“Tales of an Inland Empire Girl” is a beautifully written, edgy memoir by Juanita E. Mantz Pelaez. It’s the story of good girl’s downward spiral, from a studious bookworm into an angry, drinking, trouble-making punk rock teen, and her redemption that follows. It’s the story of a working-class family, struggling to make ends meet. Of […]
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Wow, what a wonderful historical mystery novel! Zig Zag Woman, by Roberta Tracy, hit all the right chords for me. First, it’s an exciting, fun story, well-written, with numerous exciting twists and misdirections. And her historical research is impeccable and artfully utilized to make the characters and events pop out of the book. But what
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On Sunday, May 26, 2024, during the Memorial Day weekend, I had the privilege of reading from my novel, Anywhere But Schuylkill, at the Punks With Books event. James Tracy organized the collective readings and books signings at Avantpop Bookstore, Las Vegas. It was adjacent to the Punk Rock Bowling music festival that also occurred
On July 22, 1916, someone set off a bomb during the pro-war “Preparedness Day” parade in San Francisco. The bomb killed ten people and injured forty more. A jury convicted two labor leaders, Tom Mooney and Warren Billings, based on the false testimony of Martin Swanson, a detective with a long history of interfering in
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On October 3, 1860, 10,000 men and boys marched in a three-mile procession through Chicago. Many were immigrants from Europe, veterans of the Revolutions of 1848. They wore capes and military-style hats, and carried six-foot long torches. Some marched with guns. Others held signs with the image of a large eyeball. They were the Wide
The Wide Awakes and the Antebellum Roots of Wokeness Read More »