Country and Midwestern is Here!

“Country and Midwestern: Chicago in the History of Country Music and the Folk Revival” is in stores! The result of 10 years of writing and research, the book is the first to fully document country music’s long evolution in Chicago, its contribution to the national scene, and the important role is played in the folk revival. The University of Chicago Press is the publisher. You can read more about it via its own website and the Chicago Press catalog site. Amazon has it here.

Events for the book have popped up everywhere and I’ve been talking to audiences in full rooms in Chicago, Cleveland, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Madison, with more to come in Des Moines, Lake Villa, Hammond, and more in Chicago.

I’m pleased to report that Chicago has embraced the book. The Chicago Humanities Festival hosted a full house at the Park West in May, the Chicago Public Library is hosting an event at the Harold Washington Library on July 20, and the book will be the subject of an event at Printers Row Lit Fest in September.

The Hideout in Chicago is using the book to launch a new series commemorating Chicago’s role in country music; the first event was held in June with another in August and more underway. The series is moving toward April 2024, the 100th anniversary of the WLS Barn Dance.

Finally, I’ve been all over the media talking about the book: WGN radio, WGN television, WBEZ, WLS, and WLUW have invited me on the air; the book has also been featured in Chicago Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, and the Chicago Sun-Times ran a generous excerpt. The Chicago History Podcast also aired a great feature, and the book was reviewed positively in No Depression and Booklist.

More to come! Visit countryandmidwestern.com to read the reviews and learn about upcoming appearances!