April Literary License 2020

Biblio File

Rescheduled program: The Midland A look at historical sites Authors April 14 program will be rescheduled because of the coronavirus. Updates will be published in Literary helps get the story right License and at midlandauthors.com. The BY THOMAS FRISBIE Midland Authors annual awards dinner or an historian, there’s nothing like remains scheduled for May 12 at the Cliff visiting the sites you are writing Dwellers Club in Chicago, but watch Fabout if they are still around, author midlandauthors.com Ann Durkin Keating said at the Midland for a possible change Authors March 10 program at the Cliff in the date. An early Dwellers Club in Chicago. registration form is on “[What] I always like to do, and many Page 12. If the dinner of you do, too, I'm sure – when you're needs to be resched- writing – is you want to go see those uled or canceled places,” said Durkin, author of the well- because of the coron- researched , The World of Juliette Timuel Black avirus, ticket holders Kinzie: Chicago Before the Fire. “I had will get full refunds. ... the good fortune to be able to go to where Another note: Because of Illinois’ stay- Juliette was born in Middletown, at-home order and earlier social distanc- Connecticut. And the house that her father ing policy, our trips to the post office box built on Main Street is there. [It] is used have been limited. If we have not as a mental health responded to something you mailed in, facility now. But please contact [email protected]. ... you could take a An interview with Timuel Black is play- picture.” ing on a loop at the Field Museum of “I was there real- Natural History in Chicago as part of an ly early on a exhibit on taxidermist Carl Cotton that Tuesday morning, runs through October. ... Gerard Plecki, and I'm walking who will present the Midland Authors’ around this building Aug. 11 program (See Juliette Kinsey’s home in Middle- taking pictures.” Page 11), read from The people inside town, Connecticut. Author Ann Durkin Keating at the Cliff his book, Singing in eventually came out the Rain: The (Ann Durkin Dwellers Club in Chicago before the start Keating photo) and asked Durkin of the Midland Authors’ March 10 program. Definitive Story of what she was Woodstock at 50, doing. Durkin explained she was examin- Durkin also was able to visit the Indian March 12 at the Ida ing the historical house built by Kinzie’s Agency House in Portage, Wisconsin, Public in father before she moved to Chicago. which was built by Juliette and her hus- Belvedere, Illinois. ... Norbert Krapf “They did agree to let me come in and band, their daughter’s house in Savannah, Ray E. Boomhower touch the newel,” Durkin said. “ ... That and Juliette’s grave at Graceland has signed a contract for a new book, War was just the one thing in the building that Cemetery in Chicago. But the family Diarist: The Many Battles of Richard hadn't been changed.” Turn to Page 2 Tregaskis (University of New Mexico Press). Tregaskis was a World War II combat reporter. ... Norbert Krapf, for- Literary Literary Latest Literary Life Literary Lore mer Indiana Poet Laureate, is scheduled Landscape New Richard Lindberg Robert Loerzel to give these during National PAGE 3 PAGES 6-7 PAGE 11 PAGE 8 Turn to Page 2 Biblio File  Historical sites Continued from Page 1 Continued from Page 1 Midland Authors Poetry Month from his recent Indiana Program Chair Hill Country Poems from Dos Madres Greg Borzo and Press: April 23, Art Gallery, Ivy Tech author Ann College, Indianapolis, as part of the Durkin Keating Novel Conversations series hosted by discuss Durkin’s Indiana Humanities and the Glick Indiana new book, The Author Awards, and April 25, Village World of Juliette Lights Bookstore, Madison, Indiana, as Kinzie: Chicago part of its annual Poetpalooza. ... Flint Before the Fire, at Taylor’s The Torture Machine is a finalist the Cliff Dwellers in Foreword Reviews’ 2019 Indies Book Club in Chicago of the Year Awards. ... Dan Dinello on March 10. recently published a story on the Informed Comment website: “Children of Men Come True: Trump Immigration house in Chicago, which long was a cen- own experiences and the experiences of Crackdown Outdoes Cuaron's Science ter of Juliette’s life, was destroyed in the her family.” Fiction Dystopia.” ... On Feb. 26, Medill Chicago Fire. In fact, Kinzie arguably was one of the Reports Chicago published an an inter- During her research, Durkin also found very first women historians in the United view with Robert Remer. ... Kate a trove of Kinzie’s old correspondence States, Durkin said. Hannigan spoke on Northern (Illinois) that was preserved in the archives of her “She is really worth studying from that Public Radio’s STEM Read Podcast on granddaughter, Juliette Gordon Low, who point.” Feb. 28. ... Jonathan Eller’s Bradbury founded the Girl Scouts of America. As a member of an early leading family Beyond Apollo, the final in his Durkin found caches of letters in other in Chicago who arrived when it was an Ray Bradbury biography trilogy, will be places, as well, that provided insight into outpost without streets, sidewalks, schools released by the University of Illinois a woman who called herself “the grand- or bridges, Kinzie had a close view of the Press in the late summer of 2020 to coin- mother of Chicago.” city’s rapid rise. cide with Bradbury’s centennial celebra- That documentation helped Durkin per- “What I love is the story she tells her Turn to Page 3 suade the world that Kinzie daughter that when Abraham Lincoln has was an appropriate topic of a book. been elected in 1860 and he comes up “I had to work pretty hard to persuade here in November to go to celebration them that this was worth doing,” said parties on the Near North Side,” Durkin Durkin, who also is co-editor of the said. “William Ogden’s house is a good Encyclopedia of Chicago (University of bet for one of these parties. And she’s Chicago Press, 2004). “ ... People know known Lincoln for decades at this point. C 2020, Society the name, but they don’t know much “They were out on the campaign trail of Midland Authors about her. It really requires explaining with her husband in 1840 when they were P.O. Box 10419, Chicago IL 60610 why she was worthy of attention and that out campaigning for William Henry Editor: Thomas Frisbie people would read about her and think Harrison as the Whig candidate for presi- [email protected] about her. ... And, actually, I had to con- dent. At any rate, she sits on the settee vince myself.” with Abraham Lincoln, and she’s opining Copy Editor: Beverly Offen One of the difficulties is that some his- to him, ‘Well, now you are the father of www.midlandauthors.com torians had tended to think that Kinzie’s the country, and I am the grandmother of writings, including her book Wau-bun: Chicago.’ ” Follow the Society on “The Early Day in the Northwest,” which Among future book projects “rolling Twitter@midlandauthors covered the years 1830-33, was partly fic- around in my head,” Durkin said, would tional. be to write about botanist and suffragist Society of Midland Authors members Nevertheless, Durkin thought she was Kate Newell Doggett, who founded can now pay their membership dues, worth researching. Fortnightly of Chicago. Another would be buy tickets to the annual dinner and “I have no problems now,” she said. “I to write about the women involved in make donations on our website with can tell you without any hesitation that Margery Frisbie’s biography of the late PayPal (there is a $1 fee to help cover she’s writing a memoir, a history of her Monsignor Jack Egan, An Alley in Chicago. PayPal’s fee). To make a donation, visit our home page at www.midlandau- thors.com and click on the "Donate" button in the upper right corner. A link to this Midland Authors program as recorded on CAN-TV will become available after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mandatory “stay-at-home” executive order is lifted. 2 LITERARY LICENSE, APRIL 2020 Biblio File Continued from Page 2 tions. Eller is director of Indiana University’s Center for Ray Bradbury Studies. Also, Jonathan gave a talk on Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 in February at the University of South Carolina. ... Writing in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune David L. Harrison Margaret McMullan Cynthia Clampitt on Feb. 6, Bob Timmons said, “I recently read Black Hawk: The Battle for the Heart of America by Kerry Trask, which How authors are adapting was a great read.” ... In January, Jarice Hanson reviewed NOW, a one-woman performance in Ashfield, Massachusetts. to time of social distancing Jarice writes to say, “I’m currently work- ing on a nonfiction book about technolo- iterary License asked some authors and got really into the book’s website gy and time. I’m also starting a project in how they are moving forward on page. my area that other members of the their book projects amid the “Michelle struggled to understand how L Society might want to consider, and that COVID-19 social distancing. Here are something as simple as cotton could be is the first-person narratives of this pan- their answers: such a huge factor. She researched and demic. I’m working with a local commu- found an article on the role of cotton in nity group to get people to either record David L. Harrison: “We all have our the Civil War, then emailed to see if I’d or write their experiences in the early part tails tied in a knot by the global calamity. consider adding it to my website. Of of the pandemic, which later (once we’re All 11 of my scheduled events through course I did! Now, I'm adding more no longer in some aspect of self- or other end of April have been cancelled. The resources for students working from quarantine) we can record as an oral his- are closed so I can’t physically home, including discussion questions tory of the time. I’m planning on archiv- get to the stacks for books to support about memoir Where the Angels Lived, ing a in our local library (or research. For now, I’m relying on internet the Holocaust, and WWII. Students at libraries) for the future. It seems like resources to keep moving forward but home Skype, Facetime or email me with something that all storytellers can do.” … will double-check facts and seek addition- questions. Or we just talk about books Jeff Huebner was a guest on WBEZ- al insight when some sort of normal and writing, giving each other virtual FM’s Feb. 21 “Honoring Community returns and prior to com- hugs.” Muralist William Walker’s Legacy In pleting any nonfiction Literary Landscape Chicago,” along with muralist Bernard work. Cynthia Clampitt: Williams and artist-activist Monica “Marking progress with editors is like “All the the COVID-19 shutdowns are Trinidad. ... The Feb. 24 Chicago Tribune staring at the hour hand on a clock, but affecting me – but I’m working to mini- called Lori Rader-Day’s The Lucky One movement can be measured. mize the impact. There are a lot of places (See Literary Latest, “Promotion efforts for my new title, I need to do research for the book I’m February, 2020) “a After Dark, Poems About Nocturnal working on, and with a manuscript due tantalizing effort.” ... Animals, have shifted too. Book signings, July 1, I would be traveling to these Keir Graff writes in library closings, and presentations at places now through April – but they are all Graff Paper that of all organizations are all blocked for now, so closed. So I’m working to replan my writ- his New Year’s resolu- I’m making some YouTube videos of me ing schedule, to do things now that would tions, “The one I'm from my books to make them normally come later, to try to ‘buy time.’ doing the best at so far available to schools and educators.” “I’ll still need to do the research, but is writing poetry.” Keir maybe I’ll be able to get enough done that also writes to say, Margaret McMullan: “Because of the I can cram the last of the research into Gail Lukasik “We're hoping that coronavirus, I’ve had to cancel months of late May and June – assuming things are you, as authors, will help spread the word classroom visits and book talks, visits that lightening up then. We’ll see. about #AuthorsBuyIndie by ordering always charge me with renewed energy “The other difficulty is losing all the online from local booksellers and posting and lots of hugs. So now I’m going online speaking gigs I’d normally be doing dur- about it, reminding your fans and friends with students, most of them teaching me. ing this time. So no income – but more that many bookstores are still selling One young girl, Michelle, is writing a time to work. A tough trade-off – but for- books even if their doors are closed. paper from home about the Civil War. She tunately, I’m good at scrimping and sav- read my novel How I Found the Strong ing. I hope others are well.” Turn to Page 4

LITERARY LICENSE, APRIL 2020 3 Final chapters wrote in the March 3 Chicago Tribune. behind bars. “ ... Many writers were in awe of her pro- Her experiences with the project led her Laura Caldwell, who presented a ductivity.” to write Long Way Home: A Young Man Midland Authors program on Jan. 12, Ms. Caldwell, a lawyer, told those Lost in the System and the Two Women 2010, and who wrote 15 books, died of attending the 2010 Midland Authors pro- Who Found Him (Northwestern Univer- breast cancer March 1 at the gram, “I started writing just sity Press, 2012) and to co-edit Anatomy of home of a friend in River because I was practicing law as Innocence: Testimonies of the Wrongfully Forest, Illinois, at age 52. a litigator and getting a little Convicted (Liveright, March 28, 2017). Her books included the New itchy with the confines of a Booklist called Long Way Home, “A York Times best-seller Burning motion for summary judgment gripping portrait of a man wrongly the Map (Red Dress Ink, 2002), and a motion to dismiss.” accused, who, despite his experiences which also was named one of When she finished a book, within a flawed justice system, main- the best books of the year by Ms. Caldwell said, “I try to read tained his sense of dignity and hope.” Barnes & Noble. She also wrote the whole book out loud before I Of Anatomy of Innocence, Kirkus the Izzy McNeil legal mystery Laura Caldwell turn it in. You really hear those Reviews wrote, “A unique collection of series. clunky sentences.” 15 wrongful conviction sagas bound to “The death was jolting to many of her Ms. Caldwell also founded the Life shake faith in the American criminal jus- friends and admirers, most believing she After Innocence project at Loyola tice system. ... A searing, unforgettable had won her first bout with the disease,” University Chicago to help former anthology, with valuable insights provided Midland Authors member Rick Kogan inmates who had been wrongfully put at the end of each chapter by the editors.”

Biblio File Burt Levy writes to say, “I am using the The Windy City has current isolation time to work on the new, Continued from Page 3 seventh and last novel in my “The Last carved out a place as a (Think of it as a twofer – you can recom- Open Road” series (The 200mph “ mend great books AND support indies!). Steamroller Book III: Assault on Four literary capital that takes And because we want this to last as long O’Clock, which will hopefully launch this a back seat to no one, as possible, we hope you'll sign up for a coming summer). Then I have three nov- time slot on the Google sheet at els in various stages that have nothing to including our own New https://bit.ly/3blglZo so we can ensure a do with my usual topics. I spent much of steady stream of promotion in the weeks the past three years (thought it would take York City. and months to six months!) working on a pretty unique set, and will be made available as a down- come.” ... The and incredibly expensive ver- load 3rd quarter” next year at the earliest documentary sion of the first book in the series, The (long story, but long green is involved). film, “History Last Open Road, which is now in its 25th I’m happy to say that reviews for the new of Memory,” in year and 10th hard- audiobook have been excellent and enthu- which Gail cover . I siastic.” ... The March 6 Long Island Lukasik rewrote the book as a Weekly wrote, “The Windy City has appears and radio-play script, con- carved out a place as a literary capital that which won an tracted a professional takes a back seat to no one, including our award at the studio, auditioned and own New York City.” ... Keir Graff, Lori 2019 Tribeca hired professional Rader-Day and Tracy Clark were sched- Film Festival, Hollywood voice uled to be among the panelists at the is now avail- actors for the major March 21 Murder and Mayhem in able on roles, added sound Sharon Solwitz Chicago gathering. It was canceled but Amazon Prime. effects and period some of the authors were able to go ahead Rosina Neginsky per- Also, Gail will ’50s music – you don’t want to know with an online version. ... Shane Bauer’s formed and read her be speaking what the rights cost! – and went all over Midland Authors award-winning poetry last Sept. 4. about her book, the country recording various famous American Prison was the February pick White Like Her: My Family’s Story of motoring/motorsports personalities as for Now Read This, the NewsHour-New Race and Racial Passing, at the Lake “Mystery Celebrity Guest Voices” in sup- York Times book club. ... Patricia Hruby Forest Public Library on April 11 at 1 pm. porting roles and the sounds of the actual Powell’s picture book biography Lift as The event is sponsored by the Daughters cars and venues in the story. The finished You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker of the American Revolution and is open audiobook is 20 hours long and launched (Simon & Schuster/McElderry) illustrated to the public. ... Lynn Voedisch was quot- late last summer as mp3 chapter files on ed in the Nov. 29 Chicago Sun-Times. ... either a USB flash drive or 20-disc CD Turn to Page 5 4 LITERARY LICENSE, APRIL 2020 Biblio File Continued from Page 4 by R. Gregory Christie, Caldecott Honor recipient, releases June 9, 2020. ... Rebecca Sive’s #VoteHerIn podcast marked its one-year anniversary in February. ... Robert W. Fieseler has a new book deal with Dutton for American Scare: A Cold War in the Sunshine State, the story of the Johns Committee, a group of white Flordians who used their elected powers to persecute civil rights workers, the NAACP and queer students and teachers. Also, Robert moderated a panel at the March 10 Celebration & Change in LGBT+ New Orleans. Robert writes, “It was a tremendous success. About 50 peo- ple attended. It was the last queer local even before the total shutdown.” ... Sarah McFarland Taylor wrote “Why our new 'ecopiety' distracts us from real environ- mental action” for The Hill in December. ... Sharon Solwitz’s work appeared in the winter issue of New England Review. ... Stan “Tex” Banash wrote the letter “To renew itself, Catholic Church should con- sider its history” in the Dec. 1 Chicago Tribune. ... Past Midland Authors book award winners Scott Russell Sanders and Stuart Dybek will have stories in the summer issue of The Orion. ... Richard Cahan (See Literary Latest, Page 7) was interviewed on In Black America on March 6. Also, Richard spoke at Concordia University on Feb. 25 about Echoes of 1918 for the Midland Authors Aftershock. Richard writes to say, “We did have a standing-room-only event for ormer Midland Authors President Robert Loerzel, who now writes the Literary River of Blood at the Evanston Public Lore column for Literary License (See Page 8), reminds us at a time of the coro- Library on Feb. 12 with University of Fnavirus pandemic that our organization experienced something similar in 1918, Chicago professor Adam Green, who as the above letter shows. wrote the foreword, and actress Celeste Loerzel writes to say, “At least one Midland Authors member died in that epidemic: Williams, who read from the transcripts.” Kenneth Sawyer Goodman, after whom the Goodman Theatre is named. This is the While digging through Newberry Library summary about him from the theater’s website: documents in Chicago, Richard also “Goodman Theatre was established in July 1922, by a gift of $250,000 from William reports he ran across a record of former and Erna Goodman to the Art Institute of Chicago for the purpose of building a theater Midland Authors President Richard to memorialize their son, Kenneth Sawyer Goodman. Before his death at the age of 35 Frisbie’s 1949-1951 press pass.... On in the influenza epidemic of 1918, Kenneth Sawyer Goodman had written, published March 7, Midland Authors award-win- and produced a number of plays in non-commercial productions in Chicago, and had ning book The Library Book by Susan expressed his vision of an ideal theater, one that would combine professional training Orlean was announced as the public’s with the highest possible performance standards.” choice for this year’s “1 Book 4 North Of the 1918 letter, Midland Authors Board Member Lynn Sloan said it is a reminder Platte (Nebraska).” ... Past Midland that the Midland Authors has survived through crises for more than a century. Authors award winner Rich Cohen has At this point, Midland Authors annual book awards dinner remains scheduled for written a series for Air Mail magazine Tuesday, May 12. If the dinner needs to be rescheduled or canceled because of the titled “Murder in Fairfield County.” ... coronavirus, ticket holders will get full refunds. Jim Schwab’s blog now has more than

LITERARY LICENSE, APRIL 2020 5 Literary Latest

released in August 2019, while the worst catastrophes in American histo- MASK (Book Two) publishes ry, and how this disaster forever changed this summer in August 2020, how homes, buildings, and communities and BOOTS (Book Three) is are constructed. stuck in my head at the moment “A deadly blaze engulfs Chicago for but will hit shelves in August two terrifying days! A brother, a sister, 2021. and a helpless puppy must race through A fun aspect of The League of the city to stay one step ahead of the dev- Secret Heroes series is that four ilish inferno. But can they reunite with chapters are written as comic their lost family before it’s too late?” book panels. While the rest of the novel is in traditional form, it felt organic to me to make some of the battle scenes visual. TWO NEW BOOKS I was already drawing on 1939-1941 superheroines of "The Golden Age of Kate Hannigan has two new books Comic Books," so it just made sense to coming out this year: The Chicago Fire: show my protagonists interacting with Rising from the Ashes (First Second, June their comic book heroes. I had to learn 30, 2020) and Mask (Aladdin, Aug. 18, 2020). how to script these sections with Hannigan writes to say, “I was bitten by speech/thought bubbles and think visual- the history bug a few years ago when I ly, one panel at a time. It's a different researched the Pinkerton Detective skill set! But I loved learning and Agency and Kate Warne, America's first devoured how-to books as well as current woman detective, for my middle-grade popular graphic novels. When an editor novel The Detective’s Assistant (Little, for First Second, one of the most dynam- POWERFUL PHOTOGRAPHS Brown Books for Young Readers). When ic publishing houses for graphic novels, I was poking around to learn more about asked if I wanted to be part of their new The latest book from Richard Cahan Wonder Woman and the earliest female nonfiction line called "History Comics," I and Michael Williams is River of Blood: comic book heroes, I was surprised to jumped at the opportunity! The Chicago American Slavery from the People Who learn that she'd arrived on the scene in Fire: Rising from the Ashes is part of six Lived It: Interviews & Photographs of December 1941, just as America was books that First Second is producing to Formerly Enslaved African Americans pulled into World War II. I thought this engage young readers with American his- (CityFiles Press, Jan. 20, 2020) might make a great launching point for tory in a visual format. I had an incredi- Cahan writes to say, “We were actually another novel for young readers. So I cre- ble time researching the fire, making inspired to write the book when we saw ated a historical fantasy story around treks to the Chicago History Museum, many of the portraits online – at the three comic-book loving kids who have and reading about the 1893 Columbian Library of Congress site. We were famil- dads and brothers in the war. They want Exposition that showcased how far iar with the federal government's slave to do their part and offer their puzzle- Chicago came after devastation. Because narrative project, but we knew it as pri- solving skills – but instead discover they I live in Hyde Park, that history feels marily interview transcripts. We were sur- have superpowers like their heroes. The alive and tangible. I am working on a few prised to see how more than 300 of the characters interact with real-life women more graphic novel ideas, both fiction formerly enslaved men and women were from history who were doing remarkable, and nonfiction, because I had so much photographed – and we were astounded super-heroic things themselves to fight fun with this project. We'll see what by the power and authenticity of the those the Nazis: the earliest computer program- comes of it. photographs. They are particularly mers of the ENIAC (the computer that From the publisher: “In The Great remarkable because the portraits were launched the modern computer age), Chicago Fire, writer Kate Hannigan and taken with amateur cameras, such as the code-crackers, WASP pilots, and spies. illustrator Alex Graudins tell the true Kodak Brownie cameras of the day.” The series is titled The League of Secret story of how a city rose up from one of Heroes. And CAPE (Book One) was Turn to Page 7

6 LITERARY LICENSE, APRIL 2020 Literary Latest Science series has been extremely well- received both in the U.S. and internation- Continued from Page 6 ally. To date, foreign translation rights have been sold in 10 countries. Readers are continually asking for more topics and I have a long list of possibilities. I tend to choose topics that I’m personally curious about, and have always wondered about sound. We can hear it, but why can’t we see it? What IS sound? I began researching the topic and ways to relate it to a small child’s world, and thought about making music with my daughters when they were young. Press, March 1, 2020), has been called “a “But it’s hard to separate ‘sound’ itself joyously unconventional memoir.” from the mechanism our bodies use to Silverman tells Literary License, perceive it – so I decided to write it as a “Writers write their obsessions, and one ‘COURTROOM CHESS MATCH’ book about sound waves and how our of mine is death, or fear of dying. I also write to discover what I don’t know about Scott Turow’s new book, The Last any given topic. In other words, while I Trial (Grand Central Publishing, May 12, knew I had this obsession, I didn’t know 2020) brings back Alejandro “Sandy” why or what it meant. I didn’t understand Stern in what has been described as a the origin of the fear or the impact it had “brilliant courtroom chess match.” on my life. Turow tells Literary License, “It’s hard “While writing How to Survive Death for me to recollect what motivated me and Other Inconveniences, a memoir-in- initially to write this novel. I know that essays, I came to realize that this fear after Testimony, I wanted to go back to isn’t only about physical death. It’s also something in Kindle County and a trial is about how to survive what I call more the known world to me. But I know that emotional or spiritual deaths. For exam- the idea of writing again about Sandy ears and brains translate those waves into ple, by writing draft after draft, I learned Stern, Rusty Sabich’s defense lawyer, was the sounds we hear. Once this was fin- my fear of death stems, in part, from a not where I started. There was a kind of ished, the logical next step was to also do sexual assault I hid for years. Other Eureka a couple of months on. But as a deep dive into our other senses. There quasi-forms of death were surviving writers do, I have no memory of where I are many books for young audiences everything from a piano teacher who sti- was headed before that.” about the various senses, but none fled my natural talent, to a faux heart From the publisher: “Full of the deep explore the science behind them – how attack, to various maladies that afflict us insights into the spaces where the fragili- our bodies help us to perceive sound, as we age. ty of human nature and the justice system sight, taste, touch, and smell. “As a writer, I needed to go deeper than collide, Scott Turow's The Last Trial is a “I’m especially proud that in these recount the surface story of events. My masterful legal thriller that unfolds in books we also acknowledge that not more internal journey to live forever, at page-turning suspense – and questions everyone’s senses work the same way. In the heart of this memoir, focuses on how we measure a life.” Hearing! we show children with a hear- hoarding memories as well as archaic ing aid, cochlear implant and using sign words, which I use as talismans against 5 NEW BOOKS language. Similarly, in Sight! we include the darkness, overcoming and transform- a child wearing glasses and another read- ing death through language, memory, and Ruth Spiro’s has five new books com- ing a Braille book. As with the previous metaphor. ing out this year from Charlesbridge: titles I believe it’s essential for all chil- “My final challenge in the writing of Baby Loves Political Science: dren to see themselves represented in this book was to discover a voice that Democracy! (April 7); Baby Loves the their books.” could convey this quest not grimly, but Five Senses: Touch! (August); Baby ironically, with some gallows humor Loves the Five Senses: Taste! (August); FOURTH MEMOIR thrown in for good measure. My odyssey Baby Loves the Five Senses: Smell! to outrun death is, by turns, realistic and (August), and Baby Loves Political Sue William Silverman’s fourth mem- fantastical, worldly and other-worldly. Science: Justice! (September). oir, How to Survive Death and Other “How else to directly confront my fears Spiro writes to say, “The Baby Loves Inconveniences (University of Nebraska of the ultimate unknown?”

LITERARY LICENSE, APRIL 2020 7 ‘I feel like crying some mornings’ This is Part 37 of the history of the Society.

oger Ebert, just out of the hospital after eight months of treatment, Rattended the May 8, 2007, awards dinner at the Chicago Athletic Association to receive the adult nonfiction prize for his book, Awake in the Dark: the Best of Roger Ebert. Chicago's Channel 7 news filmed the moment as he accepted the award amid a long round of applause. Ebert was unable to speak because of his throat condition, but his wife, Chaz, read a statement he'd written in advance, thanking his editors over the years, the University of Chicago Press and the Midland Authors. "We are thrilled," she said. "I feel like crying some mornings," Samrat Upadhyay said at the same cere- mony, as he recalled how he still strug- gled to write. As he accepted the adult fic- tion award for his third book, The Royal my agent sent to me all at once." nonfiction award for his book Thirteen Ghosts, he drew a laugh when he said that He said he'd spent 18 years writing Loops: Race, Violence, and the Last while growing up in Katmandu he before his first book was published. As Lynching in America during the awards thought that if he ever got a first book Meyers accepted the adult fiction award ceremony at the Holiday Inn on May 8, published everything would be "hunky- for Twisted Tree during 2012. "I went into this project ... to pre- dory." the banquet at serve the hard parts of history." That same evening, InterContinental Hotel At the same ceremony, Susanna Jack Ridl, one of two Literary on May 11, 2010, he Childress of Holland, Michigan, silenced winners in poetry, said Lore was visibly moved. "It the room when she sang the William he'd become a poet "so has been a long jour- Butler Yeats poem "When You Are Old" a people would leave me Robert ney for me and it is cappella as she accepted the poetry award alone." immensely gratifying for her book Entering the House of Awe. "The illusion is that Loerzel to stand up here and to She then remarked, "The defining this book is the accept this award," he moment in my literary life was getting to inescapable truth about said. see Gwendolyn Brooks read at Butler this topic," said John E. Hallwas, as he "This phrase popped into my head: 'The University Indianapolis. She read on my accepted the biography prize for Dime Time Traveler's Wife.' And so I wrote it birthday, Oct. 16, and it was the year that Novel Desperadoes: The Notorious down," Audrey Niffenegger said about she died. So to be receiving an award that Maxwell Brothers at the awards ceremony her best-selling novel of the same name, she received in a city that she loved ... is at the Congress Plaza Hotel on May 12, as she spoke at an SMA meeting on really meaningful for me." 2009. In fact, he said, "Like novels, histo- March 8, 2011, at the Cliff Dwellers. "… ries and biographies In that little phrase were two characters, I could tell almost are constructed. and their relationship was defined. ... I They're shaped by the could tell almost immediately that this immediately that this author's vision." idea had a lot of power, a lot of juice for “ idea had a lot of power, Kent Meyers of me because it made me curious and it Spearfish, South made me keep asking questions." a lot of juice for me Dakota, recalled a "Reading, I think, isn't always meant to "moment in my life be enjoyable, especially nonfiction because it made me curi- when I had a manila because the stories we recount don't ous and it made me keep envelope with 23 always end happily," B.J. Hollars of Eau John Hallwas rejection letters that Claire, Wis. said as he accepted the adult asking questions. 8 LITERARY LICENSE”, APRIL 2020 New Members A Chicago native, he teaches writing ous solo and group classes in New Mexico State University’s shows. Born and raised in Waukegan, Illinois, MFA program. His essays have appeared Her poetry in English Eileen Meyer writes children’s books and in New York Times, The Houston – her second language poetry. She is author of Chronicle, El Paso Times, Las Cruces – has been published in The Superlative A. Sun-News, Heartland Journal, SLAM several issues of the Lincoln: Poems About Magazine, Bounce, and Los Angeles Journal of Modern Our 16th President Times. Poetry. (Charlesbridge, 2019); He was nominated by Jim Schwab. Langmar often Sweet Dreams, Wild Itala Langmar embeds lines from her Animals (Mountain Aaron Cohen covers the arts for poems in her paintings, Press, 2015), Ballpark numerous publications, including the for example in works on display in the (Amazon, 2014) and Chicago Tribune, and teaches English, prestigious The Art Center Highland Eileen Meyer Who's Faster journalism, and humanities at the City Park's "Love" show through April 4. (Mountain Press, Colleges of Chicago. In 2016, he served She was nominated by Jim Merriner. 2012). as a National She is a graduate of the University of Endowment for the Ken Zurski is a former Chicagoan who Illinois. Humanities public was a broadcaster in Chicago on WLS She was nominated by Esther scholar fellow. He is and WBBM radio before continuing his Hershendorn. author of Aretha long career in Peoria, Illinois. He runs an Franklin's 'Amazing American history blog and is a frequent Rus Bradburd is the author of a mem- Grace’ (Bloomsbury, presenter. oir of Ireland, Paddy on the Hardwood: A 2011) and Move On He is author of The Wreck of the Journey in Irish Hoops (University of Aaron Cohen Up: Chicago Soul Columbia: A Broken New Mexico Press, Music and Black Boat, a Town’s Sorrow August 15, 2006); Cultural Power (University of Chicago & the End of the Make It, Take It (Cinco Press, 2019). Steamboat Era on the Puntos Press, 2013); He was nominated by Robert Illinois River (Amika All the Dreams We've Marovich. Press, 2012); Dreamed: A Story of Unremembered: Tales Hoops and Handguns Itala Langmar is author of Tracing of the Nearly Famous on Chicago's West Side Shadows: Portrait Poems of People & the Not Quite ( Lawrence Hill Books, (Finishing Line Press, Sept. 11, 2019) and Ken Zurski Forgotten (Amika Rus Bradburd 2018), and Forty a chapbook, Regrets and Consolations Press, 2018), and Minutes of Hell: The (2014). A native of Venice, she is a Peoria Stories: Tales from the Illinois Extraordinary Life of Nolan Richardson Chicago area artist, art therapist and poet. Heartland (Amika Press, 2014). (Amistad, 2010). Her artwork has been featured in numer- He was nominated by Rich Lindberg. Sign up for Printers Row his year’s Printers Row Lit Fest since Richard Lindberg and Carol Literary Largess will be on June 6 and 7 in the Carlson started the tradition in 2000, as, Dues cover mailings and other organi- TSouth Loop. Lindberg said, “a means of showcasing zational expenses, but the Society always The Midland Authors has tent spaces and promoting the aims of the Society needs additional money for programs available for members. Plastic tarps will and the fine work of our author members such as the awards at the annual May be available if it rains. for a nominal fee – far less than what book awards banquet. Thanks to Gerard To sign up for a two-hour slot, contact individuals might otherwise pay were Plecki, who made a recent contribution. Joseph Gustaitis at [email protected]. they to reserve a table on their own.” The fee is $30 (the 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. slot Authors should also prepare for gusts of is half-price, at $15.) The other time slots wind and not be surprised if it rains. Note: SMA members can get a free are 10 a.m. to noon, noon to 2 p.m. and 2 Authors can pay for their time slot by copy of our history, A Century of Winged p.m. to 4 p.m. Authors who sign up for a sending $30 to our post office box at Words, by sending $1 for postage via time slot can sell their books during that Society of Midland Authors, P.O. Box PayPal or to our post office box. time. Authors are responsible for trans- 10419, Chicago IL. Or they can go to our porting their books to and from the tent. website at www.midlandauthors.com and The SMA has been at Printers Row pay via PayPal, with a $1 service fee.

LITERARY LICENSE, APRIL 2020 9 LEFT: John Keating (from left), Jim Roche and Margaret Roche. ABOVE: Midland Authors President Dick Simpson and Bill Savage. (Thomas Frisbie photos) Kinzie program draws history buffs

David Leider (left) and Midland Authors Board Member Betsy Keating (left) and Michael Haupt. Gerard Plecki.

Authors, historians and others turned out on March 10 to hear Ann Durkin Keating speak. Marjorie Isaacson and Lesley Martin

10 LITERARY LICENSE, APRIL 2020 Making a living by writing This is the eighth part of a series reflecting on writing. I love the research and writing, but I did not ll I ever wanted to do was write, “ but my B.A. degree in history plan to teach, and per- Afrom Northeastern was nearly worthless to employers in 1974, the mid- haps that was my dle of a recessionary period. I am a histo- greatest error of rian. I love the research and writing, but I judgment. Nobody hires did not plan to teach, and perhaps that was my greatest error of judgment. historians. Woodstock Nobody hires historians. So many jobs, so many meaningless to a defunct city” magazine called book will be jobs (and a few with meaning) were to “Chicagoan,” I presented it to the Lerner follow; so many abrupt, sudden left- and Newspaper chain serving residents on the right-angle turns from one field of Far Northwest Side of Chicago. That was topic of August endeavor to the next. Retail. Marketing. in 1977. They liked my work and asked if Real Estate. Editor of a police union I would go to work as a part-time program newspaper. Private Investigations, and for “stringer” covering school board meet- an abbreviated period of time even pub- ings, village planning meetings, prep erard Plecki (see Page 10) will lishing. sports and interview subjects for general discuss his new book Singing in A-list authors are very fortunate. They feature stories. Gthe Rain: The Definitive Story of can devote all of their cloudless days and I did much of the reporting and writing Woodstock at Fifty, an inside look at the sunny afternoons to required of me in the creative energy and seminal performances writing and composing evenings and on that formed this legendary event in 1969. and never have to won- Literary Thursdays, my day off This Aug. 11 program will be for any der where the next from my “real job,” by student of rock history; anyone who has paycheck comes from. Life selling men’s shoes at seen the movie but wondered “what else Author tours! The lec- the Sears Roebuck, took place;” anyone who lived through ture circuit! New York! Richard Irving Park Road store. the Sixties; anyone who attended At the other end of My earnings from each Woodstock – and anyone who claims to that spectrum are writ- Lindberg of these free-lance have attended but didn't! ers living in reduced assignments totaled no The book offers a critical and historical circumstances calling more than $15 or $20 per assignment but analysis of this celebrated festival; clari- themselves “artistes.” the chance to call myself a “reporter” fies what happened before, during, and Many would eschew working an ordi- meant so much more to me than all of the after; and explains why Woodstock nary job unrelated to the printed word. money in the world. I did not understand remains one of the iconic events in our That I could never do. I desired a mean- it at the time, but it is clear to me now history. ingful and productive career to comple- that the weekly newspaper would have Plecki brings the festival back to life ment my work as an author. How mean- taken anyone that could manage to cobble and demonstrates why Woodstock was ingful it has all been, well that is the together a few coherent sentences, to like a shooting star, a question I ask myself. Sometimes I com- cover the myriad local events the full- happening that pare my career changes to a rudderless time staff reporters could not or would remains forever beach ball bouncing along from wave to not do. etched in our memo- wave on a wild California surf, ending up It was never easy for the managing edi- ries. wherever the wind pushed it. For every tor to find free-lance writers on the Far Join us on Tuesday, book I have ever written and published, I Northwest Side of Chicago. Aug. 11 at the Cliff have always maintained a full-time job. Dwellers, 200 S. At the age of 23, I received my first Richard Lindberg's forthcoming books Michigan Ave, 22nd payment for editorial work. It was a fea- are a village history of suburban Addison, floor penthouse for a Walter Podrazik ture story piece I had written about Rudy Illinois, and Tales of Forgotten Chicago, lively program full of Horn, a faded ex Vaudevillian whose which relates stories roughly from the music and memories, songs and stories. father once owned the Green Mill night- time of the Civil War to the 1960s and is The program will be moderated by club and lounge at Lawrence and due out with Southern Illinois University Wally Podrazik. Broadway. Failing in an attempt to sell it Press this year.

LITERARY LICENSE, APRIL 2020 11 Midland Authors Early Dinner Registration Form

The Midland Authors Name: annual awards banquet will be held May 12 at the Cliff Number of medallions of pork tenderloin dinners at Dwellers Club, 22nd floor, $75 each...... 200 S. Michigan, Chicago. Number of vegetarian (wild mushroom ravioli) dinners The reception with a at $75 each...... cash bar will start at 6 p.m. Dinner will begin at 7 p.m. Number of grilled filet of salmon dinners at $75 each. The emcee will be Paul Donation...... Lisnek, a TV political ana- lyst and the author of 14 Awards Dinner Sponsorship (includes two dinner tickets books. and a mention in the awards dinner program). $400.

Total ......

Please clip above form and mail to: Dinner Reservation, Society of Midland Authors, P.O. Box 10419, Chicago IL 60610 You may also download a similar form at our website, www.midlandauthors.com or pay via PayPal. If the dinner needs to be rescheduled or canceled because of the coronavirus, ticket holders will get full refunds.

12

LITERARY LICENSE, APRIL 2020

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