Weekly View » Kathleen Angelone

Birch Bayh: Making a Difference by Robert Blaemire

Kathleen Angelone — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 05:09:00 +0000

Blaemire tells the story of the life and achievements of Indiana’s long serving and influential Senator Birch Bayh. Starting with his immigrant ancestors, Blaemire tells just the right amount of Bayh’s background for the reader to understand how the Senator became the man he was. I had no idea that prior to becoming a senator, Bayh grew award winning tomatoes, considered a career in professional baseball and endured an eventful shivaree. Blaemire also succinctly describes the local, national, and international milieu of the Senator’s times and how those times affected his work.
Bayh’s savvy in running his first “adult” political campaign for the nomination as Vigo County’s State Representative foretells the Senator’s future success as a public persona. He and Marvella visited each of the delegates to the nominating convention and won the votes of the county patronage employees. Throughout his career, the Senator analyzed situations, determined what needed to be done to prevail, and worked tirelessly to reach the desired conclusion.
Before reading the book, I was aware of his work on Title IX and the presidential succession amendment. However, I wasn’t aware of the importance of the Bayh-Dole Act which changed the law so that new and innovative ideas from universities became patentable. And, please note the title of the act which demonstrates Bayh’s ability to work with Republicans such as Senator Dole to promote the greater good of the nation.
Blaemire’s book is well researched, written in a readable style, and liberally embellished with pictures. Most of all, the author’s affection for Senator Bayh shines through loud and clear.
This book will make the perfect gift your political junkie friend (be they Republican or Democratic). Blaemire will be speaking on the Senator and signing his book at the Irvington Historical Society’s Bona Thompson Center, 5350 University Ave., on Tuesday, Nov. 12 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Hauntings of the Underground Railroad: Ghosts of the Midwest by Jane Simon Ammeson

Kathleen Angelone — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 05:09:22 +0000

Hauntings of the Underground Railroad: Ghosts of the Midwest by Jane Simon Ammeson combines history and ghost lore into a fascinating book. Ammeson states in the foreword that although she is not a historian, she was raised in a family of history buffs. It shows. She researched extensively. She visited each of the sites and learned about the history of the setting along with the story. Primarily a freelance writer and photographer specializing in travel, food, and personalities, Ammeson tells these stories in an entertaining while informative manner.
It is hard to decide which stories to cite here. They are all so good. Guess I’ll go with that most important man of the times, Abraham Lincoln. Ammeson tells of Lincoln’s neighbor who ferried slaves on the Underground Railroad then recounts the tales of Lincoln’s ghost wandering around Springfield, Illinois. She closes that section with Vachel Lindsay’s marvelous poem, “Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight.”
The Willard Carpenter House in Evansville, Indiana has an historical marker in the front yard which tells of the home’s history as a stop on the Underground Railroad. It was also the subject of several paranormal investigations by the Southern Indiana Paranormal Investigators. Ammeson relates how the group investigated for paranormal activities in the house and what they learned.
Ammerson also researched and tells the tale of the ghosts in the Wolf Mansion in Valparaiso, Indiana. The story is amazing and sad. Ammerson’s research indicated that the story was a bit too amazing to be true. She recounts all the evidence that proves that this particular tale is based on speculation and gossip. I’m so glad it wasn’t true.
Hauntings of the Underground railroad: Ghosts of the Midwest will be an excellent addition to the libraries of those who enjoy local history and hauntings. It is available at Bookmamas, 9 Johnson Avenue.

Love and Greed in the Heartland: The Richmond Hill Murders by Robert L. Snow and Russ McQuaid

Kathleen Angelone — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 05:09:00 +0000

Love and Greed in the Heartland: the Richmond Hill Murders by Robert L. Snow and Russ McQuaid tells the whole sordid story of the Richmond Hill Murders. The brightly colored “before” explosion and “after” explosion pictures on the book cover set the stage for the reader’s understanding of the gravity of the situation. The book starts by explaining why the residents of the Richmond Hill area of Indianapolis felt particularly safe on that lovely fall day of November 10, 2012. That quickly changed with the explosion that evening. The book is arranged in chronological order with the first chapter being The Explosion, through the fire and murder investigations and the trials.
The Richmond Hill explosion was so gargantuan that weather stations 40 miles away felt the changes in the infrasound subsonic waves and houses within a five mile radius shook. Fortunately the local fire station felt the explosion and responded immediately. Unfortunately the 911 communications center couldn’t locate the small street at the center of the explosion. Two people, Dion and Jennifer Longworth, died before emergency workers could extricate them from the remains of the home. The authors dedicate the book to them.
The explanations of the steps investigators went through to secure the scene and investigate the origins of the explosion and resulting deaths were fascinating. The authors also give enough biographical details on the perpetrators for the reader to have some understanding of why they did what they did. The authors also thoroughly describe all the aspects of the trials. The eight pages of photos illustrate the narrative well.
Robert L. Snow and Russ McQuaid drew upon their backgrounds as a police detective and investigative reporter respectively to learn and record everything about this horrendous episode in recent Indianapolis history. Meet them to discuss the explosion and buy your copy of the book at Bookmamas, 9 Johnson Avenue, on Saturday, September 16 at 2:00 p.m.

Eliza And Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Kathleen Angelone — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 05:09:23 +0000

Francesca Zappia’s new book, Eliza And Her Monsters, centers on high schooler Eliza Mirk’s public (Eliza) and private (Lady Constellation) personas. And are they ever different! Eliza is the perfect embodiment of that painfully shy, strange and darkly clothed person all teens know. As Lady Constellation, she’s the anonymous creator of the extremely successful web comic, “Monstrous Sea.” Early in the book, Eliza’s homeroom teacher asks Eliza to show new student Wallace Warland around the school. We soon learn that Wallace is one of the biggest Monstrous Sea fans in the world and creator of Monstrous Sea fan fiction. The development of this relationship from first meeting through learning of their shared interest and finally the public revelation of Lady Constellation and the effects of that revelation form the arc of the novel.
Zappia is a writer’s writer. Classes could be based on the mechanics of Eliza and Her Monsters. Her short personifications of characters give us just enough interesting tidbits to understand them and prepare for their role in the book. She uses several forms of writing. There are the classic first person narrative, e-mails, Internet posts, captions for the cartoons and internet messages. Zappia always finds the perfect word for the situation. For example, Dad doesn’t “walk” down the hall. He “marches.” Everyone remembers that sensation from their childhood. In this book, she creates not one, but two totally believable worlds. What a feat! In addition to the superlative writing, Zappia illustrates the book with images from the “Monstrous Sea” comics.
Will Eliza be able to deal with the monsters created by the revelations? Will she be able to successfully meld the two personas? You need to read the book to discover the answer.
Early in the book, Eliza states:
I didn’t make Monstrous Sea to be a phenomenon—I made it because/It was the story I wanted. I make it now because there’s something/Inside of me, crushed around my heart, that says I must do it. This is what /I was put on Earth to create, for me and for my fans. This story. This/Is mine, and it is my duty to bring it into the world.
Is that really the voice of Zappia? If so, we are fortunate that she birthed this book.
Zappia was chosen from hundreds of nominees as a finalist for the 2017 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Emerging Indiana Author awards and it was well deserved. Meet her at Bookmamas on Wed., Aug. 30 at 7. Bookmamas is located at 9 Johnson Ave.

Spooky Indiana: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore

Kathleen Angelone — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 05:09:49 +0000

Spooky Indiana: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore as retold by S.E. Schlosser is a marvelous edition to the ever growing collection of stories about Hoosier hauntings and unexplained phenomenon. As the experienced author of several of the “Spooky” story collections published by Globe Pequot, Schlosser brings her expertise to this set of Hoosier tales. The book is divided into two sections: “Ghost Stories” and “Powers of Darkness and Light.” There is also a map of Indiana indicating the location of each of the stories.
Schlosser narrates the story in first person as if she’s telling the tales to a small group of people around candles or a campfire. Many of the tales are as old as time such as The Dance. In this story, a young lady’s date for a dance is late picking her up. The young lady tells her mother that she’d go to the dance with the devil himself if necessary. Suddenly there’s a knock at the door and a man stands there to take her to a dance. But he’s not her date and he has red eyes. Who is this man and where do they go? Then there’s the story of a person walking up to the top of the stairs, opening a bedroom door and seeing her sister’s head on the top of a bedpost. What happened here? In another tale, Schlosser states that it is odd that someone is walking around when “all the good folk” are already in bed. Clearly nothing good will happen.
I must complement the artist. He is trained in painting and printmaking. Each illustration is a fantastic medieval looking woodcut-like print with lots of dark areas. They are perfect for a collection of spooky stories. There’s an illustration for each story.
This book will complement well any collection of spooky themed books and is available at Bookmamas, 9 Johnson Ave.

A Cabinet Of Curiosities From The Civil War In Indiana, Edited by Nancy Niblack Baxter

Kathleen Angelone — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 05:09:21 +0000

Bet you thought you knew all about Indiana’s involvement in the Civil War. A Cabinet Of Curiosities From The Civil War In Indiana: Important, Moving, and Sometimes Odd Stories of the Human Side of the War edited by Nancy Niblack Baxter is sure to introduce you to some new aspects of Indiana and the Civil War. Arranged in chronological order, the book has segments on Prelude to War, Mid-War: Raids and Routings, Mid-War: The Cavalry and Artillery, Mid-War: The Women and Children’s Conflict, Mid-War: Mustering the Red Badge of Courage, Late in the War, Soon After the War, and After the Return: Men of the Civil War.
Each chapter consists of short stories and pictures about interesting aspects of the war. One tells how some soldiers determined that their chaplain really did like whiskey — even if he didn’t realize it. Another tells of the Battle of Pogue’s Run. Who knew that the Copperheads who tried to take over the state actually had a battle with the government troops by Pogue’s Run right here in Indianapolis? Another battle I’d never heard of took place with Hoosier soldiers in Missouri at the Battle of the Hemp Bales. There is a really sweet story about the dolls a soldier gave his daughters before he marched off never to be seen again. The dolls can still be seen at the Indiana State Museum. I also learned about Filibusters — not the Senators who speak ad nauseum — rather, these Filibusters were soldiers of Fortune who invaded Central American countries. They actually took over the government of Nicaragua in 1856. Another great segment tells the story of the birth of the Conn musical instrument business.
The charts, notes and illustrations add a great deal to the book. There are period photographs of the characters along with images of flags, drums, maps and more. The notes at the end of each chapter are actually interesting, consisting of much more than just a reference to a source.
This book is a fun read and will add significantly to libraries of Civil War buffs and those who just like history in general. The book is available at Bookmamas, 9 S. Johnson Ave., in Irvington.

Earth Eats: Real Food Green Living by Annie Corrigan with Daniel Orr

Kathleen Angelone — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 05:09:05 +0000

Annie Corrigan and Daniel Orr’s new book, Earth Eats: Real Food Green Living, offers information and recipes for enjoying a Hoosier lifestyle. Arranged by season, the recipes cover all areas of food and cooking. The appealing layouts include recipes on a single page to make following them easier. Interspersed among the recipes are informational pages on everything from raising chickens, rendering lard, foraging, cover crops, making stock, seed saving and more.
The book has a real Hoosier aspect. One section features recipes for drinks to enjoy while sitting on your porch. Other Hoosier specialties include recipes for paw paws, persimmons, sugar cream pie, apple butter, fried green tomatoes, succotash and zucchini. It also features stories about Hoosier farmers and restaurants.
The recipes range from fairly simple to some that would challenge a good cook. Many of the recipes are vegetarian and those with meat can easily be adapted to a vegetarian or vegan version. Along with the Hoosier-centric specialties, the book also features recipes for foods and spices with a sophisticated international flair such as Tuscan-style roasted broccoli, lentil tarragon soup, baked brie, Vietnamese summer salad rolls and scones. The recipe in the book that I’d really like to try is the chicken baked in a pumpkin pot — what a creative and interesting idea. This book is full of them. If you buy any cookbook this year, Earth Eats: Real Food Green Living should be the one.
This book is available at Bookmamas, 9 Johnson Ave.

Kiritsis And Me: Enduring 63 Hours at Gunpoint by Dick Hallwith Lisa Hendrickson

Kathleen Angelone — Thu, 18 May 2017 05:09:49 +0000

In February 1977, an angry Tony Kiritsis wired Dick Hall to a sawed off shotgun and paraded him through downtown Indianapolis prior to holding him hostage for three days. After forty years, Dick Hall (with co-writer Lisa Hendrickson) tells his side of the story in Kiritsis and Me: Enduring 63 Hours at Gunpoint. Tom Cochran’s foreword sets the stage for reading Hall’s memoir. As a young radio reporter working for Fred Heckman at WIBC, Cochran reported on the evolving situation. This perspective informs his discussion of the hostage situation, the efforts to free Dick Hall and the effect of the live coverage on American news reporting.
Hall’s memoir first tells how Kiritsis walked into a meeting and took him hostage. Then he backtracks to the past, telling a bit about the lives of his parents and describing the family business. The primer on the business and how it was operated is essential to understanding the business relationships between the Hall family and Kiritsis and how that relationship dissolved. From the beginning of the hostage situation, though, Hall wondered how Kiritsis could be so angry. Since this memoir is from Hall’s perspective, one never learns the solution to this problem.
Hall tells the story of his life clearly and succinctly. His was a typical upbringing on the near north side of Indianapolis. He was involved in family, church, school and athletic endeavors. He graduated from school #84, Shortridge and Purdue. He learned to fly during his naval service. He tells these stories so the reader learns how Hall thinks he learned that helped him endure the ordeal. For example, at times while imprisoned, he imagined himself flying his plane.
As in many families of that time period, Hall’s family was reserved with little open show of affection and emotion. He has carried that trait throughout life and it is very evident in this book. Over the years he has hardly spoken about those three days. The book feels like he is still uncomfortable speaking about it. He recognizes, however, that it is a story that needs to be told. And he tells it well.
He also expresses his perplexity as to why by the time of the trial and its aftermath, so many people considered Kiritsis the victim who deserved their cheers. Read the book for yourself, talk to Dick Hall and come to your own conclusion. Hall will be at Bookmamas, 9 Johnson Avenue, on Friday, June 9 from 5:30-7:30.

Train Stations Then and Now by Ken Fitzgerald

Kathleen Angelone — Thu, 11 May 2017 05:09:48 +0000

Railroads transformed America. In 1829 the first common carrier locomotive ran on American soil. Soon trains took the place of waterways for the transport of freight and passengers. The first stations were merely ticket offices near a shed and some platforms. It wasn’t long, though, before railroad companies erected elaborate Victorian buildings. Ken Fitzgerald’s new book, Train Stations Then and Now, comprehensively tells the story of American train stations.
The book consists of 144 pages choc-a-block with pictures and interesting stories about train stations. Since the book is arranged alphabetically by city name, it is easy to find any station that particularly interests the reader. The stories contain information on the building and destruction of the stations. Fitzgerald points out that General Sherman initiated the destruction of the grand stations when he burned the Atlanta station during the Civil War. The cries of outrage over that destruction of a station were, however, very different from the outrage of the preservationists when many stations such as the New York City Penn Station were destroyed. The demolition of the Penn Station resulted in New York’s first landmark protection law.
There is a two page spread on the Indianapolis Union Station, which was built as the first union station in the nation in 1853. It includes the iconic picture of the scary, speaking, styrofoam Santa Claus from 1949. It a blessing that that particular Santa was chopped up to be used in insulation. The spread on New York’s Grand Central Station includes a picture of the oyster bar that features prominently in many novels.
Train Stations Then and Now is available at Bookmamas, 9 Johnson Ave.

Lost Ballparks by Dennis Evanosky and Eric J. Kos

Kathleen Angelone — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 05:09:24 +0000

Baseball season — both Little League and professional — is upon us. Celebrate the season with the new book Lost Ballparks by Dennis Evanosky and Eric J. Kos. Produced by the same publisher as the popular “Indianapolis Then and Now” series, the new ballpark book has the same look. It features 143 pages of text and pictures about lost ballparks throughout the United States and a couple in other lands.
The short history of ballparks in the front of the book is chock-a-block with interesting facts. For example, the first baseball club was organized in New York City near Washington Park. Since they couldn’t find an appropriate field in the city, they held their first official baseball game against an opponent on June 19, 1846 in New Jersey on the Elysian Fields. Considering many people’s attitudes about baseball, the Elysian Fields seems to be the perfect place for enjoying the game. The nearby Cincinnati Red Stockings (today’s Red Sox) was the first team to openly pay its players. Due to several fires and advancing technology, the first steel and concrete park was Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Much more is included in the history.
The book includes photographs and history of 58 ballparks. One spread is dedicated to Perry/Bush Stadium in Indianapolis. There are five photographs and a page of text that includes information on the Indians, the Clowns and ABCs. Hank Aaron’s Indianapolis career is also highlighted. Another spread features Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis that my family visited on their grand trek west. And yes, Cubs fans, there is a spread on Comiskey Park in Chicago. Probably my favorite picture in the book features the St. Louis Cardinals’ stretch in Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg. They look like they are airplanes about to take off.
This is the perfect gift for all the baseball aficionados on your list.