October, 2007

Member news As skilled-worker shortage looms, Sue William Silverman’s memoir, Love Sick (W. W. Norton), has gone into production for a Lifetime Television is U.S. tuned into wrong program? Original Movie, starring Sally Pressman such careers as law and finance and too and David James Elliott. Also, the paper- Future is ‘Star Trek,’ not few are going into engineering, Gordon back edition is due out soon. In addition, ‘L.A. Law,’ author says said. Sue has signed a con- "We are acting as if the future is tract with the BY THOMAS FRISBIE ’Dallas’ and ’L.A. Law,’ but the future is University of Georgia merica faces a shortage of skilled ’Star Trek’ and ’Star Wars,’ " Gordon said. Press to publish a book workers, but isn’t focusing on the A third scheduled member of the for women writing Abig picture, Society of Midland panel, Swiss Business Hub Minister & memoirs, and her Authors members were told Oct. 9. Director Martin von Walterskirchen, was essay, "The Pat Boone SMA member Edward Gordon, author detained in Washington and was unable to Fan Club," has been of The 2010 Meltdown: Solving the take part in the program at the Cliff selected to appear in Impending Jobs Crisis, and Peggy Luce, Dwellers Club, 200 S. Michigan, . Sue William The Touchstone vice president of the Chicagoland Cham- Luce said Ford Motor Co. has told the Silverman Anthology of ber of Commerce, said a large number of Chamber of Commerce that the shortage Contemporary technical and crafts workers will be need- of skilled workers in the Chicago area is Nonfiction: Work From 1970 to the ed after 2010, and that the city and nation putting the future of its south suburban Present, to be published this December need to act quickly to train those workers. by Simon and Schuster. More details at Now, too many students are going into Turn to Page 2 www.suewilliamsilverman.com. ... Quraysh Ali Lansana will be among the authors reading from their works at 6 November 13 program p.m. Oct. 24, Fullerton Hall, . ... Kevin Coval is one of the David Mendell, author of Obama: compelling look at a man of idealism poets who will be included in I Speak of From Promise to Power (August, and ambition intent on making history." the City: Poems of New York, called one 2007, Amistad), will be the speaker at Mendell, a native of Cincinnati, of the most extensive anthologies of the SMA’s began writing poems ever assembled about New York November pro- about urban issues Nov. 13, 2007, program City. Coval, who has read his works at gram. Mendell and politics for SMA programs, is the author of Sling- has covered Cliff Dwellers the Chicago shots (A Hip-Hop Poetica). ... Evelyn Obama since the 200 S. Michigan Avenue Tribune in 1998. beginning of his During his eight Johnson recently signed Barns of Old 22nd floor Mission Peninsula and Their Stories in campaign for the years at the Kentwood, Mich., and has more signings Senate and has 6 p.m. - Social Hour Tribune, Mendell scheduled for Oct. 27 at the Grand far-reaching 7:00 p.m. - Program has also covered Rapids (Mich.) Rivertown Crossing access to the sen- such breaking ator — both his Free - members, teachers, students national news as Barnes & Noble and Schulers Books in $5.00 - general public Grand Rapids from 11-1 on Nov. 17. ... professional and the Columbine (see New Books) was a personal life. He High School speaker as part of State uses this to paint shootings and the University’s Latino History Month a very intimate portrait of Obama and Seattle riots spurred by meetings of events, which kicked off Sept. 15. ... his life pre- and post-Senate. the World Trade Organization. He Arnie Bernstein spoke at the Carter Booklist calls the book "a nuanced, lives in Oak Park, Ill.

Turn to Page 2 1 October program report other nations who have streamed to the Gordon said. United States will start returning to their "The largest small manufacturing cen- Continued from Page 1 home countries as opportunities and ter in the United States is here in this auto assembly plants in doubt. wages in those countries increase, he said. city," Gordon said. "Many of them are "If we don’t do better with the work That’s why it’s important that the small family businesses. What will hap- force supply, they are not going to be able United States get job training into high pen to most of the businesses when they to operate those plants," Luce said. "The gear so that hospitals, businesses and cannot replace skilled technical people — problem they have is excellence in educa- other employers of skill workers don’t just whether they are engineers, two-year tion. We have got people, but shut down, Gordon said. degrees or different types of apprentice- they missed out on that excel- "The British threw away ships? They will disappear. lence in education." their industrial leadership by "If this were just the United States, A look at the numbers not having a proper pipeline probably this would not be a crisis," shows why there will be a [bringing in new trained work- Gordon said. "But from a globalization worker shortage, Gordon said. ers]," he said. standpoint, the problem is Europe will "In 2000, about 22 percent The SMA program followed have even more retirements than the of the U.S. work force was an earlier panel on the same United States. And because many coun- working in the area of tech and topic with Gordon, Luce and tries of Europe are not at a replacement skilled craft," he said. "By others at the Federal Reserve birth rate, they will see their work force 2010, we hope to have 29 per- Ed Gordon Bank on La Salle Street that shrink. Japan right is now is about 1.4 cent. By 2020, we are talking was sponsored by the govern- people per couple in terms of replace- about 43 million people. Many of these ment of Switzerland. ment. They, too, are set to have their pop- individuals [in those jobs now] are Baby A similar program will be conducted ulation and work force shrink. What this Boomers, and they will retire." next year, when the International means is that the United States will not be From a globalization standpoint, Manufacturing Show will be in Chicago able to rely on those countries for tech- Europe will have even more retirements with 150,000 people in September, one of nology workers as we did after the than the United States, and workers from the largest shows that comes to the city, Second World War and since then."

Member news Association’s fall conference Nov. 3 at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, Springfield. Former SMA president Continued from Page 1 Ill. ... Alex Kotlowitz was among the gets Hall of Fame vote Woodson Library as part of the Chicago writer friends who did David Book Fair on Oct. 13. On Oct. 14, he was Halberstam’s book tour for him for The Arthur Weinberg, a past president of one of the featured readers of the Alumni Coldest Winter: America and the Korean the Society of Midland Authors, a promi- Reading as part of Columbia College’s War six months after Halberstam’s death nent author and a journalist covering con- Creative NonFiction Week. ... Frank in a car accident. The tour ended Oct. 15. sumer electronics for Fairchild Publica- Joseph is coming to the Chicago area for ... Janis F. Kearney is leaving the tions from 1946 until his death in 1989, two weeks of appearances and novel Midland states to become a visiting schol- has been named to the Consumer Elec- research in November. His novel, To Love ar at Arkansas State University. ... tronics Industry Hall of Fame. His widow, Mercy, a coming-of-age tale set in Jonathan Eig discussed and signed his Lila Weinberg, also a past president of Chicago in 1948, has won six awards and new book Opening Day: the Story of the Society, will attend the Oct. 16 awards gone into a second printing since publica- Jackie Robinson’s First Season Oct. 6 at dinner in San Diego. tion in April, 2006 by Mid-Atlantic the Woodson In 1987, Mr. Weinberg received the Highlands (www.tolovemercy.com). Frank Regional Library. ...On Oct. 3 at the Niles Midland Authors’ award for a distin- has appearances scheduled at Barnes & Public Library, Richard Lindberg dis- guished body of work. Noble-Village Crossing in Skokie (Nov. cussed the 1955 murder of three He was a 1988-89 Lloyd Lewis Fellow 7, 7 p.m.), Schaumburg Central Library Northwest Side boys that shocked the in American History at the Newberry (Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.), The Book Cellar- city. His 2006 book on the case is titled Library, where he spent years as a Lincoln Square (Nov. 9, 7 p.m.), Shattered Sense of Innocence. Lindberg researcher and scholar. Homewood Library (Nov. 10, 2 p.m.), also will be at the Chicago Public He wrote seven books, and his biogra- Barnes & Noble-Hawthorne Mall Vernon Library’s Budlong Woods Branch on Oct. phy of , Attorney for the Hills (Nov. 11, 2 p.m.), Skokie Public 16, 5630 N. Lincoln Ave. ... Signings for Damned, was on the New York Times Library (Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m.) and Further Persons Imperfect will be held best-seller list for 19 weeks in 1957. Arlington Heights Memorial Library Nov. 4, 4:30 p.m. at Women & Children (Darrow also was an SMA member.) Mr. (Nov. 15, 7 p.m.). He is also speaking on First Books, 5233 N. Clark St., Chicago Weinberg also wrote nonfiction books the topic "Getting Boys to Read" at the and Nov. 16, 7 p.m., at The Writers with Lila. They worked as a teaching Illinois School Library Media Turn to Page 3 team at DePaul University for 16 years. 2 Member news Loyola University’s downtown campus, New members Beane Hall, 13th floor of Lewis Towers, Continued from Page 2 111 East Pearson. The occasion will R. LeRoy Bannerman, professor emeritus of telecommunications, Indiana WorkSpace, 5443 N. Broadway, Chicago. mark the launch of McClory’s new book University, is author of Norman Corwin The book has 17 first-person short stories As It Was in the Beginning: The Coming and Radio: The Golden Years of Radio by Evanston author/educator Paul Democratization of the Catholic Church (1986, University of Alabama Press), an McComas and 16 local writers who are (see New Books). ... Neal Samors signed authorized biography of the grand master current and past members of his Downtown Chicago in Transition Oct. 9 of American radio dramas; On a Note of Advanced Fiction Writing workshop. ... (see New Books) at the Book Stall in Triumph: Norman Corwin and the ... Paula Kamen will read from her new Chestnut Court, Winnetka. ... Ed Gordon Golden Years of Radio (1989, Carol book Finding Iris Chang (see New is working on a sequel to his book The Publishing Corp.); and Where Blood Runs Books) at 5:30 pm. Oct. 29 at the Conway 2010 Meltdown. It is tentatively titled The Black and White (2006, AuthorHouse). Center, Columbia College Chicago, 1104 Global Challenge Showdown. ... Stuart S. Wabash. Admission is $5. Other Dybek and Donna Seaman on Oct. 10 Wade Rouse is author of America’s upcoming readings: Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m., discussed life, work and Chicago roots at Boy: A Memoir (2006, Dutton) and Barbara’s Bookstore at UIC, 218 South the Chicago History Museum. ... Chris- Confessions of a Prep School Mommy Halsted St., Chicago; Nov. 7, 7 p.m., 57th topher Wiman’s Ambition and Survival: Handler: A Memoir (September, 2007, Street Books, 1301 E. 57th St., Chicago; Becoming a Poet was reviewed in the Oct. Random House). Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m., Women and Children 7 New York Times Book Review by Ken Publishers Weekly said America’s Boy First, 5233 N. Clark St., Chicago. ... Ron Tucker, who said: "Wiman writes well the "comes alive with tender portraits of Offen read his poetry, including new and kind of verse he champions." ... Ted kitsch and kin." Of Confessions, old works, at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub, McClelland has moved back to Chicago Publishers Weekly said, "Rouse’s writing 7652 W. Madison St., Forest Park, Ill., on from Michigan. ... Craig Sautter is going is fresh and funny, and the stories of Sept. 10. ... Amy Hassinger’s second back to Miami Beach this winter to teach Botox parties, catty mothers and mani- novel, The Priest’s Madonna, published philosophy. Also, he was quoted in two cured pet pups make this an amusing by Putnam Adult in 2006, is being trans- recent Minneapolis Star Tribune stories insider look into the opulent lifestyle of lated into Dutch, Spanish, Russian and about the 2008 Republican convention prep school families." The book is about Indonesian. ... John Wasik, author of The there. On one, he was credited as co- Rouse’s experiences as director of public Merchant of Power: Samuel Insull, author with the paper’s political writer, relations for Tate Academy. Thomas Edison and the Creation of the Randy Furst. Also, he posted the history America’s Boy recounts Rouse’s child- Modern Metropolis (Palgrave-Macmillan, of Denver’s first Democratic presidential hood growing up gay in 1970s Granby, 2006), will appear Oct. 17, at the Niles convention in 1908 on his Web site: Missouri, a tiny Ozarks town where Public Library in Niles, Ill. ... On Oct. www.presidentialconventions.com. The "trailers outnumber homes and teeth." It 16, Robert McClory will give a talk Democrats are meeting in Denver in was named by Borders editors as one of titled, "Light At the End of the Tunnel: 2008. ... Last month, Andrea Cheng the "Best Literary Memoirs of 2006" and Democracy Becoming Reality in the redesigned her Web site, a "A Best Book of 2006" by the St. Louis Church." The 6 p.m. talk will be at www.andreacheng.com. Browse! Post-Dispatch. Rouse is a contributing writer to a forthcoming humorous essay collection SMA support Elizabeth A. Fama, Grace Bacon on working in retail, tentatively titled The Ferrier, Robert J. R. Follett, Marianne Customer Is Always Wrong: The Retail Dues cover mailings and other organi- Forrest, Thomas Frisbie, Jamie Gilson, Chronicles. The collection is scheduled to zational expenses, but the Society always Frank Gonzalez-Crussi, Elizabeth H. be published by Counterpoint/Soft Skull needs additional money for programs Gray, Sue Harrison, Jane R. Howard, Press in fall, 2008. He is a regular essay- such as the awards given at the annual Louise Hullinger, Cranston Sedrick ist for Lake Magazine, and his articles May banquet for books by Midwestern Knight, Christopher Leland, George have appeared in numerous national mag- authors. Levy, Richard Lindberg, Billy azines and newspapers. Thanks to these members who made con- McCarthy, S. Charles Masters, George Rouse earned his B.A. in communica- tributions in addition to their renewals William McDaniel, Mary Jane Miller, tions from Drury University and his mas- this year: S. Dow Mossman, Ron Offen, Daniel ter’s in journalism from Northwestern Carol Madden Adorjan, James and Texidor Parker, Mark Perlberg, Stella University. He has worked as a journalist Anne Barry, Charlene Ann Baumbich, Pevsner, Mark E. Pulsifer, Robert and writer, and his articles have appeared Arnie Bernstein, Fern G. Brown, John Remer, Harriette Gillem Robinet, John in, among others, The Chicago Reader, D. Callaway, Phyllis Choyke, Alzina Schultz, James C. Schwab, Elinor P. St. Louis Riverfront Times, Lake Stone Dale, Irma E. Davis, Michael H. Swiger, Scott Turow, Martha Modena Magazine, Blue Magazine and Grand Ebner, Jean B. Elshtain, Rita Emmett, Vertreace-Doody and Lila Weinberg. Rapids Magazine. 3 New books 1900, staffers from the paper’s art depart- all the elements together. The foreword is ment began lugging bulky cameras, heavy by Joel Daly. Two new books glass plates and explosive flash powder Among the interviewees are Josephine Havana Noir (October, 2007, Akashic throughout the city. A labor strike, a box- Baskin Minow, Gary Johnson, Jerome Noir), which Achy Obejas edited and for ing match, or a crime scene —it was all in R. Butler, James McDonough, Ann which she translated 13 of the 18 stories, a day’s work for the Daily News photog- Roth, James O’Connor, Kay Mayer, reached No. 5 on the Amazon mystery rapher. Jacob and Cahan, have selected Michael Demetrio, Bernard Judge, Paul anthologies list this month. (Publishers more than 250 images —many of which Meincke, Potter Palmer IV and Marshall Weekly: "Grim and gritty stories of have never before been published —from Field V. despair and irony.") In November, she has the nearly 57,000 glass negatives housed a poetry chapbook coming out, This is at the Chicago History Museum. They Essays about the Cubs What Happened in Our Other Life, (A include rare photographs of a young The Cubs: The Complete Story of Midsummer Night’s Press). She’s touring Buster Keaton with his wife and child, Chicago Cubs Baseball (October, 2007, nationally for both. waiting to board a train and the notorious Houghton Mifflin) includes essays by Obejas also has recently been signed up Al Capone outside a courtroom, smoking Scott Turow and Rick Telander. to translate Junot Diaz’s dark and exuber- a cigar and consulting with his lawyer. In ant first novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of 1996, Cahan and Jacob co-authored The Detective back on the case Oscar Wao, into Spanish. Game That Was: The George Brace Hard-boiled detective Mike Duncaven Baseball Photo Collection. is back in Thomas J. Keevers’ The "Sizable audience" Chainsaw Ballet (September, 2007, Five Paula Kamen’s new book, Finding Iris In the CTA archives Star). It is Keevers’ third Duncaven novel. Chang: Friendship, Ambition and the Richard Cahan also has another new Loss of an Extraordinary Mind (Da Capo book, this one co-authored with Michael New novel and new translations Press) was reviewed in the Sept. 10 issue Williams and Bruce Moffat with a fore- Robert Hellenga has published a new of Publishers Weekly. It is about best-sell- word by Stuart Dybek: Chicago: City on novel, his fifth, The Italian Lover, (Little ing author Iris Chang, who committed the Move ($39.95, CityFiles Press). Brown). The novel features two point-of- suicide in 2004. The book "could find a For close to 150 years, photographers view characters who have appeared in sizable audience among those Chinese- have documented the construction of previous novels (Margot Harrington from who lionized Chang," PW Chicago’s public transportation system. The Sixteen Pleasures and Woody said. The Kirkus Fall & Winter Preview They’ve photographed the building of the Woodhull from The Fall of a Sparrow, issue called the book "a rewarding, com- city’s famous "L" lines. They’ve pho- and four additional point-of-view charac- plex portrait." tographed the streetcars that glided ters: a Hollywood producer who is deter- In a blurb posted on Sept. 6, Helen Zia, through city streets. This book presents mined to produce a film of Margot’s author of Asian American Dreams: the that history of the city through photo- memoir; the director of the film; the Emergence of an American People, wrote, graphs from the archives of the Chicago director’s wife, and the actress who’s "Journalist Paula Kamen leaves no clue Transportation Authority. going to play Margot herself. unturned in this riveting narrative that is Two earlier Hellenga novels have part detective story, part psychological What’s up with Downtown recently been translated: Blues Lessons drama, part homage to a friend, as she Neal Samors and Eric Bronsky have into German and Croatian, and Philo- peels back the complexities of Iris written Downtown Chicago in Transition sophy Made Simple into Polish and Kor- Chang’s life and death. (Chicago’s Books Press), which explores ean. A Spanish translation of The Sixteen The book is a November 2007 the changes that have shaped the greater Pleasures will be published in December. Booksense pick. Loop district from the late nineteenth cen- Hellenga was scheduled to discuss and tury to the present. The evolution of read from The Italian Lover, at 7 p.m. Snapshot of history Chicago’s downtown is vividly portrayed Oct. 16 at the Warren County Public In November, Mark Jacob and through more than 270 historical duotone Library, 62 Public Square, Monmouth, Ill. Richard Cahan, both SMA members, and color photographs interlaced with a will publish Chicago Under Glass: Early tapestry of memories, experiences and The future of the Catholic Church Photographs From the Chicago Daily thoughts related by interviewees. In As It Was in the Beginning: The News (University of Chicago Press). The Unique and obscure subjects are fea- Coming Democratization of the Catholic book displays about 250 photographs tured together with some of downtown’s Church (September, 2007, Crossroad from the Chicago History Museum’s col- more familiar and enduring icons. The Publishing Co.) Robert McClory says lection of 57,000 glass-plate negatives most alluring images are enhanced to full- there have been long periods where lay taken by the Chicago Daily News from page and double page size, while photo- people were consulted in church affairs 1901 to 1930. The Daily News was one of graphs separated by decades invite spirit- and had strong, leading voices. McClory the first newspapers in the country to fea- ed comparison. A descriptive narrative also says a decentralized church is around ture black-and-white photography. In introduces each section of the book, tying the corner and is inevitable. 4 Well-planned public relations effort can hook those busy journalists 2007, Society of Midland Authors BY THOMAS CIESIELKA will open or the product will P.O. Box 10419, Chicago IL 60610 rew Schadegg, a pub- be available for sale. lic relations specialist PR support materials: Editor: Thomas Frisbie Dat Thomas Ciesielka Major public relations plans Public Relations, is an avid require media-friendly product fisherman. By avid, I don’t descriptions, biographies of www.midlandauthors.com mean a "drop a bobber in the key personnel, photos of peo- water once or twice a year" ple and products, development kind of fisherman, I mean he of a Web-based press kit, and REALLY likes to fish. He has so on. Collecting, producing, thousands of dollars worth of Thomas Ciesielka and writing all this information fishing rods and reels, lures takes time. It’s important that Final chapters and equipment. Before a trip to the lake, you start creating your support materials he meticulously prepares his tackle, tak- Longtime SMA member Marjorie M. shortly after the plan is created. ing each reel apart and cleaning it, putting Kriz, 87, author of Soaring above Unified message: Many compa- on new fishing line and marking out his Setbacks: The Autobiography of Janet nies face the challenge of getting their strategy on a lake map. He even spends Harmon Bragg, African American Aviator marketing people in agreement with their time practicing his casts in the backyard! as told to Marjorie M. Kriz (Smithsonian salespeople. Often upper management But does all this preparation pay off? Institution Press, 1996) died Sept. 18. needs to help the sales and marketing Absolutely! He consistently catches tons A remembrance gathering for friends of fish (and he would be glad to show to celebrate her life was held Sept. 30 at them to you on his camera phone). the home of Marjorie’s daughter, Helen A long-term plan is Similarly, to "catch" the media’s atten- Kriz Marshall in Wilmette. tion, you must prepare a plan and have a required for authors who Marjorie graduated from Northwestern strategy. You need to put time and energy (BA 1942, MA 1943), where she was a are dealing with image into the key elements that will make your theater major in company stand out to a journalist who the former School management and book gets hundreds of pitches a day. of Speech. After Have you started working on a public announcements, or for a college, she was a relations plan for your company? theater publicist new author who wants to Breaking news is great. If there is a and then a reporter major disaster, it gets terrific coverage make a grand entrance. for the City News without much effort. If a musical group Bureau of Chicago sets a record for CD sales that beats Elvis, from 1944-1954, the news media can’t wait to report it. covering the police departments see the major objectives for Marjorie M. Kriz However, a long-term plan is required for and county. the business to move forward. Now add authors who are dealing with image man- Marjorie returned to work for City in the public relations function. What is agement and book announcements, or for News in 1966 when she was called in to stated in the public relations information a new author who wants to make a grand cover the murder in Kenilworth of Valerie must match product specifications, deliv- entrance. Percy, the daughter of former U.S. Sen. ery dates, and other information. Other- Charles H. Percy of Illinois. She was While how to draft a public relations wise the public relations person may tell widowed in 1968 and continued to work plan is better left to a good book on the the reporter that a story can run on Oct. 1 full time to support her children, who topic, here are a few ideas that are impor- to tie in with the product release. then were 13 and 10. She remained a tant to keep in mind when you are prepar- However, the public relations person may reporter for the City News Bureau, cover- ing your next public relations campaign: not know that the release date will be ing news at O’Hare Airport, until 1972. Think months in advance: Monthly delayed for three months. You can imag- She left City News to work for the magazines often have a deadline of at ine what the negative impact could be for Federal Aviation Administration as a pub- least three months prior to publication the company. lic affairs officer and retired in 1989. She date. Therefore, if you add at least anoth- Any good PR plan is going to take also was a free-lance writer of local er month to draft a public relations plan, time, planning and strategy. If you keep Chicago history and aviation-related sub- you will need to begin the process at least these three tips in mind, your next PR jects. four months prior to the date the company campaign is sure to be your best. 5 Another SMA member gets a ‘genius grant’ Awards Following a tradition of such SMA Dybek also last month won the $30,000 The Ohioana Library Association on members as Aleksandar Hemon and Rea Award, established in 1986, for "orig- Sept. 21 presented the 2007 Ohioana James A. McPherson, Stuart Dybek last inality and influence" on the short story. Award for Juvenile Books to Andrea month won a MacArthur Foundation "With three distinguished collections of Cheng of Cincinnati for The Lemon "genius grant." short stories, Stuart Dybek has created his Sisters and Sharon Draper also of Dybek, known for story collections own country," said a statement from Rea Cincinnati for Copper Sun, which earlier such as The Coast of Chicago judges. "The coast of Chicago won an SMA award. The Ohioana awards and I Sailed With Magellan is his landscape, one he has are given each year for outstanding books (winner of the SMA Adult Fict- inhabited, pondered, remem- published the previous year about Ohio or ion award in 2004), has written bered and made hauntingly Ohioans. three short story collections and real." Booklist called The Lemon Sisters a two books of poetry, and much Dybek, 65, the son of "charming intergenerational story" and of his writing is set in Chicago. Polish immigrants, grew up in said, "Endearing, this will be a place for "Throughout his work, Pilsen and Little Village and conversations to start between young and Dybek establishes an almost graduated from St. Rita High old." palpable sense of place, metic- School and Loyola University Booklist said Copper Sun is "a searing ulously depicting each physical Stuart Dybek Chicago. He.said the grant, work of historical fiction." detail, from the flickering flow $500,000 over the next five The online Web site chicagopoetry.com of a portable TV to the camphor reek of a years, will give him time to finish three has named Ron Offen as a recipient of its grandmother’s sickbed," the MacArthur books. "Top Dog in Poetry" award. It was given Foundation said. The Chicago Sun-Times, In 2004, The Coast of Chicago was in connection with a review by C.J. Laity in an editorial, said The Coast of Chicago chosen for Chicago’s "One Book, One of Offen’s latest book of poems, Off-Target. "speaks to our melting pot identity in illu- Chicago" reading program. His previous Laity, a Chicago poet, is the originator minating the lives of working-class honors include the PEN/Bernard and Webmaster of chicagopoetry.com. Bohemians and Slovaks and Poles." Malamud Prize and four O’Henry awards.

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