Missouri Books

The book contains over 40 short stories and 4 early works by Langston Hughes. As a high school student, I have enjoyed each and every work of Hughes and am fond of his writings.

I'm not usually a big fan of short stories but I love these. They are insightful, attention grabbing and always interesting. I got this book as a gift when I was 15 still come back to it frequently years later.

THIS BOOK IS TRULY A MASTERPIECE!I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED LANGSTON HUGHES WHETHER IT WAS HIS POETRY OR HIS SHORT STORIES. HE WAS A VERY INTELLIGIENT MIND(WHAT A BRILLIANT MAN). R.I.P. MY DEAR LANGSTON!

If you want to read some really deep and powerful insights into the human condition, check out "Mary Winowsky" (written when LH was in HIGH SCHOOL!), "The Gun," Fine Accomodations," "One Friday Morning," "The Little Virgin," "The Young Glory of Him." These stories will make you weep and think about the everyday people you pass in the street and wonder about the stories they may have inside of them. This book should be in EVERY literature class!

This book tells more than just what it is to be Black, it says a lot about being human.

Langston Hughes entire body of work is a testament to his love and pride of being a black American. Though he never excluded his common bond of brotherhood with other people of non-African decent, black Americans occupied first place in his affections and concerns. He never turned his back to them to win the approbation of a larger audience by catering to stereotypes. He had a profound dislike for blacks ashamed of being black,ashamed or who denied their African heritage, ashamed of their skin, and who catered to the worst prejudices of the larger audience in any medium for profit and fame or just to be liked and accepted--like a worrisome number today.

Like his poetry, Hughes short stories reflected much of his philosophy about being proudly black and the shared commonality of all people. Here in LANGSTON HUGHES: SHORT STORIES, edited by Akiba Sullivan Harper with and introduction by Arnold Rampersad, is the proof. Many of the stories presented here are those that have been out of print for some time ,or, are being printed for the first time since they were created. Much like the COLLECTED POEMS by Rampersad, an effort has been made to put the stories in chronological order by the date they were written or published. In all the stories represent a brief overview of specific short stories, not "all" Hughes short stories, and are different in tone and universal in some topics while still embracing black identity. My favorites are "Blessed Assurance" (protesting homophobia in the black community and black church in Hughes's own understandably gay closeted way) and those inspired by his early sea travels. The appendix of this book contains those stories written when Hughes was still in high school.

Like much of Hughes body of work, what he produced is still relevant today in one way or another as in the day he first put pen to paper or struck the keys of a typewriter to entertain and make a statement.

Every so often you are impacted by a compelling act, word or deed. Crossings gave me much to think about. There are dozens of books I have read and they mostly have left my memory bank. Not this book, it made a lasting deposit. E-mail me about Birmingham Pledge: attempt to end racism.

I have always been very interested in the role of race in our society. There is no real answer to the questions of its importance, but Harrington does an exceptional job in giving his readers nonbiased, objective research. He travels the country interviewing many different African Americans in different socioeconomic backgrounds, regions, and lifestyles. It is incredibly interesting reading about their different beliefs on the subjects he brings up, and their openness to discuss these things also intrigues me. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about race, whether it is your own, or one you want to know more about.

This important work should not have disappeared from bookstore shelves, and should be on every thnking person's reading list. By the way, it is also a pleasure to read as Harrington is a gifted storyteller, the mark of a firs-rate reporter. Walt Harrington talks frankly of those differences in style which often separate, perplex, and offend us. White and black social styles are different, but we can deal with that.What we seem unwilling to confront, in our social policies and our private assumptions, are the much larger and harder-edged gulfs between economic classes. Harrington's realization that poor blacks and whites have more in common with one another than with the wealthy, and his analysis of barriers to individual success put up by economically stressed communities, as opposed to racially segregated communities were brilliant. I find myself constantly rethinking my own work in education and in community building based on his work. This book is a must read for every college sociology class, political science professor, and business school graduate.Some publisher out there must recognize the worth of this book. Everyone who has read it is ready to give a copy to at least 5 friends! We can all hope Oprah discovers this work and puts it on her list so that it will gain the audience Harrington deserves.

Walt Harrington has provided America with one of the best accounts of race and racism in this county. Through many interviews with black people around the country, Harrington provides a vivid picture of race in America. His most important point is that all black people do not share the same views on politics, economics, and racism. The only ciriticism that comes to mind is that his book is too optimistic. Harrington insinuates that one day racism can be overcome. This comes after countless off-the-collar, racist comments from various white people he meets (one from a young boy playing basketball). While we must continue to try, white racism seems an insurmountable obstacle.

I absolutely loved this book. What a journey? As an African Canadian I've had a long fascination with the history and lives of my brothers and sisters to the south. When I was very young I would pore over my father's old Ebony magazines from the 60s absorbing all the knowledge I could about people who I found incredibly complex, strong, loving, generous, heroic....The many stories of courage, achievement and triumph made me very proud. Walt Harrington's book has allowed me to continue my fascinating journey. Today I have many African-American friends who are often astonished with my knowledge of their history and culture. Harrington's book is one that every American should read. Mainly because it's not a book about African Americans, as much as it's a book about America. Every chapter is a journey into complexities of American culture and it's people. They say that the best stories are true - this book is living proof of that. The fact that Harrington is white, makes this journey all the more interesting. Him experiencing things for the first time that we as Black people have long been privvy to is often funny (in a sad way). There are many examples of the accepted ignorance that white privilege creates. However, we find Harrington asking himself questions that would be so easy to sugar coat with a great white liberal response, but he instead answers with the unexpected - brutal honesty (what you suspect he is thinking, but would never say). Some of Harrington's experiences and stories scrape the depths of despair (Chicago projects), while others show the will of a people (Oklohoma cowboys). Harrington is generous in his writing style, recreating Black people's lives and experiences with the greatest detail and vividness. Walt, thank you for your commitment to expanding your horizons and allowing others to be part of your journey - I enjoyed every minute of it. This book is one I look forward to revisiting.

Book was received in excellent condition and in about 3-5 days, I was very satisfied with my purchase and most definitely will purchase from this vendor again.

Thank you!

I really enjoyed this book, just as I have enjoyed all the Torie books. Rhett MacPherson really has a talent for bringing her characters to life, warts and all, and keeping me waiting for the next book. I highly reocmmend this series to mystery fans, and even non-mystery fans who like interesting characters.

The only problem I had with my copy is that something went wrong, apparently in the binding process. Near the end, right when the murderer was being disclosed, every other page or two was not the page it was supposed to be. Instead there were pages from an entirely different book in an entirely different style--it seemed like some kind of victorian romance--sprinkled in where the real pages should have been. I could still figure out who did it, but I wish all the pages had been there. I wonder if that other book had Rhett MacPherson's pages?? It was very weird. Has anybody else encountered this?

As in the past, I am always appreciative with the Torie O'Shea mysteries. Can't put the book down and usually read the whole book in a couple of days. Rett is one of my favorite authors because of the wit that is introduced into the story and making it so entertaining.

Torie O'Shea is the central character in Rett MacPherson's series and to say the least, she is a hoot. Entertaining is an inadequate word. Torie is a genologist who has lived in the small Missouri town all her life and knows not only every citizen but their entire family history. And she uses that knowledge to solve the current mystery.

More than the process of solving crimes to the reader are the bumps along the road of Torie's antics and sometimes outrageous derring-do activites. She has a unique and loving relationship with her hubby, who understands and wrote the book on the word patience, and her children are challenging to put it midly. A totally entertaining read watching Torie navigate between the current family crisis, the need to move to an audacious adventure to solve the crime, and the guts and grits it takes to maintain her livlihood of museum curator and geneologist.

Torie is a busy lady and following her around while she navigates her daily non-routine existance is fun, fun, fun. You might want to go back and start at the beginning - or at least read a few earlier books to get the gist of the main character and her encounters, but any book you read you will laugh and muse, and when completed, the smile will still be there. You cannot help it, I promise.

Torie O'Shea, the resident historian of New Kassel, Missouri, learns that the old Kendall house is up for sale. According to local myth, three Kendall siblings committed suicide on that property in the 1920s. Torie would like to buy the house and preserve it for historical purposes; and at the same time, she wants to find out what REALLY happened to Rupert, Whalen, and Glory Anne Kendall. Readers are eager to go along for the ride, now that Torie's obnoxious stepfather is no longer the sheriff and therefore no longer a stumbling block to her investigations. By checking church records and newspaper obituaries, Torie begins to piece the information together. But does Glory still haunt the house? Whose blood is splattered on one of the bedroom walls? Can what Torie unearths and adds to the old police files really provide the full story on the Kendalls? Is it better to know or NOT to know?

Kudos to Rett MacPherson for giving us such a compelling mystery to follow! This episode is one of the best in the series, and any genealogist or historian will be fascinated with analyzing the details first-hand as they are uncovered. Surely further installments will follow Torie as she restores the Kendall house and makes it into the textile museum she dreams of. Can we even hope that Glory's ghost will make a personal appearance from time to time?

A Fantastic and Inspiring Book. Elston Howard was a great man who had guts and charisma. This is a must read for ALL baseball fans and even non baseball fans! Enjoy!

MRS HOWARD AND MR WIMBISH DO A SUPERB JOB IN TELLING THE LIFE AND CAREER OF FORMER YANKEE GREAT ELSTON HOWARD. ELSTON DESERVED A MUCH LONGER LIFE. THIS IS WRITTEN WITH MUCH HONESTY AND SENSITIVTY. . FROM THE JIM CROWE LAWS TO ARROGANCE AND PREJUDICE, ELSTON HOWARD FACED MANY BARRIERS ALONG THE WAY TO STARDOM. HE WAS QUITE A PLAYER AND DESERVED MUCH MORE RECOGNITION. THIS BOOK BEAUTIFULLY DESCRIBES THE TRADGEDY, TURMOIL, AND TRIUMPHS THAT CAME TO HIM AND HIS FAMILY. A MUST READ FOR ALL YANKEE FANS AND HISTORIANS OF BASBALL. A GREAT READ.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. It's not just a well written story, but it seems to give true insight to life inside the Yankees during one the franchise's most notable eras. Mickey, Yogi, Elston and company made history together. Arlene stood tall in her role as the first black Yankee wife and Elston prevailed with honor and sportsmanship during these difficult transitional years. Mrs. Howard and Mr. Wimbish's collaboration deserves kudos and more readers. Even long suffering Red Sox fans (just like me!) won't be disappointed.

The story of Elston Howard's climb through the baseball ranks during the height of the Jim Crowe laws is not to be missed by anyone who likes baseball or history. His widow Arlene sees his great rise and tragic end to a debilitating disease with the eyes of an old-fashioned story-teller: passionate and dispassionate, an actor on the stage and an observer from the audience. A must read for baseball fans, black history buffs, and those who want to know what it was like to live inside a separate America during one of its greatest and worst eras.

For those of us who grew up in the 50's with the Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants all in New York, it is a great story evocative of those days told from with a fine eye and keen perspective. A must read for young and old alike - a story that should never be forgotten. Elston Howard's widow is direct and unsparing in this straight forward narrative of their life together with Baseball.

A little context -- I studied playwriting in college several years ago and had productions of a couple scripts. Recently I've had a play germinating inside me, and I decided to give it a try. I discovered this book on a casual browse through a bookstore.
This book is not only the best imaginable resource, it also serves to inspire and give you a chance to believe in yourself. Yes -- I was rusty and this book reminded me of the styles of plays available to draw on (I'm a bit into alienation and absurdism.), and it demonstrates clearly the difference between vague and uninteresting dialogue with that which contains dramatic tension.
He is also the most practical of teachers. He makes regular suggestions for writing a play that has the best appeal for being produced. (Don't write a play with 50 characters and six scene changes, including a snowstorm in Siberia!)
I would think this book is most useful if you too have decided to embark on the challenge of writing a play; otherwise I'm not sure what the appeal would be. It is not a great tome on dramatic theory. At every step of the way it is practical -- right there ready to help you express yourself and, one hopes, to write a successful play.

There is an entire industry in publishing books about writing. Writers, especially aspiring writers, are very insecure about their work, and seek reassurance that they're on the right track from others. Most of the books produced to ameliorate writers' self-doubt are crap. But I can say with confidence that Downs and Russin's NAKED PLAYWRITING is not only the best playwriting book I have ever read, it is the best book I have ever read on any kind of writing, from the beginning of the process to the end.

It's easy to talk about how to tell a good story, but how many books actually break down ideas point by point to determine which ones actually have a future? This one. Many would-be writing mentors talk about sitting down and writing, but how many have actually given instructions on how to create a style sheet on Microsoft Word so that you can create a perfectly formatted manuscript on your first try? This one. Everybody knows that the creative process isn't complete until the work is seen by an audience, but how many books demonstrate how to comparison-shop theatre companies, give you balanced pointers on how and when to get an agent, and show how to evaluate a contract to tell if it serves your interests? This one.

The light conversational tone that obtains through most of this book makes the information contained between the covers very approachable. The authors are aware that many of their readers will be beginning writers, but they also incorporate more intermediate and advanced information, so young writers can follow through to the end on what they've already begun. This book is not some compendium of lukewarm exhortations to write now and write more; it's an actual plan to turn your writing into a vocation and a life.

Young writers buy a lot of books to get them started on the art and the craft. This is one of the few books those writers will actually keep on their desks through the years as they write.

The authors have a great sense of humor and tons of information. There are a lot of books out there on playwriting but this one really opened my eyes. Naked is a good way to write.

This is an excellent book to get you on your way towards fulfilling your dream of writing plays.

Okay, maybe its attractive title did draw this reader's attention to the book, but Naked Playwriting proves to be, as one other reviewer stated, not just a great one amidst so many How-To...books. Naked Playwriting is the best book I've read on writing, as well.

I finished this and thought (yes, exhilarated) that every writer could benefit from this one. No matter what genre. No matter what style. Naked Playwriting is, incredibly, written by two voices, Downs and Russin, and yet it speaks so fluently, so masterfully, and so concisely--with this humor throughout--that I just trusted these writers were actually writers from the first line.

That it speaks so smoothly to the reader, guides the reader, without pompous self-glorifying stories of their own past careers, speaks of the closeness these two writers stayed on course with the subject--and it speaks of the dedication to playwriting that Naked Playwriting follows.

A well-crafted ship is, as the authors describe, the beauty of a stage play, carefully crafted, going somewhere, with purpose, and capable of taking others along on a tremendous ride--that is what the great ones do--and that's what Downs and Russin have offered us.

Read this, then reread, and continue to reference it--Naked Playwriting will become a manual to hold onto.

Thank you Linda Busby Parker for writing the life of Brewster McAtee, an Alabama African-American. I met Brewster as a boy in Low Ridge, Alabama in 1956. I watched this very determined and focused young man grow into a wonderful husband, father and furniture maker. I rejoiced in his many accomplishments and shared his pride in his talented son Laurel. I was awed how he overcome the obstacles of the segragated south with dignity. I traveled with him from hope, through tragedy, and back to hope again. I loved this story because it spoke to my heart and was filled with many positive values. I felt Brewster's family's tragedy did not belong to just them, but to the world.

Winner of the James Jones First Novel Award, Seven Laurels is the story of a black man, Brewster McAtee, and his daily effort to earn a living as a skilled carpenter in 1950's Alabama - an era that saw the beginning of the end of legal segregation in America, as well as a change in long-standing American assumptions and prejudices about race. A tense, story of having to deal with changes, tension, and murderous hositility that is far greater than the will of any one individual, Seven Laurels is a real page-turner of a novel that keeps the reader hooked to the end.

This is a novel about all the travails and joys of life, the fragility of human nature, and a family's love that spans decades. Parker has succeeded in capturing life in the troubled South; she has also managed to render a realistic picture of all the levels of racial tensions still rife here. But SEVEN LAURELS is primarily a personal and riveting story about a man we readers come to love: Brewster McAtee. I felt I was there with Brewster, I KNOW this man. I could not put the novel down. Perhaps it was Parker's beautiful, decorous language, her masterfully wrought characters or maybe it was the hard subject matter. However she did it, one thing is for sure: Parker is an ALCHEMIST. Buy and read this book. You will not be disappointed!

The newest novel from the Southeast University Press, Linda Busby Parker's Seven Laurels, is an exceptional story of life, trial, joy, devastation and hope. Parker creates memorable characters the reader can identify with and care about. Her beautiful use of language moves readers to feel the boundless joy of new life, and the crushing shock of life cruelly cut short.
Seven Laurels is an emotional and compelling tale that traverses the life of Brewster McAtee, a strong and gifted African-American living and surviving in Alabama through the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and into the 1980s. Flashbacks reveal Brewster's childhood and adolescence, and all the obstacles he overcomes to develop into a land-owning master carpenter raising a family in the South.
Readers follow Brewster as works to save enough money to buy land and build a home. We meet the girl of his dreams and watch as he tries to win her love and measure up to her father's expectations. We see him become a father, then a grandfather, all in a hostile time and place that seems to actively work against him on occasion.
The breadth and depth of human emotion and potential are displayed by various characters in the novel. The love and support of family contrast an irrational hated and separation by skin color. The kindness and compassion of an elderly Dutch immigrant are juxtaposed with the blind prejudice and hatred of a poor, ignorant white man who lives in a tiny shack near Brewster's land.
Race and prejudice are key themes in the novel. Brewster works every minute of his life to overcome the stereotypes surrounding black men. Scene after scene portrays the unjust practices perpetuated by white people. Decent education, voter registration, buying land, a home, even a car were privileges not readily extended to blacks. Major civil rights events-the bus boycott, Malcolm X's speeches and murder, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speeches and murder, formation of the NAACP and many more-affect Brewster and his family in a variety of ways.
This novel is not just about race and prejudice, however. It's about family, growth and life. It's about church suppers, birthday cakes, piano lessons, wood carving. It's about perseverance through adversity, patience and understanding, pride in the accomplishments of people you care about.
That is not to say the novel is always rosy or that things work out all the time. They don't. As much as this is a story of triumph, it is also one of defeat. Deaths and accidents occur. Things don't always work out as they should. The point of this whole experience, however, is to realize what can be accomplished in spite of destruction and tragedy. The novel is complex and full, but the straightforward description and conversational tone make the beautiful language easy to read.
The novel has won the James Jones First Novel Award, and deservedly so. I encourage everyone to put it on their summer reading lists.

In this remarkable novel, Linda Busby Parker takes us on a journey of a black man's life in rural Alabama during the Civil Rights era. Over and over we admire Brewster McAtee as he deals with an abusive father, poverty, and the degrading insults of living in the pivotal time of enforced equality by law and citizen agreement. We delight in Brewster's determination to own land, build a home, and raise a family with the cultured woman of his dreams. We mourn his losses and exult in his triumphs while fulfilling the American dream.

Though BOSS-BUSTERS is a first-rate piece of scholarship, the most striking aspect of the book is the quality of the writing. The story of Kansas City and its Star is told by Harry Haskell in a supremely readable prose style that allows the fascinating characters who are the actors in this drama to live in the imagination of the reader. Kansas City in the 1880s was a town with dirt streets and an outlaw mentality; from this mean beginning arose the City Beautiful, a great and influential newspaper, and a host of individuals whose lives altered the course of the twentieth century. Though sympathetic, Harry Haskell's portrait of his grandfather, Henry J. Haskell (the Pulitzer-prize winning editor of the Star), is informed by a remarkable objectivity. BOSS-BUSTERS is a splendid piece of writing on political and social history, the history of journalism and, ultimately, on the human character.

First and foremost this is a first -rate read that is meticulously researched. A recall of the days when KANSAS CITY and ITS STAR were a vibrant center of the United States and print journalism not only reported the news but often made it. A time before corporate media and newspaper chains were the name of the game in one newspaper towns, when bright energetic men with little money and brash bravado could set up shop and produce a paper and maybe make a lotta money. One such man was William Rockhill Nelson . This is his story and how he done it pushing the boosterism that both endorsed and transformed the booming cowtown on the bend of the Missouri River into the CITY BEAUTIFUL. He also became a big-time player on the national scene . Fun to read as he plays politics loving the intrigue and being buddy-buddy with the likes of Teddy Roosevelt. And he made more than a pot of money. Well those not so halcyon days am gone. Print journalism is on the run. The Kansas City Star is part of the McClatchy Company which if you hafta be part of a chain is, I suppose, as good as it can get. Nelson's real legacy is the Nelson-Atkins Gallery of Art built on the grounds of his estate and housing a major collection of Chinese art.

Haskell's meticulously researched account of the history of The Kansas City Star is a brilliant journey through history. Not only does this work describe the political and social passions and conflicts of America from the late 19th century to the present, it sheds light upon the humanity and foibles of such players as Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and numerous civic and national figures. It shows how the powerful forces of a newspaper and its founder, William Rockhill Nelson, could alter the course of a young city's growth, as well as influence an entire nation. Haskell is to be commended for this very readable, scholarly addition to American social, political, and economic history.

Comments written by:
Dr. E. Grey Dimond
Kansas City, Missouri
December 10, 2007

This is an excellent book for someone who has been deep enough into Kansas City to have a "feel" for its politics, its Establishment, the dynamics of this town at the river's bend. Here is where the Missouri River suddenly turns east, crosses the width of the State, to reach the Mississippi River at St. Louis. To fully be "filled in" on these basics of this community, the recent book about the Establishment of Kansas City should be, would be, the right beginning. Even then, one should have lived here, read its newspaper the Kansas City Star, and participated, even marginally, in the who's who--what makes it tick arena. I speak not of myself but of the author. Haskell is the grandson of one of the do-ers, leaders that shaped the newspaper and the community and for several years was on the Star's staff.

As a comment not needed but meant as a compliment: the title under-sells the book. Perhaps it will help sales but Haskell has produced so much more than this 'reach for eye-catching' label suggests. This is a book about the life of the Kansas City Star from its founding to that point that it sold its ownership away to distant buyers who never knew the town, who lost the boldness, activism, guts that made the paper and certainly helped make the city. I have lived here in both eras and each day's newspaper is a reminder of the loss.

The book is the story of William Rockhill Nelson, J.C. Nichols, Tom
Pendergast, Senator Reed (Nelly Don's husband), Roy Roberts, Henry J. Haskell and the Kansas City of the 1980s through the FDR era. For me, it is a reminder of efforts, good and bad, of the founders of local fortunes to secure it for their heirs: comparing Nelson to Nichols to Joyce Hall.

Kansas City was known as a "cow town" in Canada. By delving into the history of Kansas City and the impressive dominance and power of its newspaper, The Kansas City Star, Mr. Haskell's easily read book has shown me that this Mid-Western city was anything but a lowly "cow town." It was involved with highly important events at home, as well as abroad. Helen Keller, Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis, Katharine Wright (sister of Orville and Wilbur Wright), Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, FDR, Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, and Harry Truman are well-known names associated with Kansas City. However, William Rockhill Nelson, Roy Roberts and Henry Joseph Haskell were vastly influential socially and politically throughout many sectors of the United States. There is a wealth of fascinating information in Boss-Busters and Sin Hounds that will appeal to the general public.

This book contains everything you would ever want to know about the St Louis underworld in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I found numerous typos and misprints that reflected an absence of good editing..a somewhat distracting feature to an otherwise interesting account.

Wow, what an fantastic book on the history of the gangs in St. Louis, starting in the late 1800's. I grew up in St. Louis and lived there for 46 years and I had no idea about the gangs and how they ran the city of St. Louis. Many generations of my family lived in St. Louis and I suspect one or two may have been a gang member. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in St. Louis history.

"Egan's Rats- the Untold Story of the Prohibition-era Gang that Ruled St. Louis" fills a void in the American gangster history record. The lion's share of the subject coverage has traditionally gone to Chicago and New York, because they gave us Al Capone and Murder Inc. The macabre celebrity that these gangland figures achieved eclipsed the lives and crimes of the men who made St. Louis a shooting gallery for decades.

Daniel Waugh opens the book with the 1943 murder of William "Dint" Colbeck, who took over Egan's Rats after Willie Egan was gunned down in 1921. Colbeck's death signals the end of an era in the St. Louis underworld, which produced vicious gangsters and crafty politicians who made a mockery of law and order. Waugh then regresses to the 1890s, when Egan's Rats was in its embryonic state as the Ashley Street Gang. Pages and bodies pile up as the author excavates and details long-forgotten robberies, murders, and scandals that the Rats either instigated or were somehow connected to. Some of the anecdotes that Waugh uncovered were positively chilling- after Rat gunman 'Chippy' Robinson murdered stock trader Joe Powderly, he and a confederate put the corpse in the passenger seat of their car and drove around town, putting it through mini-adventures a la "Weekend at Bernie's".

The Rats got little press coverage outside their home town, except for two noted instances: the first was when ex-Rat Ray Renard beat Joe Valachi to the punch and sold out his former comrades, and the second was when suspected St. Valentine's Day Massacre gunman Fred 'Killer' Burke was arrested. Burke was associated with Egan's Rats long enough to merit their inclusion in the news stories that accompanied his capture.

Waugh tells the story chronology style, and is broad in his approach to his subject, which might distract readers who are used to histories being told from the perspective of only a few major players. But seeing that St. Louis gangster history is such uncharted territory, a concise treatment would not have done it justice. Tom and Willie Egan, Thomas "Snake" Kinney and his brother Mike, Jelly Roll Hogan, Harry "Cherries" and John "Pudgy" Dunn, they're all here, and their individual stories form the foundation for a groundbreaking work of crime history.

Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (8/07)

"Egan's Rats" is a novel that will delight history lovers and anyone who is interested in the roots of gangster activity in St. Louis. This book chronicles the actions of a group known as Egan's Rats (so named for Tom Egan who was their original leader) as well as a few lesser competitors who attempted to gain some of the power held by the Egan gang.
The accounts cover the time span of the late 1800s through the times of Al Capone, probably the most famous gangster ever.

Daniel Waugh provides a very detailed and specific record of the criminal activities that were prevalent in this time, such as bootlegging, bank heists and kidnapping. The widespread political corruption that existed during this period and its connection to the gangs was examined.

I found it interesting that although the police often knew who had committed particular crimes, the accused were often released due to lack of evidence or were acquitted after a trial. In fact, the gangs themselves internally did more to eliminate their own members than did law enforcement or rival gangs. It was surprising to learn that the Rats in the beginning were not particularly a violent pack towards the public as most gangsters are portrayed on television and in the movies. They actually often left their victims unharmed as long as they were cooperative.

I enjoyed learning about some of the colorful nicknames that were given to the gang members. I also appreciated the section at the end of the book that discussed what became of several of the central figures after the gangs were all but disbanded. At times during this narrative, I felt the author spent too much time listing the names of gang members who were really minor players in these escapades, making it difficult for the reader to remember with which side the person was affiliated.

I believe it would have been better to focus on a few major figures. "Egan's Rats" provides a thorough and well-written history of gang activity in the Midwest and its impact on the population during the time of prohibition. It also offers a comprehensive review of the major players in the underground crime world. The interesting facts and background stories provide an enjoyable reading experience.

The Egan's Rats were a legendary force to be reckoned with at the early part of the 20th Century in St. Louis. Had they been active in, say, New York City, you would have already had many organized-crime history books written about them. But since they hailed from the heartland of America, gangster historians (for the most part) ignored their escapades for bigger game. If not for the outstanding researching and writing skills of author and historian Daniel Waugh, their true, complete history would probably have remained buried in the past. This book blows open the truth in chilling detail about the most powerful criminal organization ever to strut its stuff on the streets of the Gateway City.

You'll read about the Egan brothers, Snake Kinney, and Dint Colbeck, the dominating leaders of this mega-gang from the early 1890s to the mid-1920s. You'll read about the politicians that first put them on their payroll and later protected their rackets in return for muscling out the votes at election time. You'll read about homicidal maniacs like Chippy Robinson, who probably killed more people than most Murder Incorporated hitmen.

The Egan's Rats rose to power on the backs of politicians and the blood of others, and their downfall lay at the feet of its leaders' quest for the quick, easy buck and the testimony of a turncoat who could have taught Joe Valachi a thing or two about how to be an effective cooperating witness.

This is by far the best book written about organized crime this year (and perhaps in the past several years), and this book will be the defining backbone to any future books written about the history of the underworld in St. Louis.

The drive down from Chicago to the French Quarter in the canteen left me feeling heavy hearted & speechless. The vast area that hurricane Katrina hit left behind a sea of wasteland like nothing I'd ever seen before. Some areas were completely wiped out where others were only battered, yet the people I met along the way while serving with the Salvation Army in the French Quarter were such a blessing. It was one afternoon in the French Quarter that I met Mr. Neff--I was on my way back from delivering supplies and checking on some of the neighbors. By this time the media was swarming the streets looking for new sensational stories for the headlines. I must say that I did meet a few that tried to report more uplifting personal stories of survival but the majority did not--they were insensitive and disrespectful to the residents. Mr. Neff had a sincere interest in the people he met & photographed, and you can see it in his subjects' eyes: their transparency and trust. Mr. Neff's body of work gives the reader a glimpse into his subjects' lives during this most difficult time. Thank you for recording what words cannot fully express.

Thomas Neff is a remarkable photographer and this book sharing the real impact of Katrina on people's lives is powerful, timeless, truthful in an inside and honest way that no casual viewer could comprehend. Neff's vision is sophisticated but pure, trained but revealing in its simplicity, visually poetic with the abhorrent facts of life that have been so cruel to so many. If that weren't enough, there are the essential, heroic and stunningly conveying essays which accompany each image. The photographs share so much comprehensive visual information that one needn't ask for more, but by conveying a much broader and richer context for each image through writing and story telling, a nearly complete cultural mosaic is spun, surrounding the milestone and epic event so unique in US History. This book will stand through time as a classic conveyance of important information about an event that we all know about, but certainly haven't had, until this book provided us with it, an insider's view of the real nitty-gritty that is life, both cruel and beautiful. Way to go, Thomas Neff. Such a brilliant work which we should all feel grateful to comprehend.

Armed with a thorough history of the medium and a flawless technique that has played out over a distinguished career, Mr. Neff has produced a timeless and distinct look into a photographic story untold by the weekend warriors of popular media. The photographs in Holding Out and Hanging On are an extended conversation, empathetic moments that live far beyond the click of the shutter and into a tragedy that has long been forgotten by it's neighbors and countrymen. The photographs are the eye and the heart of a man who is compassionate, realistic, courageous beyond belief and a model for who we should strive to be. As the portraits separate themselves from the time of exposure, the complex clarity and humanity of Neff's photographs are further revealed as a critically important document of the people who lived though Hurricane Katrina as well as an informative and poetic addition to the canon of concerned photography.

Mr. Neff has been my friend and mentor for over ten years now and I could not be more proud to own this necessary book of socially and historically necessary photography that is flawless in it's execution and communion with the spirit and people of New Orleans.

Bradly Dever Treadaway
Faculty Member, The International Center of Photography
New York, NY

Neff has produced a magnificent book here of portraits of Katrina victims. These are the REAL people and stories from Katrina!

Of all the Katrina books, this is one of my favorites. I also have been photographing post Katrina New Orleans since October 2005 and this is one of the few books by other photographers that I have purchased. The book is done with sensitivity and insight into this once in a lifetime event. I strongly recommend.

This is one of the most poignant insights into unconditional love and acceptance between parent and child that I've read. Everyday happenings and events take on a new meaning and are truly to be savored. As I waited with my own daughter for over 9 hours in a hospital emergency room, chapters and passages were read aloud to pass the time. We both laughed and cried throughout the book and thanks to the brilliant writing style of this author, we have shared an experience that has strengthened our own bond.

Robert Klose's second book enables the reader to sit down and listen to Klose's story telling as if one were sitting around a family fireplace listening to a favorite uncle. His reprinted stories from the Christian Science Monitor, especially those about his two adopted Russian sons, are like listening to favorite family stories told again and again. One can never tire of these tales, especially the debate over buying Alyosha's new sneakers or Anton's plans to run away. In addition, Klose's personal tales of growing up sketch scenarios into which one could be in the street playing ball with Klose's buddies or tooting the clarinet in the music lesson. The story of Klose's first clarinet recital left us laughing for hours. This is a book for everyone, and reads well as a family book for read-aloud activities. There's something here for everyone, and in true Prarie Home Companion style, we find ourselves laughing and crying together.

Small Worlds by Robert Klose creates for the reader a poetic feeling for ordinary things in everyday life. It is an easy and entertaining read perfect for curling up by a warm fire on a cold day. The stories he tells are very discriptive and gives you the feeling of being there. River Pumpkins and Joe Piranha Days made me laugh out-loud while reading. A great little book I would highly recommend.

Robert Klose, a prolific writer from Maine, has compiled an excellent collection of his truly heartwarming essays. His writing style is always direct yet homey and very very captivating. Klose writes of his experiences growing up and what it was like to be young in the fifties and sixties but he also makes you feel a part of his family when writes about raising two adopted sons. This is an excellent book -- an easy read that can be enjoyed by young adults and their elders.

I read many of these columns when they were originally in the Christian Science Monitor. They were warm, soft slippers on a cold, winter night back then.
Now, all together in this one volume, they're the steaming stove, the hot mug of mulled cider and bowl of popcorn PLUS the slippers, all rolled into one.
To say these gems are easy to look at, is easy to say. What's hard, is putting the book down after finishing one...because you want to read just one more before going to sleep.