The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.
=Big weekend for Chili Dog MVP...
=One of the main characters of Chili Dog MVP is former White Sox organist Nancy Faust. Her birthday is this week (March 11). The co-author of Chili Dog MVP, David Fletcher, talked about Nancy's importance in this podcast interview. This photo of Nancy with Eckhartz Press publishers Rick and Dave was taken at a Chili Dog MVP book signing.
=On March 15, 2022, Rick Kogan reviewed Chili Dog MVP in the Chicago Tribune.
=Ken Churilla was also out and about in NW Indiana promoting The Flip Side. First, he and Flip Side co-owner Larry Rosenbaum appeared on Tom Lounges radio show on Tuesday night (3/4). Listen here.
=Then, Tom did his column about the book in the NW Indiana Times on Thursday.
=And then Saturday they made two library stops--one in Merrillville and another in Highland. Thanks to everyone who came out to say hello.
=Yet another appearance coming soon. Details below.
=From the Flipside archives, Robin Trower (March 9) is celebrating a birthday this week. Black Oak Arkansas released their first album this week in 1971 (March 10). Naturally we have pictures of both (with the Rosenbaum brothers) in the Flip Side book...
=Pre-order time is over for Mark Wukas' debut novel, The Kiss of Night. The books are now in stock! If you are one of the first 250 to order, you'll be receiving your autographed copy any day now.
=If you still want an autograph, come on out to the Book Launch party. Mark it on your calendar. It will be on April 5th from 1-3pm at is/was brewing in the tap room at 5121 N. Ravenswood in Chicago.
=The seventh edition manuscript has been completed and is now in the able hands of our book designer Jeff Waggoner. This is going to be the last one for a few years, so author Rick Kaempfer went all out. Hundreds more entries have been included, and hundreds of classic Cubs photographs as well. In the meantime, check out Rick's Just One Bad Century facebook page and his Bluesky account, because he is posting something every single day. For instance, this one from last week...
=It's been out for a few years now, but it's incredible how often new reviews still come in about Vicki Atkinson's wonderful memoir, Surviving Sue. Here's another great example.
=Eckhartz Press author Dobie Maxwell released his memoir Monkey in the Middle on his birthday in 2016 (March 14), and it remains one of our top selling books. He made the Chicago media rounds when it came out, including an interview on WGN radio, hosted one of the all time great book launch parties at Zanies comedy club on Wells in Chicago, and then did another media tour in Milwaukee, which is where the book takes place.
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=Dan McNeil does a deep dive into the Bears with this book, including what happened to some of the Bears after their playing days were over. One of them, tight end Chris Gedney, came to a very unhappy ending this week (March 9) in 2019.
=One of the players featured in Ken Smoller's book Last Comiskey was outfielder Phil Bradley, who was part of that 1990 White Sox team. He is celebrating a birthday this week (March 11)
=This week in 2013, John Landecker started doing his media tour for his memoir Records Truly Is My Middle Name. It began with this incredible review of the book by Chicago media writer Robert Feder. Then John appeared on the television show Windy City Live. He was surprised live on the air with a phone call from his old friend, Larry Lujack.
=This week in 2018 we signed these two guys to a publishing deal, Bruce Bohrer and Russ Fahrner. (Photo with EP Co-publisher David Stern). A few months later they delivered the manuscript of their book Embrace Retirement.
=One of Bobby Skafish's interview subjects from We Have Company: Four Decades of Rock and Roll Encounters is celebrating a birthday this week: Adam Clayton of U2 (March 13) rates his own chapter in Bobby's book.
=This week in 2017, Skafish appeared on WGN Radio with Dave Hoekstra.
The Balding Handbook
=David Stern's self help book for balding men is currently sold out, but not before it made its mark. This week in 2014, Dave appeared on Steve Cochran's show to talk about the book.
=This week is also the anniversary of the Ken doll (March 11, 1961). This photo from the Anger & Rage chapter (The subtitle of the book is: The five stages of grieving for your hair loss), might give you an idea of one of Dave's suggestions.
=Eckhartz Press author Chuck Swirsky has known the great Stephen Curry since he was a young boy. Chuck was the Toronto Raptors announcer when Steph's dad Del Curry was a Raptor. That heartwarming story is in the pages of Always a Pleasure. Curry's birthday is this week (March 14)
=This week in 2014, Joel Daly appeared on Windy City Live to talk about his book The Daly News. It was a homecoming of sorts for Joel, because the show was filmed at Channel 7 in Chicago, where Joel had starred as an anchorman for nearly 40 years. After the interview we visited the news studio and chatted with his old friends and colleagues.
=This week in 2019, Janet Sutherland began her publicity tour for her book Nose Over Toes. One of the stops on that tour was a visit to WGN Radio.
Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind
=Famous Chicago playwright Vicki Quade (Late Night Catechism) wrote a book for Eckhartz Press a few years ago about her entertaining encounters with everyday Chicagoans. She broke the book up into chapters based on topic. Considering that this week is the anniversary of O'Hare being named (March 13), it's a good week to pick up Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind and read the travel chapter.
=This week in 2015, the two Rick K's (Kogan and Kaempfer) chatted on the radio about Father Knows Nothing.
=One of the great things about the Gentile brother's book about growing up near the mob, Mob Adjacent, is the intersection of the crime world and Hollywood. For instance, this week's birthday girl (March 12) Liza Minelli, makes an appearance in the pages of the book.
=When Eckhartz Press author Chet Coppock died unexpectedly in a car accident in 2018, his friends gathered to hold a tribute for him in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Among the people there that day was fellow broadcaster (and former Chicago Bear) Dan Jiggetts. Jiggetts celebrates a birthday today, March 10. (Photo L-R: Dan Jiggetts, Cheryl Raye Stout, Jim O'Donnell, Rick Kaempfer)
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