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...

Publishing Portal--January 2, 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.

EP News

*The Loop Files publicity tour continues

=Thanks to Pete McMurray and Steve Cochran for having me on WLS last week.

=The Chicago Writes podcast also features The Loop Files this month. 

=Thanks to everyone who bought it over the Christmas season. 

*A Peek Inside: Surviving Sue. Author Victoria Atkinson discusses the feedback she got at a recent book club event. Vicki also co-hosts a podcast called The Heart of the Matter.

*Eckhartz Press author Brent Petersen (Truffle Hunt) is featured in this month's Illinois Entertainer, talking about his podcast Destination Eat Drink.

*One of the questions I got asked quite often during my recent publicity tour: How do you choose the books you publish? We are a Chicago-based publisher, so we are looking for Chicago stories and/or Chicago authors. Our submission guidelines are posted on the website.

This Week in Eckhartz Press history

This week's look back at Eckhartz Press history gives some good examples of the type of stories and authors that we look for...

*In 2022, one of our top selling books was Chili Dog MVP, a look back at the magical 1972 White Sox season that featured the heroics of the great slugger Dick Allen. It was honored at the Book of the Year awards by the Chicago Writers Association that year.

*The Daily Herald featured the book this week in 2022.

*One of the other players featured in the book, the late Bart Johnson, was born this week in 1950.

 

*In 2012 we were a brand new company pushing our very first book. The Living Wills was a collaborative novel written by Brendan Sullivan and Rick Kaempfer using techniques we learned from the world of improv.

*We wrote it at The Catalyst Ranch, and they interviewed us this week in 2012 about our process.

*The Northwest Indiana Times also reviewed the book this week in 2012. 

*This week the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame celebrates its 10th year as a 501c3 Not For Profit. It's a great organization and we're proud to have the president and founder of the CLHOF as part of the Eckhartz Press stable of authors. Donald G. Evans wrote a wonderful collection of short stories called An Off-White Christmas.

*The notorious Chicago gangster Joey "the Clown" Lombardo was born on January 1st. Lombardo is featured in the pages of Mob Adjacent by Jeffrey and Michael Gentile. The Eckhartz Press book was a finalist for CWA Book of the Year in 2020.

 

 

*The former Chicago Daily News arts reporter (and Northwestern University professor) Jack Hafferkamp released his novel Sepsis via Eckhartz Press this week in 2017.

 

*In 2022, Eckhartz Press released Chuck Swirsky's memoir Always a Pleasure. It features some great stories about his life as a sportscaster, and some memorable photos as well. Here he is with this week's birthday boy Lou Holtz. 

*In 2018, Eckhartz Press released the final book from another great Chicago sportscaster, Chet Coppock. Your Dime My Dance Floor is a tour through the history of Chicago sports, told by someone who had a front row seat. This photo from the book features Chet with this week's birthday boy, former White Sox slugger Ron Kittle.

 

*In 2021 we released a book about all the American soccer players who had gone to play professionally in the Premier League. It's called Transatlantic Passage, and was written by Paul Banks. Here's what this week's birthday boy Dave Kerner had to say about it...

• “You’ll love reading about what it’s like to be a soccer (always going to be football to me!) fan from multiple perspectives. Thanks to Paul and this in depth look at the evolution of international soccer in the United States, in some ways negative for the men’s game, and in some ways positive for the women’s game.”

  Dave Kerner, Sports Anchor, WBBM Radio

 

And finally, this time last year I appeared on David W. Berner's podcast to tell him my New Years Resolutions. I vowed to finish a book I was writing about a certain radio station. For once, I lived up to my New Years resolution.

Meet the Eckhartz Press Author: Chet Coppock

Now that we have such a big stable of talented authors, we're going to take some time this year to re-introduce them to you. One of the authors we had the most fun promoting was the late-great Chet Coppock. Chet was up for absolutely anything. His book "Your Dime My Dance Floor" is one of our favorites.

Chet Coppock

Chet Coppock has been broadcasting and writing about sports since he was a teenager. He was producer for the Milwaukee Bucks radio network, the sports director for WISH-TV in Indianapolis, lead sportscaster for Chicago NBC affiliate WMAQ-TV, and host of Cablevision’s NewSportsTalk, before revolutionizing sports talk radio when he launched Coppock on Sports on WMAQ Radio in the 1980s. Chet helmed that show for many years, taking it to the legendary WLUP AM 1000 in the late 80s, and later hosting the program nationally for the Sporting News Network. Chet has previously written Fat Guys Shouldn’t Be Dancing at Midnight (2009), Chet Coppock: Laying it On the Line (2014),and co-written Buffone: Monster of the Midway: My 50 Years with the Chicago Bears (2015) and If These Walls Could Talk: Chicago Bears: Stories from the Chicago Bears Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box with Otis Wilson (2017). (Chet passed away in April of 2019)

• I first met Chet 44 years ago. We became instant friends. Chet’s professionalism and integrity are beyond reproach. I’m proud to call him a life-long friend.

  Lee Corso, legendary ESPN football analyst.

• • When I think of Chicago sports, I think of Chet Coppock. Chet is everywhere and he knows everyone. He has done everything there is to do in sports reporting and broadcasting.

    Doug Plank, Former Chicago Bears safety

  • I have known Chet for nearly forty years going back to my rookie season with the Bears in 1980. He is truly a great guy, whose sports knowledge is just amazing. You will love this book! Chet Coppock is a great friend and one heck of a great person.

    Otis Wilson, legendary Chicago Bears linebacker

Eckhartz Everyday

 *Today is the anniversary of former White Sox fan favorite Walt "No Neck" Williams' birth (he passed away in 2016). Williams is featured prominently in our book Chili Dog MVP, but he's also in Chet Coppock's book Your Dime, My Dance Floor. 

Eckhartz Everyday

 *On this day in 2014, I had the book launch party for my book Father Knows Nothing. Many thanks to everyone who came out to the party. It was a great time. So blessed to have so many good friends who came out to support the launch. Lots of photos have been posted at the Eckhartz Press blog.

*On this day in 2018, Chet Coppock had a book signing in Orland Park at a sports collector show. Chet was in his element that day...

Eckhartz Everyday

 *On this day in 2019, I paid tribute in my column for Illinois Entertainer to two Eckhartz Press authors we lost . I'm reprinting it here today. Still miss both Chet & Pat very much...

In April, Chicago sportscasting legend Chet Coppock passed away after being severely injured in an automobile accident.  I worked with him for several years at the Loop (WLUP AM 1000) in the late 80s and early 90s. That was at the height of Chet’s popularity when he was hosting Coppock on Sports, which would later spawn an entire radio format (Sports Talk). At the time, I was Steve Dahl & Garry Meier’s producer, and his show was on after ours every day. We literally talked every day for four years, and I was convinced he didn’t know my name. I got a lot of “Hey Chief” or “Hey Sport” or “Hey Champ” in the Loop hallways.

But in the last few years of his life, Chet reached out to me to help him publish his books (I own a publishing company — Eckhartz Press). He wasn’t the same Chet anymore. He was introspective and vulnerable. And he was finally allowing people to know the real Chet. When we published the book Your Dime, My Dance Floor: Chet Coppock in Pursuit of Chet Coppock, I couldn’t have been prouder of him. I interviewed Chet about the book, and here’s a short excerpt I think shows the real Chet.

“My relationship with my dad was very complex and sadly, never resolved. The old man was wired to numerous local and national sports figures. He gave me a big-time introduction to sports. Sadly, however, about 95 percent of our relationship was indifference. I never really felt my dad cared about me as a person. I yearned for attention and would find it defining and redefining the persona of Chet Coppock. I mean, I was lost, yet there was one move I made that smacked of common sense. I loved sipping Red Label scotch in juke joints. I was never an alcoholic, but by my early 30’s I was just slopping up the sauce far too much. So when my daughter Lyndsey arrived, I made a pledge:  I swore my children would never see me as tanked as I saw my parents virtually every night. I didn’t read any books on parenting. I just tried to be responsive and comforting. I am blessed. Lynds and my son Tyler are great kids with big hearts. Have I been a good father, a new age Ozzie Nelson? Ask the official scorer. I do know that I feel blue ribbon pride that I never got a call from a cop, a school principal, or a ticked-off parent screaming that either of my little ones was a danger to society. I can never thank Ty and Lyndsey enough. They taught me there was life beyond the red zone and the bullpen. Oh ya, I made good on my pledge, I haven’t had a drink in 34 years. No kidding.”

Chet passed away just a few weeks after his daughter Lyndsey got married. He would have been blown away by the outpouring of love Chicago gave him after his death. I just wish he could have seen it.

***

In January, Pat Colander passed away. Pat was a gifted journalist for The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Reader, and other publications for many years, but she was also a mentor as an editor during her time at Lake Magazine, Shore Magazine, and the Northwest Indiana Times. Among the many writers that she nurtured along the way:  Your humble media writer at Illinois Entertainer.

I met Pat almost twenty years ago when I was working with John Landecker. She was the editor of Lake Magazine at the time, and they were doing a story about John. In our first conversation, I mentioned that I was a writer too, and she asked me to write an article for her magazine. She liked it, and I wrote many more.

When Landecker’s show ended, she encouraged me to write full-time. And I did. My first two books The Radio Producer’s Handbook and $everance were both championed by Pat in the pages of her magazine. When she moved over to Shore Magazine to be the editor there, I went with her. I wrote even more for her there, including the weekly column that came to be my pride and joy – “Father Knows Nothing.” When it came out in book form, Pat gave me an enthusiastic endorsement on the back cover. Pat was always encouraging, always supportive. She was a great cheerleader for me and all the writers she employed.

And she never stopped writing herself. When I started up Eckhartz Press, Pat came to us with an idea. She wanted to print some of her best work (from The Reader, The Tribune, etc.) into book form. Those articles turned into Hugh Hefner’s First Funeral and Other Tales of Love & Death in Chicago.  We weren’t surprised at all when it won the CWA Book of the Year award in 2016. It’s that good.

You only encounter so many truly exceptional people in your life, and Pat was one of them for me. I’m grateful to have seen the tremendous example she set for how to treat people, how to be generous in spirit, and how to be giving to others. Her passing was a significant loss, and I still miss her.

Eckhartz Everyday

*On this day in 2018, we had dueling Eckhartz Press book events. I went to Northbrook with Chet Coppock for his signing at Stormy's. Dave went to the Cliff Dweller's in Chicago for his event with Donald G. Evans.

 *Today is the birthday of Eckhartz Press author Judge Michael Bender. Here's a Q&A I did with him when his book first came out.

*He shares a birthday with Mike Ditka, who is featured in several Eckhartz Press books, including Chet Coppock's Your Dime My Dance Floor, Randy Merkin's Behind the Glass, and Rich King's Ike & Me (recently recognized as a finalist for Book of the Year).