Julie's Web Journal

First up, "The Devil in the White City," by Erik Larson tells the story of serial killer H. H. Holmes and Daniel Burnham, architect and driving force behind the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Sandwiched in among the tales of murder and bureaucratic bumbling that nearly did in the event was the story of a young engineer named George Ferris. Perhaps you've heard of his wheel. This was a captivating book, providing glimpses into everyday life in a major metropolis.

And that book brought "Murdering McKinley," by Eric Rauchway more into focus. The investigation of Czolgosz (McKinley's assassin) took place partly in Chicago. Yes, it was eight years later, but conditions there hadn't changed very much during that time. 

Next up was "Hot Time in the Old Town: The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt," by Edward P. Kohn. The thing that struck me most about this was the conditions of the tenements on the lower East Side of Manhattan. Apparently the stench from the river was so bad that people nailed their windows shut. When the heat wave struck they went out on fire escapes and rooftops, and many died when they fell off in their sleep. The inability of the government to handle basic services is astounding to readers in this age. One government agency put their workers on a split shift so they wouldn't be out in the worst of the heat. And finally, Rooselvelt ordered the city to buy ice and distribute it to people who couldn't afford it. Turns out that ice was controlled by a trust, and they kept raising the prices to the point where the poor couldn't afford it. Apparently the price rise was way out of proportion to the available supply. Anyway, this was another data point in my quest to put together a picture of this time period.

Finally, "The Devil's Gentleman: Privilege, Poison, and the Trial that Ushered in the Twentieth Century," by Harold Schechter. While most of the books about this era focus on the very rich and the very poor, this one was a little more about upper class social climbers. These folks were not part of Mrs. Astor's 400, and many were self-made in terms of wealth. Yes, another data point. Yet, the story of Roland Molineux was (and I keep using this word) fascinating. The man was an apparent psychopath. The other aspect of this book was an insight into forensics and the legal system at the turn of the century. Molineux was convicted, that was overturned, and he was acquitted at a second trial. Did he do it? Schechter leaves it up to the reader to decide, though he does provide his own opinion in the notes at the end.

And on to other topics.

"Booklife," by Jeff VanderMeer, is essential reading for authors. His tips on self-promotion are firmly grounded in reality. Speaking as a conrunner, his tips for attending conventions and events are spot on. He suggests that if you're a new author, you're better off attending events before asking to get on panels. He's right! You'll learn a lot. There are also tips for writing book reviews, dealing with agents and publicists, and a reprint of his BoingBoing essay on writing a novel in two months. Please, buy "Booklife" instead of this one. 

I've also picked up Dan Poynter's two books on self-publishing. What's that, you say? She's considering self-publishing? Well, both of you who read this journal on a regular basis know I'm considering placing some reverted works out in ebook formats. There's also this sekkrit projekt... Seriously, I'll announce it when we get all the pieces together. I'm not working on it alone, and it's pretty darned cool. It's not self-publishing, but I do want to read up about dealing with printers and other nuts-and-bolts aspects, and these books seem to be a good starting point.

Well, I think that about wraps it up for now. Whew! Thanks for slogging through this, if you made it to the end.