BookSpeak Network

Baseball's "Deadball Era" lasted from 1900 to 1919, so noted as Major League Baseball used a softer ball. In addition, the teams often played in stadiums with larger field surfaces, so games were won by timely hitting, bunting and strategy. Home runs were a rarity. During that period, a number of individual, single-season records were established, that are unlikely to be broken as the game has evolved. Ronald Waldo, author of eight books on baseball history, especially of the early 20th Century, highlights some of these in his new book for Sunbury Press, "Deadball Trailblazers: Single-Season Records of the Modern Era."Many of these names will be known to baseball fans, if at least in passing: Napolean Lajoie's standout 1901 season, "Happy Jack" Chesbro's 41 wins, Ty Cobb's (then) record-breaking 96 stolen bases, and John "Chief" Wilson's 36 triples.The tales and personalities are brought back to life by Waldo, which include Rube Waddell's brilliant 1904 season, along with instances of his erratic behavior. Then there were exercises in futility: Jack Nabors' 19 consecutive losses for a terrible Philadelphia A's team in 1916, and perhaps the most perplexing, John Gochnaur's 1903 record of 98 errors.Ronald Waldo joins Lawrence Knorr on today's Sunbury Press Books Show to tell some of these stories, and look back at a different time in baseball, and American History. His other works include, "The 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates: Tragedy and Triumph," "The Battling Bucs of 1925," and biographies of old-time players Fred Clarke and Kiki Cuyler. Each of Waldo's preceding books on the Deadball Era has receive nominations for the Larry Ritter Book Award. He lives in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The second annual Books Books Books event comes to Lancaster, Pennsylvania on Saturday, September 17th. Organizers Mary Walsh and Amy Garnet join Tory Gates on the BPP Show to discuss the wherefor and why--Mary and Amy discuss their love of books and writing, and what inspired them to do their own. Mary Walsh is the author of twelve books (working on number thirteen) in various genres. Her works include "Once Upon a Time in Chicago," set in Prohibition-era Chicago, "Fine Spirits Served Here," which takes the readers to New Orleans, and "American Posse," based on the infamous art heist at Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Amy Garnet is a self-described reader, who goes through several books a week! She is also the operator of the 6 Feet Under Books Blog, and she provides services that include Beta Reading, reviews and promotions.

Charles Lindbergh was not the first to fly across the Atlantic, non-stop--two British officers, largely lost to history did it eight years before.Robert Harder tells the story of Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown, who made it from St.  Johns, Newfoundland to Cliveden, Ireland on June 14-15, 1919. At a time when aviation was beginning to capture the public's imagination, and technological advances allowed for records to be broken in quick succession, Alcock and Brown undertook the dangerous passage. Flying a wood and fabric Vickers Vimy, with minimal instruments and difficult to control, Harder chronicles the adventure, and gives Alcock and Brown their place in history back with "First Crossing." A freelance writer, Robert O. Harder served in the US Air Force Strategic Air Command during the Cold War years, a B-52D air crewman who flew 145 combat missions during the Vietnam War. Rated as a Navigator and Radar Bombardier, Harder flew nuclear training sorties and also stood Pad Alert. He later became a commercial pilot and flight instructor. His other books include "Flying from the Black Hole: The B-52 Navigator Bombardiers of Vietnam" and "The Three Musketeers of the Army Air Forces." He lives in Chicago.

Rule #1 of the Underground Railroad: If someone doesn’t need to know something, don’t tell them.Rian Krieger is an 11-year-old girl living in a time and place of great change, Philadelphia, 1835. Kicked out of three schools for fighting, the tomboy Rian is brought into her father Otto's carraige-making business, Around Rian, the city is a hotbed of industrialization, and the winds of change are at times violent. Established whites, German artisans, Irish immigrants and free Blacks are in a struggle with one another and themselves.The anti-slavery movement is just beginning, and Rian makes friends with those on the cusp of the abolitionist movement, such as Lucretia Mott. Befriending Olivia Tucker, a slave owner's daughter, the two seek to rescue a house servant from slavery. Rian's living of history is penned by Roger Smith, and is the first of series. A high school history teacher, farmer, woodworker, businessman and science museum founder, Smith spent 41 years of his life in Central Pennsylvania and drew on his many experiences to create Rian and bring what aims to be a long and exciting series to life. He and his wife currently live in Brewster, Massachusetts.

Francesco Da Vinci's life and activities have spanned the most turbulent times of US history. A journalist, nonviolent activist, public speaker and documentary filmmaker, DaVinci is the author of "I Refuse to Kill: My Path to Nonviolent Action in the 1960s," on Sunbury Press Books.Speaking with Lawrence Knorr, Da Vinci discusses his transition from bystander to activist in the Sixties, his decision to be recognized as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, his formation of Nonviolent Action, a peace movement in San Diego, and his contact with political and social figures of the era.Da Vinci was for 20 years a celebrity portrait photographer for Getty Images; his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Time and LIFE Magazine. He lives in Los Angeles, California, and is currently developing a documentary film based on this book.

Reginald F. Davis is a pastor, scholar and author of several books in the fields of theology and religion. "God's Truth to Youth in a World Full of Lies and Deception" is the title of his latest work, and he sits down with Sunbury Press Books founder and host, Lawrence Knorr.Davis says this book is like a GPS, or spiritual atlas to help navigate life and be successful, but also joyful, peaceful and serve as an example to others.A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Davis holds a Bachelor of Arts from Incarnate Word College, a M-DIV from Colgate Rochester Divinity School, and a Ph.D. from Florida State University. He lives with his family in Williamsburg, Virginia.

A prolific author of short stories and poetry, Joseph ("Joe") Farley brings gritty, rough-hewn and intriguing characters to life in "Farts and Daydreams," his latest collection of tales, courtesy of Dumpster Fire Press. Drawing on elements of his personal life and native Philadelphia. At times humorous, also dark, spiritual and strange, Farley brings the reader along on a series original works.Joining Tory Gates on the Brown Posey Press Show, Farley discusses "For the Birds," his first collection of short stories produced through Cynic Press, and "Labor Day," a futuristic novel where humans enhanced with the DNA of cockroaches rule the planet, the elites get richer, the rest get poorer, and one man, Tom Fried is forced to choose between a stable existance and a chance to change the status quo. "Labor Day" is available through Peasantry Press.Joseph Farley has a Bachelor's Degree in English from St. Joseph's University and a Masters in English from Temple. He served as the editor of the literary journal Axe Factory from 1986 to 2010. His poetry and chapbooks include "Suckers," "Her Eyes" and "Longing for the Mother Tongue," and his works have appeared in numerous publications. He lives in Philadelphia.

American history is full of larger-than-life characters, many of whom made a difference that went unnoticed and unrecognized. One of those was William Gould (W.G.) Raymond. His descendants, brother and sister William and Donna Burtch have rectified this, in "W.G. - The Opium-Addicted, Pistol-Toting Preacher Who Raised the First Federal African-American Union Troops," on Sunbury Press Books.Joining host Lawrence Knorr, the Burtches tell of Raymond's early life in the Finger Lakes Region New York State, his later move to Pennsylvania, and how he went from a Baptist minister to enlisting in the Union forces. Appointed by President Abraham Lincoln, Raymond served as a hospital chaplain in Washington, DC, and was the first commanding officer responsible for raising what became the 1st United States Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) of the District of Columbia.While poiltical infighting pushed Raymond's role out of the history books, he could not be fully erased. Drawing from his autobiography, "Life Sketches and Faith Work," plus that of Civil War scholars, the life of Raymond is examined during tulmultuous professional and personal times, including an addiction to opium, and how his spirituality, Raymond found, surpassed any denomination.An author and essayist, William Burtch has written for several publications and anthologies. Donna Burtch has published a biography of their late father's life, "In the Key of the Sea: the Life and Times of William A. Burtch. They both live in Columbus, Ohio.

What happens when three authors, of like (and unlike) minds come together? For years, Brian Koscienski, Chris Pisano and Jeff Young have written separately and collaborated on projects that take readers inside their imaginations. The results of this remain debateable, but they are worth visiting time and again.The BookSpeak Network has placed microphones inside the secret lair of the trio, odd family and friends for the first of (hopefully) a series of off-the-cuff, random talks about literature, poetry, but also pop culture as a whole. In this premier episode, Jeff discusses how he fell for "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy," Brian discusses the art of haiku, and his wife Christina sits in to provide a voice of reason.A reading of "Satan's Petting Zoo," available on the Sunbury Press imprint Verboten Books is introduced, and we learn about the alter egos of our hosts, including the Drunken Comic Book Monkeys.A lo-fi, rollicking series begins, with "Random Randomness!"

Kasey and Kevin Coolidge, owners of From My Shelf Books & Gifts in Wellsboro, PA sit down with Brown Posey Press Show author and host Tory Gates for a completely unscripted, "shoot-style" interview. Located in Tioga County in Northern Pennsylvania, Wellsboro is like any small town, and for many years, From My Shelf has been part of that community. The Coolidges talk about their love of books, reading, writing and how the local bookshop remains as important a place today as it did in decades past.Despite growing pains and the trials of any business owner, not to mention the pandemic, Kasey and Kevin (accompanied by their intrepid staff and store cats, Huckleberry and Finn) talk of the changes in the book industry, adapting, and keeping on in times like these. Kevin writes "The Blue Collar Bookseller" column for northcentralpa.com, and is the author of children's books, including "Huck & Finn -- Bookstore Cats," the "Totally Ninja Raccoon" series, and "Operation Ragnarok," about a group of forty-something Dungeons & Dragons fans who decide to go on a quest, for real.From My Shelf Books can be found on East Avenue in Wellsboro, and at https://wellsborobookstore.indielite.org/