Entries tagged with “Chicago Review Press”.


Here’s an appearance I recently made on the local series, Authors Showcase, which can also be seen on Chicago Cable Channel 25:

 

I am EXTREMELY pleased and honored to announce that I will be the Featured Author in the Lt. Governor’s Tent at the Illinois State Fair from 11AM-1PM on Friday, August 8!!! I’ll be doing an interview, reading excerpts from Hollywood On Lake Michigan, 2nd Edition, and signing free copies to be raffled off to attendees.

Stop on by if you are at The Fair that day. It’s going to be HUGE fun!!!

You might call my appearance The Unofficial Opening Ceremonies. ;-)

You might call my appearance The Unofficial Opening Ceremonies. 😉

In another incredibly huge honor, Hollywood On Lake Michigan, 2nd Edition has been selected to be one the books included in the 2014 Illinois Reads Program!

Illinois Reads is a statewide program to promote reading amongst all Illinois citizens. It is under the auspices of  the  Illinois Reading Council and in conjunction with the Illinois State Library, State Librarian and Honorary Chair Jesse White (whose Secretary Of State Office funds the literacy effort under which I volunteer tutor).

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I can’t begin to state how excited I am by this development. As a volunteer ESL/ABE tutor, Universal Literacy is a cause near and dear to me, so this is an especially heartfelt honor. It is also wonderful for the book itself, which I had hoped would become a textbook of sorts, and this definitely puts it well on the way to that status.

Many thanks to The Illinois Reading Council, my co-author Arnie Bernstein, my publisher Chicago Review Press, the State Library and Librarian, and anyone else who had a hand in the section process. I’m greatly looking forward to the festivities and kickoff ceremony on Wednesday, March 12 down in Springfield!

 

 

Kevin’s Movie Corner has an excellent review of Hollywood On Lake Michigan, 2nd Edition. Check it out here!

 

 

I especially enjoy the fact that he had read the original edition and loved the additions I made and the extra material that Arnie put in the history section:

I had bought, and enjoyed, the first edition of the book, but there’s a lot of fascinating new material on hand for the new edition. So many movies have been shot in the Chicago area since the first book came out that there’s lots of interesting tidbits to enjoy.
 
The book is loaded with not only stories and anecdotes, but interviews with moviemakers with deep Chicago roots, such as writer/director Harold Ramis, producer Michael Shamberg, actress Irma P. Hall and so many others.
 
Plus, the authors have substantially beefed up the section on the early days of cinema, where for a short time it looked like Chicago might be the nation’s movie making capital. This is what I found particularly interesting.
Yes!!! He then goes on to detail several tidbits and sidebars that he found enjoyable and intersperses it with fascinating stories of his own encounters with Chicago Film. It is really a fine piece of work.
The takeaway here is that Hollywood On Lake Michigan, 2nd Edition is the perfect gift for that relative or loved one who is an old movie buff!!!

HOLM 2 Book Cover

 

http://kevinsmoviecorner.blogspot.com/2013/12/book-review-hollywood-on-lake-michigan.html

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I am extremely honored to announce that I am speaking at Chicago Book Expo. It is a major gathering of Chicago Writers and Independent Publishers and I can’t begin to describe how pleased I am to be a part of it.

 

Chicago Book Expo

Sunday, November 24

St Augustine College, 1345 W Argyle.

 The event starts at 11AM and I’ll be presenting from 2:30-3:30

 

It will be such a kick to do my HOLM 2 presentation in the old Essanay Studio Buildings- which were the site of one of the first movie studios on earth. And to be in the company of such fine authors and publishers makes it an even bigger thrill.

You really ought to stop on by because I will be in Full Expounding Mode!!!

Arnie Bernstein will be there as well talking about his fantastic new book, Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German American Bund.

Here is the ABC 7 News segment featuring me discussing Hollywood On Lake Michigan, 2nd Edition and Chicago Film. I couldn’t be more pleased with how well it turned out. Enjoy!!!

 

WOW! I watch the ABC 7 News At 4 pretty regularly and it was SUCH a surreal and wonderful experience to see ME suddenly appear on screen in the midst of such a well done piece of work. Incredibly reifying!!!

A big thanks to Producer Marsha Jordan for her kindness and general awesomeness. And a huge shout out to Tonya Davis for a brilliant editing job!!!

Part 2 will be airing at some point in the future. Stay tuned for details!

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Here is an interview I did for the Outside The Loop radio show on WLUW.
I come on right after the first break:

Click here for the show.

HOLM 2 Book Cover

 

The love for Hollywood On Lake Michigan, 2nd Edition keeps on flowing with two more great reviews!!!

 

The first one is in the online entertainment journal Pop Matters and was written by Brendan William Boyle. Brendan gives the book 8 out of 10 stars!

Click here for the Pop Matters review.

 

The second was done by film blogger Aurora on her classic movie site Once Upon A Screen (aka Aurora’s Gin Joint). Aurora gives a great review of the book and even had a book giveaway! (My apologies to those who missed out on it for my procrastination in not posting this here earlier)

Click here for Aurora’s review.

Arnie and I had a wonderful time with Bill Moller on WGN-AM yesterday. Have a listen!

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Here we are in the fishbowl studio on the ground floor of the Tribune Tower, which was a fabulously Chicago-esque experience.

 

Bill kept the two of us on our toes by occasionally asking each of us questions from the other person’s knowledge base, but that was a nice change of pace. My voice was sounding OK but I have GOT to cut down on my UHMMs and AHHs, which will happen as I get more acclimated to these interview deals. I can’t wait to do a long form interview some time where I don’t have to be so conscious about cramming the point in before time runs out.

After the interview Arnie and I got our picture taken with The Twinkie Kid and headed underground for a breakfast Cheezborger at The Billy Goat. A quintessentially Chicago morning!

I will be appearing with Arnie Bernstein on WGN Weekend With Bill Moller (WGN 720 AM) on Saturday, July 20th at 9AM CDT. We will be discussing Chicago Film and Hollywood On Lake Michigan, 2nd Edition. Gonna be fun!!!

 

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I always enjoyed Bill’s work on CLTV so I am really looking forward to chatting with him about HOLM 2!!!