Illinois Books

In ''The Real Nick and Nora - Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, Writers of Stage and Screen Classics,'' author and Frances' nephew David L. Goodrich puts together a comprehensive and delightful portrait of his aunt and her husband and writing partner Albert Hackett.

The first play Frances and Albert worked on was something she had struggled on for a while and brought him in to finish off. A few years later, that play, ''Up Pops The Devil,'' was the first play produced by the Nutley Little Theatre on Nov. 23, 1934.

"The Real Nick and Nora" is filled with references to Nutley, N.J., and Frances' Nutley Avenue home. One photo in the front of the book shows ''Frances, in her teens, in the Nutley house - as usual, with a book.''

Born in Belleville, the Goodrich family moved to Nutley when she was two years old. She attended private school while she lived in town, then went Passaic Collegiate School, and then on to Vasser.

After graduating in 1912, Frances went into the theatre. While working in the theater in Northampton, Mass., Frances met actor William Powell - who later turned up in the Thin Man films.

Well, a lot happens to Frances between college graduation and writing screenplays in Hollywood for the Thin Man films, and many others.

Author David Goodrich takes his time developing the cross-relations and early kindnesses that led to life-long friendships with, among others, James Cagney. (Albert Hackett gave the young actor a ride in Hollywood - rather than leave him to wait for a bus.)

Frances met Bob Ames and married him in the Nutley Avenue house in 1917. That lasted six years. She married again, and though the wedding made the social pages, it didn't last.

It was with Albert Hackett, an actor and writer, that Frances life clicked for the best. The pair wrote plays, got married, and went to the new world of Hollywood to write the words for actors to say in the 'Talkies'.

The Hacketts wrote screenplays and plays for the next 30 years. They are best known for their work on the three Thin Man films staring Myrna Loy and William Powell.

The Hacketts, as Goodrich calls them, were the epitome of Nick and Nora. Frances had the refined taste for the good life and had grown up in Nutley with attending servants. Albert was the wise-cracking uncle every one would hang around at parties.

While writing the screenplays in their Hollywood studio office, passersby would hear the pair screaming and yelling at each other. Then the Hacketts would break for lunch and be as civil and chatty to each other as possible while away from their keyboard.

At the 'writers' table' at MGM and in Hollywood's Golden Age, they forged friendships with Ogden Nash, Dashiell Hammett, Dorothy Parker, F. Scott Fitzgerald and many others.

Later, when the Hacketts were well known, they were instrumental in establishing the Screen Writers Guild - to ensure fair treatment of writers in Hollywood. They stood up to the bigwigs, including Louis B. Mayer.

And the pair worked on Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" but it wasn't a pleasant experience for even the seasoned Hollywood screenwriters.

The Hacketts' crowning achievement, and most-draining writing effort, was their work as playwrights on "The Diary of Anne Frank." For that work they won the Pulitzer Prize.

Frances, who never had any children, thought of Anne as hers. Albert predicted rightly, that whenever Frances was called upon to speak about the play, it would cause her to cry.

The exhaustive 300-plus pages of ''The Real Nick and Nora'' covers a pair of long, full lives, Frances died at 94, and Albert, ten years her junior, lived to be 95.

The Hacketts were such nice people, they often seemed out of place in the wilds of Hollywood in the 30s and 40s. Their kindness was often taken advantage of, but they were such nice people, who wouldn't want to be their friend?

The Hacketts certainly deserve the fine treatment in this comprehensive biography. They would be proud of the fine job their nephew did.

One of the finest books on Hollywood in recent years. Through the biographical prism of one of the most engaging, accomplished and loved couples in American screen and stage writing history, Goodrich captures the excitement and tears of movie production. A must read for movie lovers, the stage struck, aspiring writers, lovers of the Thin Man series, It's a Wonderful Life, Anne Frankf and mid-century cultural studies.

I once heard that Lenin was a great admirer of Connolly, and having just finished Guerrilla Days In Ireland by Tom Barry I though it would be a good idea to learn a little more about the origins of the IRA by reading Connolly so I purchased this book. What I found was a writer far more accessible that the likes or Marx or Lenin who at times can be a little difficult to read for the layman. Connolly speaks the simple unadulterated truth and I have to agree with my fellow reviewer, Connolly has definitely removed a cloud of confusion in my mind on the conflict in Ireland.

On a personal note I am a former member of the Industrial Workers of the World, Connolly was also a member of the union and like any socialist worth his salt he was a union organizer, Connolly reiterated in my mind the importance of putting economic action before political action. Like any good student of Connolly I feel I must quote him...

"The enrollment of the workers in unions patterned closely after the structure of modern industries, and following the organic lines of industrial development, is par excellence, the swiftest, safest and most peaceful form of constructive work the socialist can engage in. It prepares within the framework of capitalist society the working forms of the Socialist Republic, and thus, while increasing the resisting power of the worker against present encroachments of the capitalist class, it familiarizes him with the idea that the union he is helping to build up is destined to supplant that class in the control of the industry in which he is employed.
The power of this idea to transform the dry detail work of trade union organization into the constructive work of revolutionary socialism and thus to make the unimaginative trade unionist a potent factor in the launching of a new system of society cannot be overestimated." (Socialism made easy)

This is one of those books where as I'm reading it I found myself tearing up little strips of paper book marking numerous pages to be reread and quoted, I find it easy now to understand why he is so influential.

I borrowed this book from a friend and had to obtain a copy for my own personal library.

The introduction is so moving that anyone interested in modern Irish History will not put it down.

Connolly's viewpoints on Socialism, Nationalism, and the Catholic Church lifted an enormous cloud of confusion I have had since my early schooldays in Belfast.

Since first reading Dreiser's fictional biography of this financier, seventeen years ago, I have been impatiently waiting for a real Yerkes biography. IT WAS NOT IN VAIN. This author did a masterful job of putting together the life of this larger-than-life colorful man of business and pleasures. Not too long and not too short, it is as good as any business biography get. I strongly recommend it. Nitsan Ben-Horin, New York.

It is amazing that Franch's book is the first serious biography of Charles Tyson Yerkes. Why has the fascinating story of this important man never been told before? Perhaps it is because Yerkes left few letters and diaries behind, or perhaps it is because he spent so much of his life trying to rescue his reputation from all his financial escapades.

No matter. John Franch has done a masterful job of pulling together newspaper accounts, court records, and other sources to present a complete picture. But what's more, Franch's account is a highly readable telling of the story of a self-made man in era of industrial giants. At the same time, Franch brings to life the development of urban life in the post-civil war era. Just as James Green's "Death in the Haymarket," Franch's "Robber Baron" puts one on the streets of Chicago in the boom era after the Fire and gives an immediacy to the people, industry, and financial chicanery that made the city.

In the post-Enron era, this lucid telling of the story of Yerkes is a clear reminder of the foibles of those at the crest of the wave of financial schemes. At the same time, it is a compelling good read.

i was born and raised in Rogers park along the beeches and gardens of a fascinating part of Chicago.
i loved this book and its history of an extremely important part of Chicago History.

I purchased copies of "Rogers Park" for my husband and his brother. Having grown up in Rogers Park they could not put their books down. My husband remembered many of the buildings depicted in the book. He had so many stories to tell, many of which he had long forgotten. I saw him reliving his childhood! The book seems to be right on! They really enjoyed reading it and are showing it to anyone who seems interested. I would highly recommend as a gift to someone from that area of the country.

I picked up this book, intrigued by the picture on the front of an Amish buggy on a lonely road in the country. The heart of this book is amazing! You turn the pages and your heart just fills with the plight of Samuel and his parents as they try to get help for Samuel and his long hospitalization. Robert J. Hastings is incredibly tender in his dealings with Samuel's parents; who take turns in the book, through Bob Hastings interviews, talking about the trials and troubles they go through. I was struck by the innocence and humility of Oba and Lorene. They were as naive as small children in having to deal with all the ugly things of this world; hospital bills, pettiness, uncaring people. Throughout their ordeal however, we are uplifted as the doors swing open for them! The strangers that open their homes and hearts to them. The miraculous survival of Samuel. The charity of Precious Moments artist and creator Sam Butcher who creates a commemorative Amish button that is sold at Hallmark stores and nets the family $20,000. I found their whole story so touching, more so because it was true. This family had to completely trust in the kindness of strangers and this they found in abundance! Read it, you will love it. I immediately bought six more copies and gave them away to people who had a special place in my heart. I now have a special place in my heart for Samuel. It is a beautiful book!

If you are reading this you are probably interested in buying it. I really suggest you do. I knew the author personally, he was my pastor. He was a great man, writer and individual. Unfortunately he died several years ago, but part of him still lives on through his ability to touch others with his tremendous ability to write. Bob, as we called him, writes about an Amish boy who is caught in a threshing machine. A boy named Samuel. His father first thinks him dead, but after hearing a slight moan they rush him to the hospital. Samuel lives. His condition allows him to have a phone in his house (which usually isn't permitted in Amish homes) for medical emergencies. It isn't just a tale about a boy, but how we put our faith in Jesus to heal not only our broken body, but our broken spirit. It is an inspirational story, and if you like it, I suggest Bob's other books which are Tinyburg Tales, Tinyburg Revisited, Nickel's Worth of Skim Milk, Penny's Worth of Minced Ham (both about growing up in the Depression), and several others. His work is always uplifting, getting you to focus on God, not on yourself and your own problems. I highly recommend anything he has ever written, because I have read them all. They are all a gift, just as the man himself was to me. Bob, you're missed.

The name is right. Many of these pieces are tresures. Volume 2 includes photos (a little too small... each is about 3.5 x 5 inches) of all 94 folios in Codice Saldivar 4(some enhanced because the original has sustained water damage). Also included are transcriptions to the sixty nine pieces in the manuscript. This is a scholarly edition and the transcriptions are for study, not for performance. Do not expect to see fingerings for either right or left hand or other indications for modern guitar.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in the Spanish baroque circa 1700 as well as info on transport of this music to the New World. Vol. 2 is of less use as the guitar tablature is barely readable. Michael Lorimer's facsimile edition of the Saldivar Codex is the definitive one to get.

"When SOM [Skidmore, Owings & Merrill] realized that their design was only ten stories short of what was supposed to the record-breaking height of the World Trade Center then under construction (1,368 feet), they broke the record, coming in at 1,454 feet.

"By Jay Pridmore. 64 pages, 5 3/4 x 6 1/2". Smythe-sewn casebound with dust jacket. ISBN: 0-7649-2021-9."--© Pomegranate

As an occupant of Sears Tower, I find that Pridmore provides an easily-understandable overview of Sears Tower with an especially good focus on how the building was conceived and developed, with dozens of color pictures. There are also a few pictures of the Tower's offices, including Sears Roebuck's old offices, though the offices are mysteriously devoid of human inhabitation. Too often people think that towers like Sears are built by Cities wanting to be boastful rather than private enterprise seeking profits, and in that sense Pridmore tells the story of the tower very well except the sterile interior pictures. He also avoids the cliches like how many toilets are in the Tower.

I have only seen one good discussion of the daily life in a skyscraper, and this is not it. (See the Feb '89 National Geographic if interested.) Pridmore's discussion of the Tower post-construction is limited to discussing renovations and neglects other aspects that my friends usually find much more interesting. For instance, Tower occupants often see amazing sunsets--that is, when the upper floors aren't enshrouded in clouds. Some Tower occupants become motion-sick when the building sways and creaks in windstorms--also not discussed. A man can punch the windows with his fist but they will not break. (I've seen it tried--but don't you try it.) Finally, rumor is that although Sears Roebuck lost its ownership of the Tower a decade ago, they still own the giant Calder sculptures and mobile on the Wacker side. Sears was unable to move the artwork when they left, and because they are screwed in place, the artwork is not technically part of the building.

"Season of Joy" takes a multidimensional approach to the subject of how Chicagoans celebrated Christmas from 1674 until the present. It's packed with heartwarming descriptions of the rich helping the poor, and families coming together over dinner tables loaded with roast turkey, glazed vegetables, and plum pudding, while a gift-ringed Christmas tree glitters and winks in the background.

Benes goes beyond recounting acts of philanthropy, family dinners, and generic holiday customs, however. He focuses on Chicago-specific traditions such as the gigantic Marshall Field's Christmas Tree, which made its first appearance in the elegant Walnut Room in 1907, the Cinnamon Bear radio serial, and the Apollo Chorus, which has been performing Handel's "The Messiah" yearly since 1879.

The book is not confined to Yuletide stories alone. There are also encapsulated versions of the general news that occupied the minds of residents during the Christmas season: on Christmas Eve 1921, Sacco and Vanzetti were denied a new trial, setting off worldwide complaints about miscarriage of justice, while the December 19, 1941 edition of the Tribune declared that "Nazis Can't Kill Santa!" It was referring to a party that American soldiers in Britain were holding for young raid victims. In addition, each year's popular songs, live shows, movies (during later years), and gift prices are recounted.

"Season of Joy" can be appreciated as a history book or as holiday reading. For me, it was both.

Jim Benes' "Season of Joy" is a book of surprises providing the reader with insights into life in America (Chicago, specifically) which go far beyond the customs of celebrating the holiday. The author weaves together a colorful pattern of stories about the social, artistic, political and economic life of one of America's great cities. As diverse as the stories are, they come together to produce a yearly snapshot. Reading through them causes the reader to reflect on how things change, and how they stay the same. Often, there is a strange and moving juxtaposition between tragic realities and recurrent joys of life. Christmas - the season of joy - is the constant, but it is seen in the context of any ever changing world. You can start anywhere in this book. (I started with the year I was born.) Go from front to back, back to front, or skip around, and you will surely find yourself reminiscing and pondering where we've been. This book is not just for Christmas. I highly recommend it to all interested in the culture of the United States.
Fred Neuschel

When 9 year-old Emily moves to the country, she sets out to explore the "forest" that surrounds her new home before her family even finishes unpacking. Curiosity takes over when she discovers a child's playhouse in a small clearing. The playhouse is locked, but Emily finds herself drawn to the mysterious paintings on the walls inside, so she decides she must find a way in. She discovers another world is waiting inside the playhouse--an eerie world that is inhabited by a lonely ghost. Emily must first find a way to make the ghost happy, and then get herself and Logan out of the maze of paintings before they are trapped inside this frightening, painted world forever. The characters in this story are believable, including the ghost, who behaves much like an angry child. The storyline draws the reader in immediately, and while the suspense is not overwhelming for a young reader, it will keep them glued to the book. The few illustrations are simple, but beautifully capture the expressions of each character.

The interest level of this book is ages 9-12, but slightly older struggling readers will enjoy it too. Marion Dane Bauer has created moments of suspense and spine tingling mystery that will appeal to many young readers.

Emily's family moved from the city to the country and she's not happy: there's nothing to do in the woods - or so she thinks. Her explorations reveal a locked playhouse which houses a young, lonely ghost - and her entry into her new friend's world may prove a trap for them all in Marion Dane Bauer's fast-paced SECRET OF THE PAINTED HOUSE.