Shelf Life

Category: Historic Architecture

  •  Local author to appear at bookstore for book signing of new “Lost East Chicago and Indiana Harbor” history book

     Local author to appear at bookstore for book signing of new “Lost East Chicago and Indiana Harbor” history book

    Award-winning author and journalist Joseph S. Pete will appear at a Northwest Indiana bookstore to sign copies of his new history book, “Lost East Chicago and Indiana Harbor.”

    Pete, a Lisagor Award-winning reporter and columnist, will do a book signing from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 20 at Miles Books at 2819 Jewett Avenue in Highland.

    He will sign copies of his latest history book about East Chicago and copies of his other books “Lost Hammond, Indiana,” “Secret Northwest Indiana” and “100 Things to Do in Gary and Northwest Indiana Before You Die.” Pete also will sign copies of University of Arizona Professor and East Chicago native Gloria McMillan’s “Children of Steel” anthology about life in steel mill towns, which he contributed a short story to.

    “Lost East Chicago and Indiana Harbor” chronicles the Indiana steel town on the shore of Lake Michigan in north Lake County just outside of Chicago that was a melting pot, drawing immigrants from all over the world to work at its bustling steel mills. As the population boomed in the early 20th century, East Chicago was home to more than 100 nationalities who came for the opportunities in a highly industrialized city that earned nicknames like “The Workshop of America,” the “Arsenal of America” and the “Industrial Capital of the World” while forging the steel that built up 20th-century America.

    Home to one of the most storied basketball rivalries in the state, East Chicago was also known as “The City of Champions” as it produced several high school football and basketball championship teams, including the only two back-to-back undefeated basketball teams in state history and the only two athletes to compete in both the Final Four and World Series. East Chicago gave the world many greats like the NBA’s all-time winningest coach Gregg Popovich, the Milwaukee Bucks star and later corporate magnate Junior Bridgeman, the baseball speedster Kenny Lofton, the actress Betsy Palmer, the boxing legend Angel “El Diablo” Manfredy and the Academy Award-winning screenwriter Steve Tesich, who penned the classic sports film “Breaking Away.”

    Pete’s new book is based in large part on interviews, including with Bridgeman, the state champion who went on to lead the Louisville Cardinals to the Final Four, get his number retired by and Bucks, and build a business empire that made him one of the wealthiest former athletes of all time.

    “Lost East Chicago and Indiana Harbor” takes a fond look back at bygone landmarks like Washington and Roosevelt High Schools, Inland Steel Christmas parties, the Washington Park Zoo, Taco Joe’s, the Mademoiselle Shoppe, movie palaces like the Voge and the gym where Michael Jordan played his first Bulls game. It recounts planned worker communities like Sunnyside and Marktown, the English village designed by noted architect Howard Van Doren Shaw where people park on the sidewalks and walk in the street and that’s featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not and enshrined on the National Register of Historic Places.

    Pete, who has covered East Chicago for a decade for The Times of Northwest Indiana, relates stories about the Katherine Home, St. Joseph’s Carmelite Home, Big House, bolita, the Wickey Mansion, the Tod Opera House, the Patrick machine and the Crazy Indiana Style Artists graffiti crew, which hung out with the acclaimed artist Keith Haring, appeared on network television, and went on to exhibit their artwork internationally. His book also explores industrial pollution, political corruption, and unsolved mysteries like the deaths of Jay Given and Henry Lopez and the disappearance of the soccer great William “Wee Willie” McLean.

    “Lost East Chicago and Indiana Harbor” looks back at fondly remembered East Chicago intuitions like Albert’s, Dominic’s, Puntillo’s, Shrimp Harbor, Los Burritos, and El Patio Restaurant, as well as curiosities like the East Chicago Hermit and a mummy a local funeral home used to let kids see for a nickel. It also examines the city’s impact, such as producing Indiana’s first Latino elected official, the Hoosier State’s first and longest-running Mexican Independence parade, and the Midwest’s longest-running Mexican American–owned business, as well as the steel that helped shape America and countless other products.

    Pete is an Indiana University graduate, a combat veteran and a board member of the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists and the Chicago Headline Club. He is a playwright and literary writer whose work has appeared in more than 100 literary journals, earning Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations. He’s received many journalism awards, including from the Inland Press Association, the Hoosier State Press Association, the Chicago Journalists Association, Columbia University and the National Association of Real Estate Editors as well as local honors from the Indiana Small Business Development Center and the Duneland Chamber of Commerce.

    For more information or an interview, contact Joseph S. Pete at 219.841.1030 or jpete@alumni.iu.edu.

  • Three Charming Villages on the shores of Lake Chapala

    Three Charming Villages on the shores of Lake Chapala

    Born in the United Kingdom, Tony Burton, a Cambridge University-educated geographer with a teaching certificate from University of London, first traveled to Mexico after spending three years as a VSO [Voluntary Service Overseas] volunteer teaching geography, and writing a local geography text, on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. From there his travels took him to Mérida in summer 1977, where he spent several weeks backpacking around southern and central Mexico, returning two years later to teach at Greengates School in Mexico City.

    Over the next seven years, Tony traveled extensively throughout Mexico, visiting every state at least once, and organizing numerous four-day earth science fieldwork courses for his students. He co-led the school’s extensive aid efforts following the massive 1985 earthquake.

    From Mexico City, he moved to Guadalajara, where he continued to organize short, residential fieldwork courses for a number of different schools and colleges and began organizing and leading specialist eco-tours for adult groups to destinations such as Paricutín Volcano, the monarch butterfly sanctuaries, and Copper Canyon.

    An award winning author, he’s written numerous books about Mexico including his latest Lake Chapala: A Postcard History (Sombrero Publishing). It’s part of a series he’s written on this region which is located about an hour south of Guadalajara. The 417-square-mile lake, Mexico’s largest, located in the states of Jalisco and Michoacán is situated at an elevation of  5,000ft in the middle of the Volcanic Axis of Mexico and is known for its wonderful climate, laid-back ambience, and is a popular destination for both travelers and ex-pats looking for a charming, low-key place to relocate. The three main towns along the lake are Chapala, Ajijic and Jocotepec. In an intriguing aside, Tony met his wife Gwen Chan Burton when she was working as at the director of the pioneering Lakeside School for the Deaf in Jocotepec. Gwen writes about the school and all that it has accomplished in her book, New Worlds for the Deaf, also published by Sombrero Books.

    Tony’s other books about this region include Western Mexico A Traveler’s Treasury, illustrated by Mark Eager, now in its fourth edition; Mexican Kaleidoscope: Myths, Mysteries and Mystique, illustrated by Enrique Veláquez, and Foreign Footprints in Ajijic: Decades of Change in a Mexican Village. I’ll be covering them in upcoming posts.

    Because I’m always interested in foodways, Tony was kind enough to share a copy of an undated Spanish language project put together by students from the Instituto Politécnico Nacional School of Tourism titled “Gastronomy of Jalisco.”  It includes numerous recipes from the region including one for the famous Caldo Michi of Chapala (the recipe is below).

    I had the chance to ask Tony, who currently is the editor of MexConnect, Mexico’s leading independent on-line magazine, about Lake Chapala: A Postcard History as well as the time he spent in this beautiful region of Mexico.


    How did you first become familiar with Lake Chapala?

    I first visited Lake Chapala in early 1980, on my way back to Mexico City from the Copper Canyon and Baja California Sur. Little did I imagine then that it would be where I would later fall in love, get married, and have two children!

    What inspired you to write Lake Chapala: A Postcard History?

    There is no single overwhelming inspiration. I realized, while living at Lake Chapala and writing my first books about Mexico, that a lot of what had been previously written was superficial and left many unanswered questions. In the hopes of finding answers, I decided to trawl through all the published works (any language) I could find, which resulted in Lake Chapala Through the Ages (2008), my attempt to document and provide context to the accounts of the area written between 1530 and 1910.

    My next two books about Lake Chapala—If Walls Could Talk: Chapala’s Historic Buildings and Their Former Occupants, and Foreign Footprints in Ajijic: Decades of a Change in a Mexican Village—focused on the twentieth century history of the two main centers for the very numerous foreign community now living on ‘Lakeside.’ Part of my motivation was to dispel some of the myths that endlessly recirculate about the local history, as well as to bring back to life some of the many extraordinary pioneering individuals indirectly responsible for the area becoming such an important destination for visitors.

    Lake Chapala: APostcard History is my attempt to widen the discussion and summarize the twentieth century history of the entire lake area. Its reliance on vintage postcards makes this a very visual story, one which I hope will appeal to a wide readership, including armchair travelers.



    What were some of the challenges you encountered in writing this book? Was it difficulty finding the numerous postcards you included? And doing the extensive research that went into the book? Are there any intriguing stories about hunting down certain postcards and any “aha” moments of discovery when writing your book?

    The main challenge was in deciding how best to structure the material. Because of the originality of what I’m doing, it is impractical to follow the advice that writers should start with a detailed plan and then write to that plan! In my case, after collecting the information and ideas that exist, the challenge is to select what can be teased and massaged into a coherent and interesting narrative.

    Because the postcard book is the product of decades of research, I had ample time to build my personal collection of vintage postcards, through gifts, auctions and online purchases.

    There were many significant “aha” moments in the process: some concerned the photographers and publishers responsible for the postcards and some the precise buildings or events depicted. While I’m saving some of these “aha” moments–because they are central to a future book–one was when it suddenly dawned on me that wealthy businessman Dwight Furness was the photographer of an entire series of cards (Figs 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, etc.) that relate to my next response.



    If you could go back in time to visit one of the resorts that is no longer there that you featured in your book, is there one that stands out and why is that?

    Ooohhh; I’d love to go back to about 1908 and stay at the Ribera Castellanos resort (Chapter 6) during its heyday. While staying there, perhaps I could interview owner Dwight Furness, his wife and a few guests? Apart from a few ruined walls, Furness’ postcards of the resort are pretty much the only remaining evidence of the hotel. And perhaps one night I could invite local resident and prolific professional photographer Winfield Scott and his wife to dinner to hear their stories?

    How long did it take to write Lake Chapala?

    The writing took less than a year; but only because of the many prior years of research.

    Since I often talk about food and travel, are there any culinary specialties in the Lake Chapala region?

    Long standing culinary specialties of the area include (a) Lake Chapala whitefish (b) charales (c) caldo michi. And, when it comes to drinks, there is a very specific link to postcards. The wife of photographer José Edmundo Sánchez, who sold postcards ( Figs 7.5, 7.6 and 7.7) in the 1920s from his lakefront bar in Chapala, is credited with inventing sangrita, still marketed today as a very popular chaser or co-sip for tequila. (Chapter 7, page 74).

    Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about your book?

    I hope readers find the book as fun and interesting to read as it was to write!

    MICHI BROTH

    Ingredients:

    • 2 tablespoons corn oil
    • ¾ kg of tomato seeded and in pieces
    • ¼ onion in pieces
    • ½ kg carrot, peeled and cut into diagonal slices
    • ½ kg of sliced ​​zucchini
    • 4 or 6 chiles güeros
    • 100 gr. chopped coriander
    • 2 sprigs of fresh oregano
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 ½ liters of water
    • 1kg well washed catfish, yellow carp or red snapper

    PREPARATION: Heat the oil and stew the vegetables in it, add water and salt to taste, let it simmer over low heat until the vegetables are well cooked, then add the fish and leave it for a few minutes more until it is soft.

    Sangrita

    I had the opportunity to stay at Tres Rios Nature Park, a 326-acre eco-resort north of Playa del Carmen and was first introduced to sangrita during my stay. I took several cooking lessons and learned to make a dish with crickets, but that is a different story. Chef Oscar also talked to us about the history of sangrita. The Spanish name is the less-than-appetizing “little blood” but hey, when you’re learning to grill crickets, you can deal with a name like that. The drink, as Tony writes in his postcards book, originated in Chapala in the 1920s.

    Here is the excerpt:

    ”In the same year the Railroad Station opened, Guillermo de Alba had become a partner in Pavilion Monterrey, a lakefront bar in a prime location, only meters from the beach, between the Hotel Arzapalo and Casa Braniff,” he writes. “The co-owner of the bar was José Edmundo Sánchez. Regulars at the bar included American poet Witter Bynner, who first visited Chapala in 1923 in the company of D H Lawrence and his wife, Frieda. Bynner subsequently bought a house near the church. When de Alba left Chapala for Mexico City in 1926, Sánchez and his wife—María Guadalupe Nuño, credited with inventing sangrita as a chaser for tequila—ran the bar on their own. After her husband died in 1933, María continued to manage the bar, which then became known as the Cantina de la Viuda Sánchez (Widow Sánchez’s bar).”

    Sangrita is typically used as accompaniment to tequila, highlighting its crisp acidity and helping to cleanse the palate between each peppery sip. According to Chef Oscar, the red-colored drink serves to compliment the flavor of 100% agave tequila. The two drinks, each poured into separate shot glasses, are alternately sipped, never chased and never mixed together.

    Here is Chef Oscar’s recipe and below is one from Cholula hot sauce which originated in Chapala. Tony has a great story about that as well. More in my next post on his books.

    For one liter of Sangrita:

    • 400 ml. orange juice
    • 400 ml. tomato juice
    • 50 ml. lemon juice
    • 30 ml. Grenadine syrup
    • 20 ml. Worcestershire sauce
    • Maggi and Tabasco hot sauce (mixed up) to taste
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Mix together all the ingredients and serve cold. Suggested duration of chilling : 3 to 4 days.

    Cholula’s Sangrita

    • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) fresh orange juice
    • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) fresh grapefruit juice
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    • 20 pomegranate seeds
    • 3 fresh sprigs of cilantro or to taste
    • 1/2 stalk celery
    • 3 teaspoons smoked coarse sea salt or sal de gusano, divided
    • 1 tablespoon Cholula® Original Hot Sauce

    Place all ingredients except salt in blender container, with about 1 cup ice cubes. Puree until smooth.Strain twice though a fine mesh sieve, discarding any solids.

    Rim shot glasses with sea salt. Serve sangrita cold in rimmed shot glasses alongside your favorite tequila.

  • “Ladies of the Lights” Showcases Female Lighthouse Keepers

    “Ladies of the Lights” Showcases Female Lighthouse Keepers

    “Ladies of the Lights” Presentation by Michigan Maritime Expert Dianna Stampfler Showcases Female Keepers of Michigan’s Historic Beacons

    “Ladies of the Lights” Presentation Showcases Female Keepers of Michigan’s Historic Beacons

    Michigan lighthouse historian and author Dianna Stampfler has announced a series of presentations of her popular “Ladies of the Lights” in honor of Women’s History Month. This program, which includes readings from newspapers and autobiographies, as well as countless historic photos, sheds light on the dedicated women who served at lights around the state dating back as early as the 1830s.

    These were women before their time, taking on the romantic yet dangerous and physically demanding job of tending to the lighthouses that protected the Great Lakes shoreline. Given this was also a government job, their involvement was even more unique. In all, nearly 50 women have been identified who excelled in this profession over the years.

    One of the most notable was Elizabeth (Whitney) VanRiper Williams who took over the St. James Harbor Light on Beaver Island after her husband, Clement, died while attempting to rescue the crew of a ship sinking in the harbor. She later became the first keeper of the Little Traverse Lighthouse in Harbor Springs, retiring after a combined 44 years of service.

    There is also Julia (Tobey) Braun Way who outlived two husband keepers at the Saginaw River Rear Range Lighthouse in Bay City, and some say who still haunts the place today. Anastasia Truckey served as the interim keeper at the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse in the 1860s while her husband, Nelson, was off serving in the Civil War. Mary Terry served 18 years before she died in a fire at the Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba in 1886 – her death still shrouded in mystery 137 years later.

    Stampfler has been researching Great Lakes lighthouses for more than 25 years and is the author of Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses (2019) and Death and Lighthouses on the Great Lakes (2022) both from The History Press. She has penned countless articles and been interviewed extensively about the lighthouses and their keepers. She is also the president of Promote Michigan.

    The March 2023 program schedule includes:

    • Tuesday, March 14 (6-7:30pm)

    Chesterfield Township Library

    www.chelibrary.org

    • Wednesday, March 15 (10am-Noon)

    Saginaw Valley State University, University Center

    OLLI Class (Registration required: $20 members/$40 non-members)

    www.enrole.com/svsu/jsp/session.jsp?sessionId=275W23&courseId=275LADIES&categoryId=D488D638

    • Wednesday, March 15 (5-6:30pm)

    Harbor Beach District Library

    www.hbadl.org

    • Tuesday, March 21 (6-7:30pm)

    Livonia Public Library ZOOM

    https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88565136420

    • Wednesday, March 22 (6-7:30pm)

    St. Clair County Library, Port Huron

    • Thursday, March 23 (7-8:30pm)

    Novi Public Library Zoom

    www.novilibrary.org 

    Stampfler will be selling/signing copies of her books following each presentation.

  • If Walls Could Talk: Lake Chapala’s historic buildings and their former occupants

    If Walls Could Talk: Lake Chapala’s historic buildings and their former occupants

    Now one of the most popular retirement area for Americans and Canadians, the Lake Chapala Region, nestled in a valley almost a mile high in Mexico’s Volcanic Axis,  has long been a draw for ex-pats and vacationers, lured by its almost perfect climate and beauty.

    In his book If Walls Could Talk: Chapala’s historic buildings and their former occupants about Mexico‘s earliest international tourist destination (also available in Spanish), award-winning author Tony Burton shares his knowledge and interest in a region where he has spent more than two decades. Burton, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society who was born and educated in the United Kingdom, first visited Mexico in 1977. That visit was obviously a big success as he returned and for almost 18 years lived and worked full-time in Mexico as a writer, educator and ecotourism specialist.

    He met his wife, Gwen Chan Burton who was a teacher of the deaf and then director at the Lakeside School for the Deaf in Jocotepec, one of the three main towns lining the shores of Lake Chapala. Though they now reside on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, the Burtons continue to revisit Mexico regularly and he is currently editor-in-chief of MexConnect, Mexico’s top English-language online magazine.

    The other two towns, each with its own distinctive vibe, are Ajijic and Chapala, native villages resettled by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 1500s. “This book looks at how Chapala, a small nondescript fishing village in Jalisco, suddenly shot to international prominence at the end of the nineteenth century as one of North America’s earliest tourist resorts,” writes Burton. “Within twenty years, Chapala, tucked up against the hills embracing the northern shore of Mexico’s largest natural lake, was attracting the cream of Mexican and foreign society. Thus began Lake Chapala’s astonishing transformation into the vibrant international community it is now, so beloved of authors, artists and retirees.”

    The book, organized as a walking tour, covers not only existing buildings but also pinpoints the spots where significant early buildings no longer stand but their histories still weave a story of the town. It’s only a partial guide, explains Burton, noting that an inventory prepared by the National Institute of Anthropology and History identified more than eighty such buildings in Chapala including many not easily visible from the road but hidden behind high walls and better viewed from the lake.

    Among the famous people who lived in Chapala at some point in their careers was author D.H. Lawrence, probably best remembered for his risqué (at the time) novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

    In 1923, Lawrence and his wife, Frieda, rented Casa de las Cuentas (House of Rosary Beads), a house that dates back to the 1800s. At the time, a one-story abode with a half-moon entrance and heavy wooden gates, it was located at 307 Calle Zaragoza, a street formerly known as Calle de la Pesquería (“Fishing street”) so named as it was where the local fishermen repaired their nets and hung them out to dry. It was while living on Calle Zaragoza that Lawrence wrote the first draft of The Plumed Serpent, published in 1926. The novel is described as “the story of a European woman’s self-annihilating plunge into the intrigues, passions, and pagan rituals of Mexico.”

    Over the decades, after the Lawrences moved out, subsequent changes were made to Casa de las Cuentas including  the addition of a swimming pool in the mid-1950s when artist Roy MacNicol and his wife, Mary, owned the home.

    While Lawrence’s writings were considered by some as scandalous, MacNicol’s life had its scandals as well. Burton describes him as “colorful” in that he was married multiple times and was involved in many escapades as well as lawsuits.

    Mary, embracing the local culinary traditions including the use of flowers in cooking, authored Flower Cookery: The Art of Cooking With Flowers.

    It wasn’t the work of a dilettante as reviews of her book such as this one on Amazon shows.

    “Flower Cookery is recipes, but far more than recipes,” writes one reviewer. “The book is organized by the popular name of the flower in question. Each section is introduced with quotations from literature, philosophy, and poetry that feature the blossom. This is followed by the recipes, interwoven with mythology, stories, and aphorisms about the flower, the plant from which it grows, its symbolism, and the culture or society in which humans discovered the value of the plant or blossom. The recipes include original favorites as well as recipes collected from historical sources and contemporary sources around the world. Here is just the tiniest sampling of the riches in the book.”

    Burton shares her Christmas Cheer recipe from when she lived at Casa de las Cuentas.

    Christmas Cheer

    10-12 squash blossoms with stems removed

    2 eggs, beaten

    2 to 3 tablespoons water

    Flour, enough to thicken mixture about one tablespoon

    Salt and pepper

    1 cup neutral oil such as grapeseed, canola, or safflower

    Wash and dry squash blossoms on paper towels, making sure to remove all the water. Mix remaining ingredients except oil to make a smooth batter. Place oil in a large, heavy skillet to 350-375°F. Dip blossoms in batter and fry in oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

    As for the house, it was renovated again in the early 1980s and is now Quinta Quetzalcoatl, a lovely boutique hotel.

    If Walls Could Talk is one of four books that Burton has written on the Lake Chapala region. The other three are Foreign Footprints in Ajijic: decades of change in a Mexican Village; Lake Chapala Through the Ages: an anthology of travelers’ tales  (2008), and the recent Lake Chapala: A Postcard history. All are available as print and ebooks on Amazon.

    The above maps, both copyrighted, show Chapala 1915 [lower map] and 1951 [upper map].

    In all, he’s planning on adding several more to what he currently calls the Lake Chapala Quartet, these focusing on the writers and artists associated with the area.  I asked him  to describe the region so readers who have never been there can get an idea of what it is like, but it turns out the Burton is NOT a traveler who meticulously plots every moment of a trip before he arrives. Instead, he tells me that part of the fun when traveling is to not know in advance what places are like and instead to see and experience them for yourself.

    “That said,” he continues, “the various villages and towns on the shores of Lake Chapala are all quite different in character. The town of Chapala, specifically, is a pretty large and bustling town. It is growing quite rapidly and has added several small high end boutique hotels in recent years, as well as some fine dining options to complement the more traditional shoreline ‘fish’ restaurants. The many old–100 years plus–buildings in Chapala give the town a historic ‘air’ where it is relatively easy to conjure up images of what it was like decades ago. By comparison, Ajijic, now the center of the foreign community on Lake Chapala, has virtually no old buildings and more of a village and artsy feel to it, though it also has very high quality accommodations and more fine restaurants than you can count.”

    Other structures still standing include the Villa Tlalocan, completed in 1896 and described by a contemporary journalist as “the largest, costliest and most complete in Chapala… a happy minglement of the Swiss chalet, the Southern verandahed house of a prosperous planter and withal having an Italian suggestion. It is tastefully planned and is set amid grounds cultivated and adorned with flowers so easily grown in this paradisiacal climate where Frost touches not with his withering finger…”

    Also still part of the landscape is Villa Niza. One of many buildings designed by Guillermo de Alba, the house, according to Burton, was built in 1919 and looks more American than European in style. Located at Hidalgo 250, it takes advantage of its setting on Lake Chapala and has a mirador (look out) atop the central tower of the structure, which affords sweeping panoramic views over the gardens and lake. De Alba’s strong geometric design boasts only minimal exterior ornamentation.

    Burton, who specializes in non-fiction about Mexico, related to geography, history, travel, economics, ecology and natural history, has written several fascinating books about the history of the Lake Chapala region.

    In If Walls Could Talk, Burton invites you to walk with him through time as you explore the city.

  • AIA Guide to Chicago, Fourth Edition

    AIA Guide to Chicago, Fourth Edition

     AIA Chicago, the second largest chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the collective voice of 4,000 licensed architects, emerging professionals, architecture students, and allied professionals, today announced the publication of the new, updated definitive guide to  the city’s architecture, the AIA Guide to Chicago, Fourth Edition.

    AIA Guide to Chicago 4th Edition High-res cover image.jpg

    Chicago’s architecture attracts visitors from around the globe. The fourth edition of the AIA Guide to Chicago is the best portable resource for exploring this most breathtaking and dynamic of cityscapes and neighborhoods. The editors offer entries on new destinations like the Riverwalk and The 606, chronicling the city’s construction boom since the previous guide was published in 2014, as well as updated descriptions of refreshed landmarks. Thirty-four maps and more than 500 photos make it easy to find each of the almost 2,000 featured sites.

    A special insert, new to this edition, showcases the variety of Chicago architecture with over 80 full-color images. A comprehensive index organizes entries by name and architect.

    Sumptuously detailed and user friendly, the AIA Guide to Chicago encourages travelers and residents alike to explore the many diverse neighborhoods of one of the world’s great architectural cities.

    “AIA Chicago has refreshed the ultimate handbook of Chicago architecture with new buildings and old buildings redesigned for new uses,” said AIA Chicago’s Executive Director Jen Masengarb. “We’ve added overlooked iconic designs from Chicago’s architecturally and culturally distinct neighborhoods—many designed by female architects and architects of color.”

    In addition to prominent buildings known to millions because of their perches in the downtown skyline or their places along the river—Studio Gang’s St. Regis Chicago, SOM’s Willis Tower, Edward Durell Stone’s Aon Center, Adler & Sullivan’s Auditorium Building, Goettsch Partners’ 150 North Riverside, Graham, Anderson, Probst & White’s The Old Post Office converted to offices by Gensler—this new edition includes striking architectural designs from the past and present waiting to be discovered.

    Imaginative Rehabs for Reuse:

    The heroic rehab of historic Beaux-Arts hospital that once served Chicago immigrants and was scheduled for demolition but now reinvented with offices, a food hall and two hotels (Old Cook County Hospital, 1835 W. Harrison St., Paul Gerhardt, 1914; SOM and KOO conversion, 2020)

    ·An exuberant Roaring Twenties firehouse (image© Eric Allix Rogers) stacked with terra-cotta ornament now converted into an arts center fostering appreciation of Chicago filmmaking (Chicago Filmmakers—Ridge Firehouse; Engine Co. 59, Truck 47—5720 N. Ridge Avenue; Argyle E. Robinson, 1928; Bureau of Architecture & Design, 2017 conversion)

    An extraordinary arts center in a former bank designed by urban planner, artist and activist Theaster Gates who created performance spaces and galleries—including a stunning double-height room lined with bookshelves that house the Johnson Publishing Company archives-—in a deliberate state of semi-restoration, revealing layers of the building’s history (Stony Island Arts Bank—Stony Island Trust & Savings Bank—6760 S. Stony Island Ave., William Gibbons Uffendell, 1923; Fitzgerald Assocs. Architects, conversion, 2015)

    Rediscovered Designs and Architects:

    Eleven condos developed, built and designed by Chicago legend Gertrude Lempp Kerbis who designed the Rotunda Building at O’Hare which housed her Seven Continents restaurant (Greenhouse Condominiums, 2131 N. Clark St.; Gertrude Lempp Kerbis, 1976)

    An international style flat roof, light brick home designed by John Moutoussamy (image © Eric Allix Rogers) a student of Mies and the first Black architect to become partner in a large Chicago firm, who also designed 820 S. Michigan Ave., the offices of the publisher of Ebony and Jet Magazine (John Moutoussamy House, 361 E. 89th Pl., John Moutoussamy, 1954)

    A sleek rectilinear church of light brick and stone designed by Nelson Harris, a founding member of the National Organization of Minority Architects, featuring a three-story bell tower clad in smooth stone panels and topped with stained glass and crenellations (Berean Baptist Church, 5147 S. Dearborn St., Harris & Isensee, 1962)

    Civic Spaces and Public Art:

    A yellow brick sidewalk and mosaic tile mural by Hector Duarte commemorates L. Frank Baum’s writing of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz when he lived here in 1900 (There’s No Place Like Home, Southeast corner of Humboldt Blvd. and Wabansia St., Hector Duarte, Artists, 2020)

    A striking, new pedestrian bridge over Lake Shore Drive at 35th Street joined others in moving toward rectifying the disinvestment and scarcity of access to the lake on Chicago’s South Side (35th St. Pedestrian Bridge, 35th Str. Over S. Lake Shore Dr., EXP, 2016)

    Carson Pirie Scott (Sullivan, 1898)

    The reimagined Garfield Blvd. CTA Stations including a restoration and creative reuse of the 1892 building originally built to bring passengers to the World’s Columbian Exposition, and a renovation of its 2001 replacement station to include vibrant artwork by Nick Cave and Bob Faust in a variety of media and surfaces. (CTA—Garfield Blvd. Station, 320 E. Garfield Blvd., 2019 renovation, exp; Original station house, restoration, Antunovich Assocs.)

    1635 W Washington Bv (1891), one of very few survivors in this area of a stately past.

    Art Deco outside the Loop:

    An exuberant Art Deco factory in the West Loop that produced sausages, smoked and boiled meats (Richter’s Food Products, 1034 W. Randolph St., H. Peter Henschien, 1933)

    An Art Deco apartment hotel on the Near West Side (image© Eric Allix Rogers) designed by Benjamin Albert Comm in 1930 was gut rehabbed into affordable, sustainable units (Harvest Commons Apartments, 1519 W. Warren Blvd., Benjamin Albert Comm, 1930; Rehab, Landon Bone Baker Architects, 2013)

    The Art Deco exterior dating from a 1928 remodeling of an Austin bank building is slated to have its celery, mustard and off-white terra cotta facades restored as part of a redevelopment project included in Chicago’s Invest South/West initiative (Laramie State Bank Building, 4200 West Chicago Ave., Meyer & Cook, 1928 remodeling of 1909 building).

    “Working on the fourth edition of this indispensable handbook has been a special delight as we continue to deepen the book’s tradition of including an expansive canon of work,” said editor of the AIA Guide to Chicago, Laurie Petersen. “The opportunity to have a section of color photos allowed us to increase the book’s educational value even further by grouping them to illustrate building styles and types.”

    A new 32-page section of color photos directs readers to entries across the city that have capsule descriptions of particular styles, materials or building types. Styles are organized chronologically, from 1870s Italianate through 1990s Postmodernism. Interspersed are two double-page spreads: Unexpected Delights, including a water pumping station and a storage facility, and Quintessential Chicago Housing Types, including the Chicago bungalow.

    Even at 648 pages, the AIA Guide to Chicago is illustrative rather than encyclopedic, presenting a representative selection of buildings in addition to the essential landmarks. The neighborhoods chosen display a range of types, styles and eras. The criteria for selecting buildings, landscape and park features, bridges, public art and cemetery monuments included not only the quality of their design but also the degree to which they either exemplified a style, trend or functional type or stood out as unusual. Other important factors included visibility, historical significance, and the “what the heck is that” curiosity factor. A team of advisers helped evaluate the various buildings selected for inclusion in this edition: Geoffrey Baer; Lee Bey; Lisa DiChiera; T. Gunny Harboe, FAIA; Blair Kamin; and Mary Woolever.

    Praise for the Third Edition

    “A many-voiced celebration of the rich flavors of Chicago architecture, the delights on the side streets as well as the landmarks that make the history books.”–Chicago Sun-Times

    “If you’ve ever needed a good excuse to take a walk around a Chicago neighborhood or study a particularly noteworthy building, this should provide the perfect push out the door.”–Chicago Tribune

    About the AIA Guide to Chicago 4th Edition

    Author:American Institute of Architects Chicago, Edited by Laurie McGovern Petersen. Paper – $42.95; 978-0-252-08673-1; eBook – $14.95. 648 pages. Illustrations: 82 color photographs, 498 black & white photographs, 1 chart, 1 table.

    About AIA Chicago

    The American Institute of Architects Chicago (AIA Chicago) serves nearly 4,000 licensed architects, emerging professionals, architecture students, and allied professional members in Chicago and is the second largest AIA chapter in the country. AIA Chicago’s mission builds on the city’s architectural legacy by advocating for the profession, sharing knowledge among members, and partnering with communities. It fosters a culture of design excellence for equitable, sustainable places and spaces.

    AIA Chicago offers lectures and continuing education courses; specialized, issue-specific Knowledge Communities; advocacy for architects; and help for consumers looking for an architect.

    AIA Chicago is the local Chicago chapter of The American Institute of Architects. Based in Washington, D.C., the AIA has been the leading professional membership association for licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners since 1857. Learn more by visiting www.aiachicago.org.

  • Haunted Lighthouses: Scary Tales of the Great Lakes

    Haunted Lighthouses: Scary Tales of the Great Lakes

    Michigan is home to more lighthouses than any other state and about 40 of those are rumored to be haunted by the spirits of former keepers, mariners and others with ties to these historic beacons.

    Inside the pages of Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses, long-time researcher, writer and promoter of all things Michigan, Dianna Stampfler, shares stories of those who dedicated their lives — and afterlives — to protecting the Great Lakes’ shoreline. Her second book, Death & Lighthouse on the Great Lakes, Stampfler delves into the historic true crime cold case files that have baffled lighthouse lovers for as many as two centuries.

    Throughout the fall season, Stampfler will be speaking at libraries around the state, sharing her lively and upbeat presentation about these lights. Copies of her books will be available for purchase and signing at every program.

    Sun, Oct 9, 2022
    2:00 PM – 3:30 PM    		Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses
    Elk Rapids District Library, Elk Rapids, MI
    Tue, Oct 11, 2022
    6:30 PM – 8:00 PM    		Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses
    Rauchholz Memorial Library, Hemlock, MI
    Wed, Oct 12, 2022
    7:00 PM – 8:30 PM    		Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses
    Northville District Library, Northville, MI
    Wed, Oct 19, 2022
    6:00 PM – 7:30 PM    		Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses
    Reese Unity District Library, Reese, MI
    Thu, Oct 20, 2022
    7:00 PM – 8:30 PM    		Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses
    Otsego District Library, Otsego, MI
    Sun, Oct 23, 2022
    3:00 PM – 4:30 PM    		Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses
    Sanilac County Historic Village & Museum, Port Sanilac, MI
    Wed, Nov 2, 2022
    6:00 PM – 7:30 PM    		Death & Lighthouses on the Great Lakes
    St. Clair County Library – Main Branch, Port Huron, MI

    For the complete schedule of upcoming events (including other topics beyond lighthouses), visit the Promote Michigan Speaker’s Bureau online.

    About Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses

    Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, with more than 120 dotting its expansive Great Lakes shoreline. Many of these lighthouses lay claim to haunted happenings. Former keepers like the cigar-smoking Captain Townshend at Seul Choix Point and prankster John Herman at Waugoshance Shoal near Mackinaw City maintain their watch long after death ended their duties. At White River Light Station in Whitehall, Sarah Robinson still keeps a clean and tidy house, and a mysterious young girl at the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse seeks out other children and female companions. Countless spirits remain between Whitefish Point and Point Iroquois in an area well known for its many tragic shipwrecks.

    About Death & Lighthouses on the Great Lakes

    Losing one’s life while tending to a Great Lakes lighthouse — or any navigational beacon anywhere in the world for that matter — sadly wasn’t such an unusual occurrence. The likelihood of drowning while at sea or becoming injured while on the job ultimately leading to death were somewhat common back in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

    Death by murder, suicide or other unnatural and tragic causes, while rare, are not unheard of. In fact, more than dozen lighthouse keepers around the Great Lakes met their maker at the hands of others – by fire, poisoning, bludgeoning and other unknown means. A handful of these keepers, either because of depression or sheer loneliness, took their own lives. A few we may never know the true story, as the deaths now 100 or more years ago, weren’t subjected to the forensic scrutiny that such crimes are given today.

    In the pages of Death & Lighthouses of the Great Lakes: A History of Misfortune & Murder, you’ll find an amalgamation of true crime details, media coverage and historical research which brings the stories to life…despite the deaths of those featured.

    Stampfler has been professionally writing and broadcasting since high school. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English with emphasis in Community Journalism and Communications with emphasis in radio broadcasting from Western Michigan University. She is a member of the Midwest Travel Journalists Association, Historical Society of Michigan, Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association, Great Lakes Maritime Museum, Association for Great Lake Maritime History, Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, Michigan Maritime Museum, Friends of Pilot & Plum Island Lighthouse, National Museum of the Great Lakes and West Michigan Tourist Association.

  • Pullman: The Man, the Company, the Historic Park by Kenneth Schoon

    Pullman: The Man, the Company, the Historic Park by Kenneth Schoon

                   Kenneth Schoon, professor emeritus at Indiana University Northwest, has immersed himself in the history of the Greater Chicago/Northwest Indiana area for decades, writing books starting from the area’s earliest beginnings such as “Calumet Beginnings: Ancient Shorelines and Settlements at the South End of Lake Michigan” and “Swedish Settlements on the South Shore of Lake Michigan.”

                   In his latest book, “Pullman: The Man, the Company, the Historical Park” (History Press 2021; $21.99), he showcases what once was among  the ultimate company town and is now a Chicago neighborhood. George Pullman, whose last name became synonymous with plush railroad sleeper cars, believed that happy workers were productive workers and so developed his town along the western shore of Lake Calumet in the late 1800s.

                   I thought I knew company towns having grown up in East Chicago, Indiana my friends whose parents worked at Inland Steel lived in Sunnyside in Indiana  Harbor. On the East Chicago side there was Marktown built in 1917 by Clayton Mark, for those employed at the company he owned, Mark Manufacturing.

                   But they’re different Schoon tells me. Both Marktown and Sunnyside were residential neighborhoods. But Pullman was an actual town with its own schools, library, churches, Masonic Hall, businesses, and even a band. Garbage and maintenance was paid for by the company.

    In 2015, then President Barack Obama proclaimed Chicago’s Pullman District as a National Monument, encompassing many of its surviving buildings such as the former Pullman Palace Car Works, the Greenstone Church, formerly the Greenstone United Methodist Church, the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, workers’ homes, the Pullman Administration Clock Tower Building, Arcade Park, and the Florence Hotel, named after Pullman’s oldest daughter.

                   Though I vaguely knew about the town of Pullman, it had never been on my radar as a place to visit even though it was less than eleven miles from where I lived.

                   “The same with me,” says Schoon who remembered going to the Florence Hotel, one of the fanciest structures in town, to eat when young never to return until hired by the Historic Pullman Foundation to write about the history of the town for their brochure.

                   Today we talk about experiences, but that’s what Pullman was all about back then. His sleeper cars were luxurious, but the brand also meant great service. After the Civil War, he hired recently emancipated African American men, to work as porters becoming the largest employer of Blacks in the U.S. Their jobs were to attend to passengers needs by serving food and drink, shining shoes, tidying up the train, making sure the temperature was just right and that lighting fixtures worked.  Black women were hired as maids to take care of women guests on the most expensive cars—babysitting children, helping with their baths, giving manicures, and fixing their hair.

                   Pullman was no dinky little town. The Arcade Theatre could accommodate 1000 people and Schoon says it was, for a time, the finest theater west of the Hudson River.

                   With the advent of automobiles and highways, the need for sleeper cars lessened. But luckily many of Pullman’s historic buildings remain including the Florence Hotel which is currently closed for renovations but expected to open within a few years.

                   “The old stable is now a store,” says Schoon. “The old fire station is still there and of the 600 residential buildings all but three are still standing.”

                   In an interesting tidbit, Schoon notes that Pullman was originally dry because George Pullman was a Prohibitionist. Luckily for those who  wanted to imbibe, Kensington, the town next door had 23 taverns at the time.

                   Kenneth Schoon will be signing copies of his book during the Labor Day Weekend at the Grand Opening of Pullman National Monument Visitor Center and Pullman State Historic Site Factory. For more information about times and other events, visit www.pullmanil.org

  • THE 17TH ANNUAL BEST BOOK AWARDS ANNOUNCE 2020 AWARD RECIPIENTS

    THE 17TH ANNUAL BEST BOOK AWARDS ANNOUNCE 2020 AWARD RECIPIENTS

    American Book Fest has announced the winners and finalists of The 2020 Best Book Awards.
    Awards were presented for titles published in 2018-2020.

    Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO of American Book Fest said this year’s contest yielded over 2,000 entries from mainstream and independent publishers. These were then narrowed down to over 400 winners and finalists in 90 categories.

    “The 2020 results represent a phenomenal mix of books from a wide array of publishers throughout the United States,” says Keen about the awards, now in their 18th year.
    Winners and finalists traversed the publishing landscape: HarperCollins, Penguin/Random House, John Wiley and Sons, Routledge/Taylor and Francis, Forge, Hay House, Sounds True, Llewellyn Worldwide, NYU Press, Oxford University Press, John Hopkins University Press, The White House Historical Association and hundreds of Independent Houses contribute to this year’s outstanding competition.

    “Our success begins with the enthusiastic participation of authors and publishers and continues with our distinguished panel of industry judges who bring to the table their extensive editorial, PR, marketing, and design expertise,” says Keen.

    American Book Fest is an online publication providing coverage for books from mainstream and independent publishers to the world online community.

    American Book Fest has an active social media presence with over 135,000 current Facebook fans.


    Highlights Include the Following Winning Titles:
    (Full Results are Available Here.)

    Click on category headings to be taken directly to full book descriptions! Winners and Finalists are featured at the top of each page.

    Animals/Pets: General

    The Balanced Pet Sitter: What You Wish you Knew Before Starting Your Pet Care Business by Renée Stilson
    Equilibre Press, LLC

    Animals/Pets: Narrative Non-Fiction
    The Chimpanzee Chronicles: Stories of Heartbreak and Hope from Behind the Bars by Debra Rosenman
    Wild Soul Press

    Anthologies: Non-Fiction
    This Moment Bold Voices from WriteGirl by Keren Taylor
    WriteGirl PublicationsArt

    C. Curry Bohm: Brown County and Beyond edited by Daniel Kraft & Jim Ross
    Indiana University Press

    Autobiography/Memoir
    Through My Eyes: CSI Memoirs That Haunt the Soul by Tamara Mickelson
    Self-Published

    Best Cover Design: Fiction
    The Last Lumenian by S.G. Blaise
    The Last Lumenian

    Best Cover Design: Non-Fiction
    When God Says NO – Revealing the YES When Adversity and Pain Are Present by Judith Briles
    Mile High Press

    Best Interior Design
    Beautiful Living: Cooking the Cal-a-Vie Health Spa Way by Terri Havens
    Cal-a-Vie Health Spa

    Best New Fiction
    In An Instant by Suzanne Redfearn
    Lake Union

    Best New Non-Fiction
    The Book of Help: A Memoir of Remedies by Megan Griswold
    Rodale Books/Penguin Random House

    Biography
    T.R.M. Howard: Doctor, Entrepreneur, Civil Rights Pioneer by David T. Beito and Linda Royster Beito
    Independent Institute

    Business: Careers
    TIP: A Simple Strategy to Inspire High Performance and Lasting Success by Dave Gordon
    John Wiley and Sons

    Business: Communications/Public Relations
    The Apology Impulse: How the Business World Ruined Sorry and Why We Can’t Stop Saying It by Cary Cooper & Sean O’Meara
    Kogan Page

    Business: Entrepreneurship & Small Business
    Burdens of a Dream: 33 Actionable Nuggets of Wisdom for the Creative Entrepreneur by Craig M. Chavis Jr.
    Author Academy Elite

    Business: General
    The Simplicity Principle: Six Steps Towards Clarity in a Complex World by Julia Hobsbawm
    Kogan Page

    Business: Management & Leadership
    The Future Leader: 9 Skills and Mindsets to Succeed in the Next Decade by Jacob Morgan
    Wiley

    Business: Marketing & Advertising
    The End of Marketing: Humanizing Your Brand in the Age of Social Media and AI by Carlos Gil
    Kogan Page

    Business: Motivational
    Unlock!: 7 Steps to Transform Your Career and Realize Your Leadership Potential by Abhijeet Khadikar
    Vicara Books

    Business: Personal Finance/Investing
    Enhancing Retirement Success Rates in the United States: Leveraging Reverse Mortgages, Delaying Social Security, and Exploring Continuous Work by Chia-Li Chien, PhD, CFP®, PMP®
    Palgrave Pivot

    Business: Real Estate
    Market Forces: Strategic Trends Impacting Senior Living Providers by Jill J. Johnson
    Johnson Consulting Services

    Business: Reference
    The Non-Obvious Guide to Virtual Meetings and Remote Work (Non-Obvious Guides) by Rohit Bhargava
    IdeaPress Publishing

    Business: Sales
    The Visual Sale: How to Use Video to Explode Sales, Drive Marketing, and Grow Your Business in a Virtual World by Marcus Sheridan
    IdeaPress Publishing

    Business: Technology
    Amazon Management System: The Ultimate Digital Business Engine That Creates Extraordinary Value for Both Customers and Shareholders by Ram Charan and Julia Yang
    IdeaPress Publishing

    Business: Writing/Publishing
    Great Stories Don’t Write Themselves: Criteria-Driven Strategies for More Effective Fiction by Larry Brooks
    Writer’s Digest Books (a division of Penguin Random House)

    Children’s Educational
    Galileo! Galileo! by Holly Trechter and Jane Donovan
    Sky Candle Press

    Children’s Fiction
    Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets by Sherrill Joseph
    Acorn Publishing

    Children’s Mind/Body/Spirit
    The Tooth Fairy’s Tummy Ache by Lori Orlinsky
    Mascot Books

    Children’s Non-Fiction
    President’s Play! illustrated by John Hutton, text by Jonathan Pliska
    The White House Historical Association

    Children’s Novelty & Gift Book
    Bubble Kisses by Vanessa Williams, illustrated by Tara Nicole Whitaker
    Sterling Publishing

    Children’s Picture Book: Hardcover Fiction
    Bubble Kisses by Vanessa Williams, illustrated by Tara Nicole Whitaker
    Sterling Publishing

    Children’s Picture Book: Hardcover Non-Fiction
    A-B-Skis: An Alphabet Book About the Magical World of Skiing by Libby Ludlow, illustrated by Nathan Y. Jarvis
    Libby Ludlow

    LLCChildren’s Picture Book: Softcover Fiction
    Frankie the Ferret by Kimberley Paterson
    FriesenPress

    Children’s Picture Book: Softcover Non-Fiction
    Fridays With Ms. Mélange: Haiti by Jenny Delacruz
    Cobbs Creek Publishing

    Children’s Religious
    That Grand Christmas Day! by Jill Roman Lord, illustrated by Alessia Trunfio
    Worthy Kids

    College Guides
    Diversity At College: Real Stories of Students Conquering Bias and Making Higher Education More Inclusive by James Stellar, Chrisel Martinez, Branden Eggan, Chloe Skye Weiser, Benny Poy, Rachel Eagar, Marc Cohen, and Agata Buras
    IdeaPress Publishing

    Cookbooks: General
    Recipes from the President’s Ranch: Food People Like to Eat by Matthew Wendel
    The White House Historical Association

    Cookbooks: International
    Cooking with Marika: Clean Cuisine from an Estonian Farm by Marika Blossfeldt
    Delicious Nutrition

    Cookbooks: Regional
    The Perfect Persimmon: History, Recipes, and More by Michelle Medlock Adams
    Red Lightning

    BooksCurrent Events
    In All Fairness: Equality, Liberty, and the Quest for Human Dignity, edited by Robert M. Whaples, Michael C. Munger and Christopher J. Coyne
    Independent Institute

    Education/Academic
    The EQ Intervention: Shaping a Self-Aware Generation Through Social and Emotional Learning by Adam L. Saenz, PhD
    Greenleaf Book Group

    Fiction: African-American
    Once in a Blood Moon by Dorothea Hubble Bonneau
    Acorn Publishing

    Fiction: Anthologies
    Terror at 5280′ edited by Josh Schlossberg
    Denver Horror Collective

    Fiction: Cross-Genre
    Mourning Dove by Claire Fullerton
    Firefly Southern Fiction

    Fiction: Fantasy
    The Hollow Gods (The Chaos Cycle Series, ) by A.J. Vrana
    The Parliament House Press

    Fiction: General
    Bread Bags & Bullies: Surviving the ’80’s by Steven Manchester
    Luna Bella Press

    Fiction: Historical
    The Takeaway Men by Meryl Ain
    SparkPress

    Fiction: Horror
    The Vanishing by Arjay Lewis
    Mindbender Press

    Fiction: Inspirational
    The Menu by Steven Manchester
    Luna Bella Press

    Fiction: LGBTQ
    Even Weirder Than Before by Susie Taylor
    Breakwater Books

    Fiction: Literary
    How Fires End by Marco Rafalà
    Little A

    Fiction: Multicultural
    Subduction by Kristen Millares Young
    Red Hen Press

    Fiction: Mystery/Suspense
    Strong From The Heart by Jon Land
    Forge

    Fiction: New Age
    Catalyst by Tracy Richardson
    Brown Books Publishing

    Fiction: Novelette
    When Angels Paint: A Milford-Haven Holiday Novelette by Mara Purl
    Bellekeep Books

    Fiction: Novella
    When the Heart Listens: A Milford-Haven Novella by Mara Purl
    Bellekeep Books

    Fiction: Religious
    The Longest Day by Terry Toler
    BeHoldings Publishing

    Fiction: Romance
    What the Heart Wants by Audrey Carlan
    HQN

    Fiction: Science Fiction
    Killing Adam by Earik Beann
    Profoundly One Publishing

    Fiction: Short Story
    Oranges by Gary Eldon Peter
    New Rivers Press

    Fiction: Thriller/Adventure
    The President’s Dossier by James A. Scott
    Oceanview Publishing

    Fiction: Visionary
    Journey of a JuBu by Blaine Langberg
    Critical Eye

    Fiction: Western
    Moccasin Track by Reid Lance Rosenthal
    Rockin’ SR Publishing

    Fiction: Women’s Fiction
    Appearances by Sondra Helene
    She Writes Press

    Fiction: Young Adult
    The Return of the Dragon Queen by Farah Oomerbhoy
    Wise Ink Creative Publishing

    Health: Addiction & Recovery
    Stepping Stones: A Memoir of Addiction, Loss, and Transformation by Marilea C. Rabasa
    She Writes Press

    Health: Aging/50+
    EIGHTSOMETHINGS: A Practical Guide to Letting Go, Aging Well, and Finding Unexpected Happiness by Katharine Esty, PhD
    Skyhorse Publishing

    Health: Alternative Medicine
    Have a Peak at This: Synergize Your Body’s Clock Towards a Highly Productive You by Said Hasyim
    Self-Published

    Health: Cancer
    All Of Us Warriors: Cancer Stories of Survival and Loss by Rebecca Whitehead Munn
    She Writes
    Press

    Health: Death & Dying
    Aftermath: Picking Up the Pieces After a Suicide by Gary Roe
    Healing Resources Publishing

    Health: Diet & Exercise
    Whole Person Integrative Eating: A Breakthrough Dietary Lifestyle to Treat Root Causes of Overeating, Overweight and Obesity by Deborah Kesten, MPH and Larry Scherwitz, PhD
    White River Press

    Health: General
    True Wellness for Your Gut: Combine the best of Western and Eastern medicine for optimal digestive and metabolic health by Catherine Kurosu, MD, L.Ac. and Aihan Kuhn, CMD, OBT
    YMAA Publication Center

    Health: Medical Reference
    The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook: Your Guide for Everything from Hangovers to Homesickness by Jill Grimes, MD
    Skyhorse Publishing

    Health: Psychology/Mental Health
    The Big Bliss Blueprint: 100 Little Thoughts to Build Positive Life Changes by Shell Phelps
    Positive Streak Publishing,

    LLCHealth: Women’s Health
    The Book of Help: A Memoir of Remedies by Megan Griswold
    Rodale Books/Penguin Random House

    History: General
    Gun Control in Nazi-Occupied France: Tyranny and Resistance by Stephen P. Halbrook
    Independent Institute

    History: Military
    40 Thieves on Saipan The Elite Marine Scout-Snipers in One of WWII’s Bloodiest Battles by Joseph Tachovsky with Cynthia Kraack
    Regnery History

    History: United States
    Liberty in Peril: Democracy and Power in American History by Randall G. Holcombe
    Independent Institute

    Home & Garden
    My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation by Donald M. Rattner
    Skyhorse Publishing

    Humor
    Struggle Bus: The Van. The Myth. The Legend. by Josh Wood
    Lucid Books

    Law
    Banned: Immigration Enforcement in the Time of Trump by Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia
    NYU Press

    LGBTQ: Non-Fiction
    Our Gay History in 50 States by Zaylore Stout
    Wise Ink Creative Publishing

    Multicultural Non-Fiction
    Overcoming Ordinary Obstacles: Boldly Claiming the Facets of an Extraordinary Life by Nesha Pai
    SPARK

    PublicationsNarrative: Non-Fiction
    Sola: One Woman’s Journey Alone Across South America by Amy Field
    WanderWomyn Publishing

    New Age: Non-Fiction
    Embodying Soul: A Return to Wholeness by Keri Mangis
    Curiosa Publishing, LLC

    Novelty & Gift Book
    The Official White House Christmas Ornament: Collected Stories of a Holiday Tradition by Marcia Anderson and Kristen Hunter Mason
    The White House Historical Association

    Parenting & Family
    Why Will No One Play with Me? The Play Better Plan to Help Children of All Ages Make Friends and Thrive by Caroline Maguire, PCC, M.Ed. with Teresa Barker
    Grand Central

    PublishingPerforming Arts: Film, Theater, Dance, Music
    THAT GUY: a stage play by Peter Anthony Fields
    Amazon

    Photography
    Beautiful Living: Cooking the Cal-a-Vie Health Spa Way by Terri Havens
    Cal-a-Vie Health Spa

    Poetry
    Five Oceans in a Teaspoon, poems by Dennis J. Bernstein, visuals by Warren Lehrer
    Paper Crown Press

    Religion: Christian Inspirational
    Extraordinary Hospitality for Ordinary Christians: A Radical Approach to Preparing Your Heart & Home for Gospel-Centered Community by Victoria Duerstock
    Good Books

    Religion: Christianity
    Come Fill This Place: A Journey of Prayer by Stacy Dietz
    KP Publishing Company

    Religion: Eastern
    Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam by A. Helwa
    Naulit Publishing House

    Religion: General
    Esoterism as Principle and as Way: A New Translation with Selected Letters by Frithjof Schuon
    World Wisdom

    Science
    Bliss Brain: The Neuroscience of Rewiring Your Brain for Resilience, Creativity and Joy by Dawson Church
    Hay House

    Self-Help: General
    Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done by Charlie Gilkey
    Sounds True

    Self-Help: Motivational
    Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage by Laura Huang
    Portfolio

    Self-Help: Relationships
    The Remarriage Manual: How to Make Everything Work Better the Second Time Around by Terry Gaspard
    Sounds True

    Social Change
    I Am Not Your Enemy: Stories to Transform a Divided World by Michael T. McRay
    Herald Press

    Spirituality: General
    The Universe Is Talking to You: Tap Into Signs and Synchronicity to Reveal Magical Moments Every Day by Tammy Mastroberte
    Llewellyn Worldwide

    Spirituality: Inspirational
    Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution by Jennie Lee
    Sounds

    TrueSports
    The Martial Arts of Vietnam: An Overview of History and Styles by Augustus John Roe
    YMAA Publication Center

    Travel: Guides & Essays
    Exploring Wine Regions — Bordeaux France: Discover Wine, Food, Castles, and The French Way of Life by Michael C. Higgins, PhD
    International Exploration Society

    True Crime: Non-Fiction
    Beast of New Castle by Larry Sells & Margie Porter
    WildBlue Press

    Women’s Issues
    Muslim Women Are Everything: Stereotype-Shattering Stories of Courage, Inspiration, and Adventure by Seema Yasmin, illustrated by Fahmida Azim
    Harper Design, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

    Young Adult: Non-Fiction
    My Life, My Way: How To Make Exceptional Decisions About College, Career, and Life by Elyse Hudacsko
    Self-Published
  • Disposing of Modernity: The Archaeology of Garbage and Consumerism during Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair

    Disposing of Modernity: The Archaeology of Garbage and Consumerism during Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair

                When Rebecca Graff, a PhD student at the University of Chicago in need of a dissertation, was told by a professor that the view before them from the school’s Ida Noyes Hall was “a hundred years ago the center of the world,” she didn’t see the bucolic splendor of Jackson Park hugging the Lake Michigan shoreline. Instead her sights went to what lay beneath and that was the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, an unexcavated but huge part of Chicago’s history. Held in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus arrival in the New World, the exposition attracted 27 million people who paid 21.5 million for admission in a six-month period. Designed by noted landscape architect Frederick Olmsted, the 630-acre park had more than 65,000 exhibits from 46 countries and introduced to the public such new inventions as a 250-foot Ferris Wheel, Aunt Jemima’s Pancake syrup and Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Gum. Electricity, still rare back then, was used to light up the expo at night.

    Rebecca Graff

                Graff managed to turn that casual remark into her dissertation, “The Vanishing City: Time, Tourism, and the Archaeology of Garbage and Consumerism at Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition” and then into a book,  “Disposing of Modernity: The Archaeology of Garbage and Consumerism during Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair” (University Press of Florida co-published with The Society for Historical Archaeology).  Both were about the archaeological dig she undertook of a site in Jackson Park near the Museum of Science and Industry that seemed most promising for archaeological fair finds.

    Surprisingly what seemed an almost guaranteed bureaucratic nightmare in terms of permits and permissions all fell into place but then Graff was told she couldn’t start without a million dollars in liability insurance. Not likely for a graduate student.

                “I needed to turn the excavation into a job,” she says. And so she did, teaching a field class at the University of Chicago where she and her students excavated the site.


    View from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition’s South Canal looking northeast. The Machinery Building, the Columbian Fountain, and the Electricity Building are on the left, with the Agriculture and the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Buildings on the right. The Illinois State Building’s dome is in the center, and the flatter dome of the California State Building is to its left. Image is by an anonymous photographer, 1893. From the Smithsonian Institution Archives

                Expecting to find those things that archaeologists love—pottery shards, a coin here and a twisted spoon there—Graff and her team were stunned to unearth a section of the Ohio Building, a stately Beaux Arts-style edifice with an elaborate portico entranceway that served as a meeting place for Ohioans. It was among the best of all the other findings they uncovered such as a collar stud, religious medal, cruet tops indicating that food was made on site, and lots of pipes. Though to hear Graff describe them, they’re all treasures and keys to the past.

                As for the building, contemporary sources said it no longer existed.

                “Even the New York Times wrote it had been thrown into the lake,” says Graff, who instead found segments in a ditch where it might have been used as landfill.

                Coincidentally, Graff later discovered she wasn’t the only family member to dig at the site, so had her great grandfather, Morris Graff, a Russia immigrant who dug ditches at the fair.

                Graff would like to return to Jackson Park for further exploration but was denied a permit the second time around. She says it’s surprising that Chicago doesn’t have a city archaeologist as other big cities do. But she’s certainly doing her fair share of uncovering urban remains. She is currently excavating the Charnley-Persky House Museum, a National Historic Landmark located on Astor Street in the Gold Coast  designed Chicago  architect, Louis Sullivan and his young draftsman Frank Lloyd Wright.

    Cover image from Disposing of Modernity: The Archaeology of Garbage and Consumerism during Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair by Rebecca S. Graff. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2020.

  • Lincoln Roadtrip: Following the backroads to find Abraham Lincoln

    Lincoln Roadtrip: Following the backroads to find Abraham Lincoln


    I am proud to announce that my book, Lincoln Roadtrip: The Backroads Guide to America’s Favorite President, published by Indiana University Press, is a winner in the 2019-20 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition, taking the bronze in the Travel Book category. The annual competition is sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.

    The Old Talbott Inn in Bardstown, Kentucky looks much like it did in Lincoln’s day.

    Winners of the awards, the most prestigious in the field of travel journalism, were announced October 16, 2020, at the annual conference of SATW, the premier professional organization of travel journalists and communicators. This year’s gathering was a virtual event.

    Buxton Inn in Granville, Ohio

    The competition drew 1,299 entries and was judged by faculty at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. This year, the SATW Foundation presented 99 awards in 26 categories and more than $21,000 in prize money to journalists. The awards are named for Lowell Thomas, acclaimed broadcast journalist, prolific author and world explorer during five decades in journalism.

    Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial replica of the Lincoln Homestead when the Lincoln family lived here in the early 1800s.

    In honoring my work, the judges said: The concept of this book is straightforward, “historical travel” with a focus on perhaps the most beloved President in the history of the United States of America. But a straightforward concept does not automatically signify a simple task. Author Ammeson completed massive research about Lincoln’s life before his ascension to fame. The photographs enhance the words nicely. Another attractive enhancement: offering current-day sites unrelated to Lincoln that provide entertainment along the route of the dedicated Lincoln traveler.”

    The Home of Colonel Jones who knew that young Lincoln would accomplish much in this world.

    I wanted to create a fun and entertaining travel book, one that includes the stories behind the quintessential Lincoln sites, while also taking readers off the beaten path to fascinating and lesser-known historical places. Visit the Log Inn in Warrenton, Indiana (now the oldest restaurant in the state), where Lincoln dined in 1844 while waiting for a stagecoach, stop by the old mill in Jasper, Indiana where Lincoln and his father took their grain to be milled (and learn of the salacious rumor about Lincoln’s birth–one of many) and spend the night at the Golden Lamb in Lebanon, Ohio, a gorgeous inn now over 200 years old.

    The Golden Lamb, Lebanon, Ohio

    Connect to places in Lincoln’s life that helped define the man he became, like the home of merchant Colonel Jones, who allowed a young Abe to read all his books, or Ashland, where Mary Todd Lincoln announced at age eight that she was going to marry a president someday and later, Lincoln most likely dined. Along with both famous and overlooked places with Lincoln connections, I also suggest nearby attractions to round out the trip, like Holiday World, a family-owned amusement park that goes well with a trip to the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and Lincoln State Park.

    The Kintner House, a bed and breakfast in charming Corydon, Indiana. Lincoln never stopped here but his brother Josiah who settled nearby did when it was a tavern and inn. Confederate General John Hunt Morgan took over the inn for a short period of time after crossing the Ohio River with his soldiers in what was the only Civil War battle fought in Indiana.

    Featuring new and exciting Lincoln tales from Springfield, Illinois; the Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, Kentucky; the Buxton Inn, Granville, Ohio; Alton, Illinois; and many more, I wrote Lincoln Road Trip  hoping that it will be a fun adventure through America’s heartland, one that will bring Lincoln’s incredible story to life.

    Ashland, the home of Henry Clay in Lexington, Kentucky.

    For more information about the awards, including a full list of winners and judges’ comments, and SATW, visit www.satwf.com and www.satw.org. 

    Graue Mill, a stop on the Underground Railroad. Lincoln stopped by here to meet with the owner on his way to nearby Chicago.

    To order a copy of Lincoln Road Trips, click here.