LCP Alum Arnie Bernstein

Congratulations to author Arnie Bernstein, who has thrice published with Lake Claremont Press (Hollywood on Lake Michigan, "The Movies Are", and The Hoofs and Guns of the Storm), on his upcoming new book with the University of Michigan Press. Bath Massacre: America’s First School Bombing is a history of a little-remembered instance of horrific school violence. It will be released in April 2009, preceding the 82nd commemoration of the crime. Read more about it on his website.

Meet Michael Corcoran

Hello Fans and Friends of Lake Claremont Press! Sharon [Woodhouse] has asked me to introduce myself to all of you and give a little biography. My name is Michael Corcoran and I’m a historian, lecturer, and certified Chicago tour guide.

One of my most popular tours has always been the “Cinematic Chicago” tour, which details locations of major movies filmed in Chicago and the city’s role in the early film industry. Of course, one of the main sources for that tour has been Arnie Bernstein’s excellent book on the subject, Hollywood on Lake Michigan. I have been bugging Sharon for the last several years to get Arnie to do an updated version of his classic tome, and finally one day she responded by asking me if I’d like to do it (me and my big mouth!). After working out the details with her and Arnie, the contract has been signed and I’ll be delivering the revised and updated manuscript to Sharon in January.

As far as my biography goes: I was raised on a tiny lake in rural Wisconsin. I lived in Madison, Wisconsin, for several years before moving to Chicago in 1987 during the “stand-up comedy boom.” I was scared to death of living in Chicago, but wanted desperately to be a professional comic. After about 7 years, during which I was a Chicago based comic, the “boom” had faded to a point where I was going to have to move to New York or LA if I wanted to continue full-time comedy. It was at this point that I realized that I loved living in Chicago much more than I liked being a professional comic.

I did stints as a community activist, delivery driver, and bartender before enrolling in DePaul University’s adult degree program (known as The School For New Learning), graduating with honors in 2000. I’m involved in several creative and academic projects, the main one being touring folks around the city I’ve grown to love so much. My wife Kate and I maintain a Chicago related web site, www.brainsnack.net, and are the proprietors of our own little “Mom and Pop History Shop.”

I’m thrilled and honored to be working on this project. It’s kind of like being asked to play guitar in one of your favorite bands, or to be an actor on that TV show you like to watch every Friday. I’m well aware of how much folks love the original Hollywood On Lake Michigan (I love it myself), and will endeavor to create an updated version that will maintain the character and charm of the original.

Finally, I’d just like to thank Sharon and Arnie for this opportunity. See you all in 2009!!!

Discussing Gina's Legacy

Author Terry Spencer Hesser (I Am a Teamster: A Short, Fiery Story of Regina V. Polk, Her Hats, Her Pets, Sweet Love, and the Modern-Day Labor Movement) discusses her new book and the legacy of labor leader Regina Polk at the Polk Conference for emerging women labor leaders last month.

Andy Austin On the Job

Author Andy Austin (Rule 53: Capturing Hippies, Spies, Politicians, and Murderers in an American Courtroom) is the subject of Smithsonian Magazine online's monthly column "On the Job," which features those with unusual occupations. Austin has been the courtroom sketch artist for ABC-TV's Channel 7 for almost 40 years.

Introducing Award-Winning Author Karen Hanson!

We've just learned Karen Hanson's Today's Chicago Blues has been awarded first place in the general nonfiction category from the Illinois Woman's Press Association for 2007. Congratulations to Karen Hanson for this much-deserved recognition! IWPA is a group of communications professionals who strive for excellence in their field. Several Lake Claremont Press authors are members of the association and Grace DuMelle's Finding Your Chicago Ancestors won an IWPA award in 2005.

You can meet award-winning author Karen Hanson at this weekend's Printers Row Book Fair. She'll be signing copies of Today's Chicago Blues at the Lake Claremont Press booth (DD1,2,3) on Saturday and Sunday mornings from ten to noon. After that, of course, you can catch her at this weekend's Chicago Blues Festival.

Indie Excellence and the Kingdom of Regional Awards

Lake Claremont Press is thrilled to announce that two of our books have won Finalist prizes in the 2008 National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA). A Chicago Tavern by Rick Kogan and A Cook’s Guide to Chicago, 2nd Edition, by Marilyn Pocius, were awarded in the NIEA regional category.

“The Indie Excellence Awards are dedicated to celebrating and promoting the outstanding work of independent publishers and authors,” says Dan Poynter, of ParaPublishing. We’re certainly celebrating their success as well! Congratulations, Rick and Marilyn.


A Cook’s Guide to Chicago, 2nd Edition by Marilyn Pocius has additionally won the 2006 Midwest Regional Interest Book Award (2nd Place) and the 2006 Crafts/Hobbies/How-to Book Award (3rd Place), both from Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA). For a complete listing of our award-winning books, visit: https://www.lakeclaremont.com/awardwinners.php.