Chicago History Journal

Just go here. A lot. Sign up for email notices. Sharon E. Williams, aka Chicagobookbabe, is the woman behind Chicago History Journal. In her own words: "I'm a frustrated amateur historian, bibliophile, and student with an unnatural and utterly romanticized view of Chicago's history. So sue me..." Her frustration, our reward.

Legacy

One of our award-winning authors, anthropologist and ethnic market expert Carolyn Eastwood appears in the extended Chicago writers entry in the upcoming Volume 2 of the Dictionary of Midwestern Literature, an ambitious three-volume project of the Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature (Indiana University Press), as follows: “Carolyn Eastwood (b.1925) has collected stories in her oral history Near West Side Stories: Struggles for Community in Chicago’s Maxwell Street Neighborhood (2002).” Woohoo. Congratulations, Carolyn. Your work now represents Chicago in reference land.

Teamster at Printers Ball

The Poetry Foundation and oodles of other Chicago indie lit organizations sponsor the annual Printers' Ball. Their fifth ball takes place next Friday, July 31, from 5 p.m. - 11 p.m. at the Ludington Building (11o4 S. Wabash), former home of the American Book Company.

Need to Know:

• Free.
• Open to the public.
• All ages.
• 200 local, national, and literary organizations will be present, most giving away free copies of publications*.
• Atmosphere is festive!

* Lake Claremont Press will be giving out free copies of Terry Spencer Hesser's I Am a Teamster: A Short, Fiery Story of Regina V. Polk, Her Hats, Her Pets, Sweet Love, and the Modern-Day Labor Movement to the first 150 people to stop by our space.

Please join us for this amazing celebration of the printed word, indie lit, and creativity...the perfect way to start your weekend.

Do You Know the Way To Bourbonnais?

I don't, but I hope you do. Sharon Shea Bossard is Finding her Chicago Irish there and Arnie Bernstein (Hoofs & Guns, Hollywood on Lake Michigan, The Movies Are) will be there with Bath Massacre. That's the Bourbonnais Public Library's Author Fair, August 1, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

We Always Have Good People

One of the happy perks of running an indie press in Chicago is the quality of the people that pass through our doors.

Tomorrow, Becky Straple, a dance-english double major from Illinois State will leave us after a thundering 10-week internship in which she proved herself super talented, hard-working, creative, and funny in every task she undertook (they better give her an "A"!). She worked so hard and efficiently, we could barely keep up with her (and we'll miss her). You'll see her handiwork especially in our coming postcard campaigns and two of our new books, Carless in Chicago and Oldest Chicago (wow, did she help that book progress through the production process!). Good luck, Becky. And you, reader, check out her Stitchcraef business and other talents on handmade marketplace Etsy.com.

Congratulations, too, to master career switcher Lydia Hirt, who helped us out in the sales department last spring while learning a little bit about publishing. She just landed a primo job in marketing for a major Penguin imprint--one of those book world jobs everyone wants. We're not surprised and we await her next leap. Check out more from Lydia on her blog, Novel Whore, on Twitter (@novelwhore), or her pieces on the industry site Beneath the Cover.

Settlement House vs. Swedenborgian Ethics?

In another interesting centennial of the Plan of Chicago event, LCP author Janice Metzger (August's What Would Jane Say? City-Building Women and a Tale of Two Chicagos) represents Jane Addams in a lively roundtable discussion at the historic Cliff Dwellers Club (200 S. Michigan, 22nd Floor), this Wednesday, July 15, from 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

She'll be representing Jane Addams's settlement house ethic while two DePaul professors will represent Daniel Burnham and St. Vincent DePaul (Daniel Burnham Meets Vincent DePaul and Jane Addams), and they'll all discuss the ethical underpinnings of these three great Chicagoans' commitment to public service.

It's free and open to the public, but you must RSVP in advance to Elizabeth Wilp (ewilp@depaul.edu). What a great chance to enjoy the clubhouse of one of Chicago's most beloved private clubs (see Lisa Holton's For Members Only for more details) and the breathtaking view of Lake Michigan, Grant Park, and the Chicago cityscape from its 22nd Floor perch. If you go, please return and share your thoughts with us.

P.S. Daniel Burnham was moved by Swedenborgian religious ideas, a type of Christianity whose ideas also influenced such notable Americans as Johnny Appleseed, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Frost, Hellen Keller, Walt Whitman, Elizabeth Browning, Martin Luther King, and Henry David Thoreau.

Labor leader Regina V. Polk (profiled in our book I Am a Teamster) was also moved by Swedenborgian ideals and married in a Swedenborgian church.

Carless in Chicago

Our little Twitter post on Jason Rothstein's fabulous new blog, Carless in Chicago, was our most re-Tweeted ever. Go see why it's an essential check-in point for those sans auto in Chi-Town while you await the release of his new book Carless in Chicago later this summer.

Sports Traveler Chicago

Former competitive figure skater and coach Anbritt Stengele now runs her international sports tourism company from the South Side neighborhood of Beverly. In between taking travelers to the Bejing Olympics and dozens of other major sporting events around the globe, she found time to collect her favorite insider tips for fans of her hometown teams. Every Chicago sports fan, local and afar, will appreciate the first installment in a new series from Sports Traveler and Lake Claremont Press: Sports Traveler Chicago.

Hear Anbritt and her co-author Lydia Rypcinski talk about the process of writing the book on Sports Traveler Radio.

Author Events Calendar

LCP author events, now on a Google calendar accessible from anywhere.

Oldest Chicago Coffee Talk

At Des Plaines History Center's monthly Coffee Talk, author David Witter will discuss the history, stories, and colorful characters behind some of the oldest businesses, restaurants, and landmarks in the Chicago area. His book, Oldest Chicago will be available later this summer from Lake Claremont Press. The presentation includes photos, readings, and a Power Point Program.

Cost: Free.

Reservations: Not necessary.

Refreshments: Guests can enjoy free coffee, tea, and cookies while during the program.