In addition to his writing career, William Stage’s personal biography includes a unique life. In addition to military service in Vietnam, Stage served with the United States Air Force Reserve during Operation Desert Storm. After graduation from college he was driving ambulances in Grand Rapids, Michigan, when he was recruited by the Centers for Disease […]
Books
Posted inArts & Culture
Civil war letters
In Their Letters – In Their Words – Illinois Civil War Soldiers Write Home, by Mark Flotow. SIU Press, 2019, 302 pages, $26.50. May be purchased at Books on the Square, Barnes and Noble, online at SIU Press or at markflotow.net. What did the Civil War soldiers from Illinois write home about? Enlisting? Camp life? […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rahm is not the best messenger for mayors
THE NATION CITY: Why Mayors Are Now Running the World, by Rahm Emanuel. Alfred A. Knopf, 2020. The 2020 campaign season is upon us in splendor and glory. It is remarkable for several reasons, including the presence of two former mayors in the political mix. The office of mayor has rarely been deemed a steppingstone […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Scientist in search of a spiritual higher power
A Spiritual Hypothesis: An Inquiry into Abnormal and Paranormal Behavior, by Daniel Punzak. 809 pages. AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana, 2017. Throughout recorded history, scientific minds have considered religious people to be superstitious. At the same time, those with spiritual feelings have considered science to be somewhat heretical. Now, Daniel Punzak, a Springfield resident, has published a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
“New power” is taking over the world
This fascinating book explains the shift from old power to new power and how this is impacting politics, business and everyday life. Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms describe “new power” as open, participatory, bottom-up and peer-driven. With new power, there is a belief in the wisdom of the crowd, transparency and a more open decision-making […]
Posted inArts & Culture
A parable for impeachment week
It looks like a children’s book with its colorful illustrations; it reads like a children’s book with its rhyming couplets. But look closer. It is obvious that Brent Bohlen’s The Parable of the Peacock: A Read-Aloud Picture Book for 2020 Voters is for adults. The blurb on the jacket says it’s “a satirical look at […]
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Guy Fawkes and you guys
Four hundred years ago “guy” referred to an arch-villain; today the word has come into common usage: “hey, guy,” “that guy” and “you guys.” Allan Metcalf, retired professor of English at MacMurray College, traces the story of Guy Fawkes and the evolution of the word “guy” through the centuries to its use as a second-person […]
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A gift guide for book lovers
Books, old and new, in all genres, from local writers and famous established authors, provide great holiday gifts. You can find many selections at Springfield historic site gift shops, including the Lincoln Home Visitor Center, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Dana-Thomas House or at a bookstore such as Books on the Square in […]
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History of a hidden neighborhood
Springfield author Kenneth C. Mitchell in The Little Village that Could – the Untold Story of Devereux Heights, calls this section of north Springfield “a rare jewel of a community.” His book showcases people and events of Devereux Heights that he says is “about as ordinary a community as there is. Every one of the […]
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A Bears tale
This year marks the centennial celebration of the Chicago Bears, an iconic founding franchise of the National Football League. While the team’s roots are found in next-door Decatur, where they first played as the Staleys, it was only after their relocation to Chicago that they became identified as a cornerstone franchise of the NFL. Over […]
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The end of thoughtful, not rigid, ideology
Arriving home on the evening of July 17, I was saddened by the news that retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens had died at the age of 99. Having spent the past few months reading The Making of a Justice: Reflections on My First 94 Years, I felt that not only had I lost […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Baseball’s salesman
The Legendary Harry Caray: Baseball’s Greatest Salesman, by Don Zminda. Bowman and Littlefield, 2019. A Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cub and St. Louis Cardinal fan walk into a bar. They cannot agree on very much when it comes to baseball but they share one common belief. The years when Harry Caray was announcing their games […]
