Author Archives: Jim Merkel

The Finish Line is Within Sight

At times, I’ve thought I’d never finish writing Growing Up St. Louis, my book telling the stories of more than 100 people I’ve interviewed about their experiences as youngsters in the Gateway City. I started talking about it late in 2016. Things dragged. I had to change things around. But now it looks like we’llContinue reading “The Finish Line is Within Sight”

18 Stories of Growing Up in St. Louis

The motley crew in the picture above is 18 of the more than 100 folks I interviewed for my upcoming book Growing Up St. Louis, plus me, at the far left back. We gathered this past Sunday at C J Muggs Bar & Grill in Webster Groves to schmooze and hear each other tell storiesContinue reading “18 Stories of Growing Up in St. Louis”

The Shutdown Won’t Shut Us Down!

It’s odd to imagine, but one place where you won’t be able to buy a signed copy of my book about the Gateway Arch this weekend is the Gateway Arch. The government shutdown shut down the Arch, where I was set for a book signing on Sunday. But you do have three other opportunities byContinue reading “The Shutdown Won’t Shut Us Down!”

Two Down. Two to Go

Saturday’s dedication events for two honorary German street signs increased our conviction of the importance of pointing out how patriotic German Americans were the victims of a farcical patriotic orgy during World War I. Those words, “a farcical patriotic orgy,” aren’t mine. They’re from a fine book about the 1918 lynching of Robert Prager, PatrioticContinue reading “Two Down. Two to Go”

Closer to Our Goal

Saturday’s dedication events for two honorary German street signs increased our conviction of the importance of pointing out how patriotic German Americans were the victims of a farcical patriotic orgy during World War I. Those words, “a farcical patriotic orgy,” aren’t mine. They’re from a fine book about the 1918 lynching of Robert Prager, PatrioticContinue reading “Closer to Our Goal”