CLEVELAND, Ohio \u2013 From baseball, Tiffany lamps, food history, dining culture and more, Northeast Ohio authors and topics have been in the spotlight recently. <\/p>\n
The stories showcase not just the writers, but the vibrance of the region. Each book is a tribute to the area\u2019s roots, spirit and creative momentum. The books weave a tapestry of people and history.<\/p>\n
Here are summaries of our recent stories with interviews of the authors on a variety of topics:<\/p>\n
Dave Grunenwald: Grandpa\u2019s adventures and the power of giving<\/p>\n
A few years ago, Grunenwald, a lawyer, would have laughed off anyone\u2019s prediction that he\u2019d become a children\u2019s-book author. But now, semi-retired and seasoned in family life, he\u2019s the proud creator of the \u201cLucas and Emily\u201d adventure series. Inspired by his sprawling family that includes 55 nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, Grunenwald found his new role as grandparent motivating. Grandparenting opened new doors. His sixth book, \u201cLucas and Emily\u2019s Food Bank Adventure,\u201d marks a shift from pure fun to deeper community purpose. After meeting a food-bank advocate, Dave was struck by the enormity and necessity of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. The experience moved him to weave philanthropy into his stories, highlighting not just large-scale operations, but grassroots efforts like the \u201cSandwich People\u201d\u2014locals compiling lunches for the homeless. His storytelling conveys volunteering as a family activity. He\u2019s also built \u201cGrandparent Merit Badges,\u201d a playful system for grandparents and grandchildren to earn stickers by completing unplugged activities together. Read more: Cleveland lawyer pens children\u2019s-book series, newest adventure highlights food banks<\/a><\/p>\n Sandra Nickel: The woman behind Tiffany\u2019s iconic lamps<\/p>\n Nickel brings to vivid life the story of Clara Driscoll in \u201cMaking Light Bloom.\u201d The famed Tiffany lamps – those luminous, colorful designs – might never have existed in their iconic form if not for Driscoll, whose creative genius was long overshadowed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Driscoll, from Tallmadge, lost her father when she was young and, in the struggle that followed, sought training at what\u2019s now the Cleveland Institute of Art. In 1888, she moved to New York and joined Tiffany\u2019s studio, churning out glasswork while keeping in touch with her family through letters. These letters, rediscovered decades later in an attic, document her pivotal role as designer and innovator of the lamps, her Ohio roots inspiring motifs of yellow butterflies, wild primroses and garden memories. Nickel delves into Driscoll\u2019s bravery: Leaving farm life for the urban unknown, handling budgets and navigating chauvinism. Nickel\u2019s research highlights not only Driscoll\u2019s technical and artistic gifts but her emotional ties to home and family. As Nickel said: \u201cThe more I read about Clara, the more I liked about her.\u201d Read more: Author\u2019s book details NE Ohio woman\u2019s creation of Tiffany lamps<\/a><\/p>\n Jim Sollisch: Observing life\u2019s oddities through short essays <\/p>\n As a creative director and seasoned essayist, Sollisch, a Cleveland Heights native, gathers bite-sized reflections in \u201cHow Donating a Kidney Fixed My Jump Shot.\u201d The collection of 500-word essays are compact bursts of nostalgia, humor and heartfelt observation. Covering fatherhood, monogamy, culinary quirks and Jewish identity in sports, Sollisch eschews overwriting applies the brakes on overwriting and repetition. His voice is reminiscent of Erma Bombeck mixed with the wit of David Sedaris and Rick Reilly. While some pieces delve into serious topics, like George Floyd\u2019s death, others maintain a lighter touch, chronicling everyday troubles and joys. With grandchildren now part of his life, Sollisch is trying his hand at kids\u2019 books, too. But, ultimately, his essays testify to a simple truth: \u201cI just need to write.\u201d Read more: NE Ohio author of \u2018How Donating a Kidney Fixed My Jump Shot\u2019 details writing journey<\/a><\/p>\n Kelly Boyer Sagert: Lorain County – a melting pot told through recipes<\/p>\n The author\u2019s \u201cLorain County Family Recipes\u201d is more than a cookbook. It\u2019s an historical, culinary journey of steel, immigration and identity. Lorain\u2019s food traditions are forged not by signature dishes, but by the steel industry and waves of immigrants who arrived for work, freedom and opportunity. After the Johnstown Flood in 1889, the city\u2019s demolished mill was moved to Lorain, sparking a huge demand for workers. Eastern Europeans in particular came, followed by Mexicans and Puerto Ricans as immigration policies changed. Lorain\u2019s population soared; supportive industries and cultural traditions flourished. Sagert collected stories and recipes from families whose roots spanned dozens of nationalities. Signature recipes like cullen skink, tortillas, sugo and polenta blend with cabbage and noodles, pierogis and Puerto Rican rice – favorites at the Lorain International Festival. Sagert\u2019s research showcases the lasting culinary diversity even as assimilation and changing immigration patterns alter the region\u2019s makeup. The melting pot\u2019s flavors endure. Read more: Lorain County food book reveals how immigration shaped local cuisine<\/a><\/p>\n Erik Piepenburg: Gay restaurants – a hidden history of community and cuisine<\/p>\n Piepenburg\u2019s debut, \u201cDining Out,\u201d is a comprehensive look at gay restaurants as culinary and cultural anchors. Piepenburg grew up in Northeast Ohio and, after moving to larger cities, he saw a shift: The vibrant gay eateries of his youth had vanished from big cities but thrived in smaller towns where they remained a rare LGBT haven. His extensive research for The New York Times blossomed into a book chronicling gay restaurants\u2019 role in civil rights, community and identity – showing they have sometimes mattered more than gay bars (especially for youth and elders who don\u2019t frequent cocktail lounges). His work is not just a guide, but a deeper look at why these places matter. Read more: \u2018Dining Out\u2019 explores history of gay restaurants<\/a><\/p>\n Wayne Stewart: Preserving the sounds of baseball history<\/p>\n Stewart\u2019s love of baseball and historical moments finds a unique home in the Library of Congress. Requested to write an essay accompanying Chuck Thompson\u2019s legendary call of the 1960 World Series Game 7, Stewart\u2019s words are now archived alongside iconic recordings – Neil Armstrong, MLK, \u201cHappy Trails and others – as part of a national audio-preservation project. Stewart\u2019s book, \u201c1960: When the Pittsburgh Pirates Had Them All the Way,\u201d was born from detailed interviews with virtually every living Pirate. He reached deep into baseball history, speaking with Hall of Famers, researching at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and chronicling stories of players. The Game 7 moment on Oct. 13, 1960, though, is a special one in World Series history. In the bottom of the ninth, with the Yankees and Pirates tied, Bill Mazeroski hit a walk-off home run. Thompson\u2019s voice: \u201cBack to the wall goes Berra, it is over the fence and a home run! The Pirates win!\u201d Stewart\u2019s reflections help cement this event for generations. Read more: Amherst author\u2019s baseball essay selected for Library of Congress preservation<\/a><\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CLEVELAND, Ohio \u2013 From baseball, Tiffany lamps, food history, dining culture and more, Northeast Ohio authors and topics…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":71564,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[457,96,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-71563","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71563"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71563\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}