week or two, but Slivers has been getting great reviews. Read this one from blogger, author and journalist Elizabeth Wickham!
=Slivers author Vicki Atkinson has a few appearances coming up, and Slivers will be available for purchase at each one. All are free and open to the public, but registration is required...
*Poetry in the Park - June 17, 2026 - 6:30 pm
Poetry in the Park: Poet's Choice | Barrington's White House
*Navigating
Elder Care - June 25, 2026 - 6:00 pm
Carol
Stream Public Library
Navigating Elder Care with Grace & Humor (In-Person) |
Carol Stream Public Library
*Writing for Wellness - July 23, 2026 - 6:00 pm
Round
Lake Public Library
Writing for Wellness - Round Lake Area Public Library
=The Write City Review, Volume 5 is also getting good notices only a week after its release. Randy Richardson is the president of the CWA and is a big part of the project. He explains more...
=It's true that Rick Kaempfer didn't update EveryCubEver this year. He is now waiting until a World Series win to do it again. That might be a long wait.
=In the meantime, he is posting EveryCubEver book entries for Cubs Hall of Famers on their birthdays. Here's one from this week. Born on June 11, 1879, the all-time catching great, Roger Bresnahan.
Roger Bresnahan 1879–1944 (Cubs 1913-1915)
Roger Bresnahan was a proud Irishman. So proud, in fact, that he told everyone that he was actually born in the Irish city of Tralee. That led to the nickname, the Duke of Tralee. Turns out, he wasn’t from Ireland at all. He was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. But Bresnahan was one of the all-time great catchers. He was Christy Mathewson’s catcher with the New York Giants, and was involved in that infamous Merkle Boner game in 1908. It wasn’t until his last three years in the big leagues that he came to Chicago. He wasn’t the same player by then, but was still revered for his smarts and moxie. So much so, the Cubs eventually hired him to manage the team. He was their player/manager for the 1915 season and led them to a fourth place finish. That was the final season in West Side Grounds. The next year the Cubs moved into what is now known as Wrigley Field. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945, just a few months after his death.
=This week in 2019 (June 11), EveryCubEver debuted this video ad...
=Former Cubs reliever Pedro Strop is in the book (born 6/13). Author Rick Kaempfer met Pedro that year and was able to give him a copy of the book.
Face Your Monster & Embrace Retirement & Chicago: The Great Retirement Resource
=The author of three Eckhartz Press books, Russ Fahrner, has a birthday today (June 8). We hope that Russ is in a boat somewhere on his birthday. If you read his books, you know that's his passion.
=The newest one, Face Your Monster, is about Russ's struggle with leukemia. It's available for pre-order now at Eckhartz Press.
The Flip Side & Doin' the Cruise
=Ken Churilla is also celebrating a birthday this week (June 12). He has co-written two books for us. Most recently The Flip Side with Carl & Larry Rosenbaum.
=He co-wrote Doin' the Cruise with Mitch Michaels as well. This week in 2017, Eckhartz Press publishers Rick Kaempfer and Dave Stern met at the London House in downtown Chicago to finalize the publishing agreement with Mitch Michaels and Ken Churilla. Luckily esteemed Chicago photographer Barry Butler was there to photograph the moment.
Grun Weiss Vor and Inside Melania
=Boy, it really is birthday week for Eckhartz Press authors. In addition to Ken & Russ (above), Todd "Fritz" Schneider (June 9) and Lauren LoGuidice (June 14) are both celebrating birthdays this week as well. Todd co-wrote Grun Weiss Vor and Lauren wrote Inside Melania. (Photos: Todd with co-author Rick Kaempfer, Lauren with her book.)
=A great new article about Sirens in the Loop came out last week in NewCity, written by Mary Wisniewski. It comes out next week on-line, but the hard copy is already out there. Highly recommended.
=Here's a related anniversary. On June 10, 1847, the Chicago Tribune was founded. The Tribune was later one of the main funders of City News Bureau, the subject of Sirens in the Loop.
=Don't forget about the upcoming appearance of author Jim Elsener. He'll be co-hosting the "City News Book Gala" on Saturday, July 11 from 5-7 pm at the Edgewater Historical Society Museum - 5358 N. Ashland, Chicago.
=Mob Adjacent the Audio Book is now available!
=2025 was a big year for Jim Slusher (To Nudge the World). His book was named Book of the Year by the Chicago Writers Association. Jim also received this award...
=Don't forget, author Mark Wukas is co-hosting "City News Book Gala" on Saturday, July 11 from 5-7 pm at the Edgewater Historical Society Museum - 5358 N. Ashland, Chicago.
=How about another Five Star Review of the book? This one comes from Literary Titan. A short excerpt...
What struck me immediately was the writing. It’s clean, stylish, and unpretentious. Mark Wukas writes like someone who has seen things—journalism that feels lived-in, dialogue that crackles, characters who breathe. The voice is witty but vulnerable. I loved how the narrator doesn’t pretend to be a hero. He fumbles, he overreaches, he regrets. And I could relate to that. Wukas builds the suspense slowly, not with cheap thrills, but with memory, conscience, and the weight of choices. That’s what hooked me: not the mystery, but the man trying to live with it.
=Two football legends are celebrating birthdays this week, and both of them are featured in Dan McNeil's book I Bear Witness. Happy birthday to former Bears great Gary Fencik (June 11) and former Green Bay Packers coach Mike Holmgren (June 15)
=Also, this week in 2016 (June 11), former Bear Bryan Robinson died. In the last chapter of I Bear Witness, Dan eulogizes all of the Bears who have left us in the last few decades. Robinson is no exception.
Father Knows Nothing and
=This week in 2023, author Rick Kaempfer attended a book club in Rolling Meadows that was reading his book Father Knows Nothing. Here is a photo from that night...
=The same week in 2023 he appeared at a book club in Inverness to talk about and promote his coming-of-age novel, Back in the DDR.
=This week in 2014, Bruce Bohrer's book was released by Eckhartz Press. This diary of a Wrigley Field usher was the first book by Eckhartz Press to be sold at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, but not the last (Chili Dog MVP, EveryCubEver)
=This week in 2022 (June 10), Duane Scott Cerny released his second book, Vintage Confidential. He told the story of what inspired this memorable book on this podcast.
Printer's Row Lit Fest
=Before the pandemic, the Printer's Row Lit Fest was held every year in June (it's now in September). Here are a few photos from 2014, featuring Eckhartz Press authors Joel Daly, Chuck Quinzio, and Dan Burns.
=Bruce Elliott is a local treasure celebrating a birthday this week (June 10). He's a writer and artist, a saloon owner, and a big fan of Pat Colander's book. Here's what he said it about it...
Pat is a very talented writer. Unfortunately she cut back on her serious writing to run magazines. She was a girl-wonder when she worked at the Chicago Tribune in the late seventies. The veteran male reporters hated her because she could out-write and out produce them with one hand tied behind her back and her eyes closed. She did feature articles, reviews and celebrity interviews. Now she has put together a collection of her very best work from the 1970s and early 1980s. The stories age well.
Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind
=This week in 2011, The Chicago Reader wrote a review of Vicki Quade's play Late Night Catechism that helped vault her play into the spotlight again ( Review of Late Nite Catechism by The Reader ). She has done many more plays since then, and also penned a book for Eckhartz Press about her everyday encounters with her fellow Chicagoans. It's called Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind.
Records Truly Is My Middle Name
=This week in 2013 (June 12), Bill Bailey, one of the WLS colleagues John Landecker writes about in his memoir, passed away. John's old friend appeared on the air after Landecker most nights in the early 70s. This is a free excerpt from the book about Bill.
=This week in 1992, the Chicago Bulls won the NBA Championship. Chet Coppock was there and told a few great stories about it in his book Your Dime My Dance Floor.
=Hall of Fame basketball announcer Marv Albert is celebrating a birthday this week (June 12). Marv appears in Chuck Swirsky's book, Always a Pleasure.
=This week in 2007 (June 12), Rick Kaempfer's first novel, $everance, received an incredible array of reviews from people in the broadcasting industry. You can read all of them here, or just glance at these examples below...
“I thought this novel was just going to be an amusing story about radio. But the way Kaempfer has woven in elements of all media and politics is masterful, to say nothing of insightful, and frequently laugh-out-loud funny!”
“Rick Kaempfer’s “$everance” is whiplash-fast, choke-on-your-coffee funny, and ultimately frightening. Kaempfer has seen it all in the radio business, and has some dire predictions for the rest of the media, too. It’s the summer’s must-discuss beach read – and probably a sign of the apocalypse.”
=Janet is working on a new book for us called "Great Dames". She has been interviewing some of Chicago's most prominent female media professionals. Look for that book in the coming year. Here's a list of some of the women who will be featured in it...
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