Waterlines
by Jenny Markert
Waterlines is a coming-of-age story, a love story, a murder mystery, a tale of survival, and an elegy for ecology and the American dream.
This novel centers around Quartz Lake, a fictitious sky-blue jewel that could easily be one of Minnesota’s famed ten thousand lakes. Three stories are interwoven with chapters that go back and forth in time like waves crashing on a shore. One story tells of the haunting Dakota and Ojibwe tribes who lived on the shores of Quartz Lake and struggled to survive during the Dakota Wars of the 1860s. Another involves the touristy, speedboat-loving crowd who relished lake life during the glory days of the 1980s. Then there is Eleanor, a corporate editor turned yoga teacher and mother, who returns to the lake in the early 2000s after many years of absence. She sees how much the lake has changed and must uncover the secrets of the past to reconcile them with the present and future. The destiny of Quartz Lake is at stake.
Waterlines ebbs and flows through the Minnesota lake country, mirroring the changing sacred spirit of water that connects us to ourselves and all living beings who came before and all who aspire in our wake. Ride the Wild Pony Ride the Wild Pony — and Other Stories from 57 Steuben Street is Jim Gambone’s memoir of the first five-and-a-half years of his life (1945–1951) growing up in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial, Pittsburgh tenement with his extended family, which included: a Polish immigrant grandmother who was a “moonshiner” and numbers bookie; his mother and father; and an uncle, aunt, and their German shepherd, Happy. A few reviews from readers… This book lives up to its tagline "A Children's book for Grown-ups." The author wrote each story with such passion, the reader feels like they're living in the time and space of post WWII Pittsburgh. James Gambone Jr. lived an incredibly unique childhood and was exposed to diverse cultures at a time when segregation dictated social interactions. The stories are funny and heartfelt; the vivid memories portrayed are nothing short of amazing as the author was so very young at the time. 5 stars!!! – Jamie Z., from Amazon.com review What a delight! This is the author’s reminiscences of his early childhood in the late 1940s growing up on a gritty Pittsburgh street, of mixed Polish/Italian/Black population. It’s a story of bookies and babushkas, the Catholic Church and the Bingo hall. Vivid and memorable. My only complaint? I wish it were longer. – William S., from Amazon.com review A History of Grey Eagle, Minnesota A History of Grey Eagle, Minnesota, recalls the people and events that formed a Central Minnesota community in the late 1800s. Nestled amidst the forests, lakes, hills, and fields, the place forged a people who established government, religion, education, recreation, and an economy that enabled them to thrive for decades. This book takes a memorable journey through 14 decades of stories of remarkable people and events that became the unique place called Grey Eagle, Minnesota. Musings Musings is the second collection of poetry from the writings of Carolyn Wilson Eklin. It is organized in four parts: Seasonal, Whimsical, Reflective, and Further Musings. The poems are expressive and lyrical; each leads to a thought that becomes a shared experience. A Beautiful Puzzle – Nadia's Journey from East to West This memoir chronicles the path of Nadia and her family from Alexandria, Egypt, to Stockbridge, Georgia. It is, at its heart, an immigration story filled with hopes and sorrows. It touches on issues of religious intolerance, cultural difference, and racism. It is also very much a women's tale — of what it takes to be a supportive wife, sister, and nurturing mother, in the midst of constant flux. Nadia finds and loses great loves. She battles depression due to the harshness of the world and, oftentimes, her isolation. Her resilient spirit and her faith in God's ability to put all the pieces of her life together, drive her forward. She is still forging ahead at 80. It's Up To Us! – A brief guide to community leadership It's Up To Us! is for people who are leaders, whether they call themselves that or not. It is for people who are already making a difference in their communities, or those just starting out. The book was designed with illustrative graphics to support the material. Seasons & Sojourns Seasons & Sojourns is a collection of poetry from the writings of Carolyn Wilson Eklin. The collection is comprised of four thematic sections: Nature's Gifts, Cycles of Change, Travel Moments, and Life's Flow. Both insightful and gentle, these poems speak to a universal spirit of curiosity and adventure, one that Eklin embraces. Who Says Men Don't Care? A REAL BREAKTHROUGH FOR MALE CAREGIVERS… A CAREGIVING GUIDE WRITTEN EXCLUSIVELY FOR MEN! What kind of caregiver are you? Are you the Manager, the Searcher, the Loner, the Techno-Virtual Caregiver, or some combination of all of the above? You can find out with the new Guide for male caregivers. While there are many excellent caregiving resources available for all kinds of diseases and illnesses, Who Says Men Don’t Care? is unique because it is written specifically for four generations of male caregivers. The premise of the Guide is that men care differently than women, and these differences present both opportunities and potential problems in all male caregiving situations. Knowing who you are can make you a healthier and more balanced caregiver. Find What's NEXT For You: Business Owners Share Their Transition Stories In this book, small- and medium-size business owners representing many business sectors including service, manufacturing, production and distribution, share their succession experiences when transitioning from the companies they formed and managed for decades. Their successes, failures, and “lessons learned,” make up the core of this timely book. It's an easy-to-read guidebook for what to do and what not to do when planning a business transition. ReFire Your Life!
ReFire Your Life! A Guide For Those Who Can't Retire – Or Don't Want To, is a new version of Dr. Gambone's former book, ReFirement: A Guide To Midlife and Beyond. This book contains over 100 activities to ReFire your life based on understanding your core values those values learned at a fairly early age. Dr. Gambone also presents an interesting and challenging intergenerational vision of an aging society where generations cooperate with each other, and try and leave a legacy that protects the interests of generations yet unborn. Don't retire—ReFire Your Life—is a message that will significantly impact America for years to come. Together for Tomorrow is a guide and information resource to help you break down isolation and separation between the generations. It presents a proven process for community building: the Intergenerational Dialogue™ process. Intergenerational Dialogue is a tool for joining all ages, cultures, races, genders and economic classes in problem solving and joint action. In its fifth edition, this easy-to-use book is a valuable resource book for anyone working in the areas of: intergenerational programming; family relations; health & long term care; community education; community organizing; human relations training; public policy; healthy community initiatives; violence, alcohol, and drug prevention; social work; agricultural extension; aging networks; diversity initiatives; and homeland security. All Are Welcome is designed to be used by communities of faith. This book demonstrates how to break down isolation and separation between the 6 living generations found in congregations. It presents the Intergenerational Dialogue™ process as a proven tool for joining all ages, cultures, races, genders and economic classes in Intentional Intergenerational Ministry (IIM). In its second edition, this 176-page, paperback book is a valuable resource for anyone working in the areas of: congregational education; stewardship; congregational revitalization & turnaround; missions; seminary education; community outreach; public policy; healthy community initiatives; asset development for youth & families; social ministry; spirituality & aging networks; and diversity initiatives. The following are books that were not published under the Elder Eye Press imprint although the publishers used Elder Eye’s concierge publishing services (editing, design, publisher imprint set up, and digital coordination) to produce the books. In this autobiography, Joseph Amato writes about his childhood in a loving, working-class home during the 1940s and ’50s. Amato says, “As I age, I become and discover the child I ever was. I dowse and divine my childhood for the living waters and guiding stars of my life.” Amato never set out to write a trilogy. He simply wished that Spring of Springs would follow from his two earlier explorations of self: Self, One and Many, and Body, Vessel and Sea of Self (see both books below). In Spring of Springs, Amato, a descendant of Sicilian, Acadian, English, and Prussian ancestry, traces the journey that led from his adolescence, working as a caddy and becoming an accomplished golfer, to earning a doctorate in European intellectual and cultural history at the University of Michigan, where he lost and re-found his childhood faith.
In Body, Vessel and Sea of Self, Amato explores, with stories, histories, and poems, the elemental notion that bodies put us in place, time, and life and give us meaning. They make us the seeing, touching, walking, and earthly and metaphoric creatures we are. We cannot fashion an autobiography or cultural history without considering that our minds, lives, tools, and machines are, in great measure, the work and creation of the body—the vessel and sea of self.
Self, One and Many is the first of Amato’s three books on self. Starting in prehistory, Self, One and Many traces the formation and development of the self in the Western world and, drawing on recent intellectual, cultural, and social history, analyzes the modern challenge and contemporary fragmentation of self during the last two-and-a-half centuries, with the growth of cities and industry, secularism, individualism, and a centralized, mass, national, and ideological society.
This groundbreaking book in financial services introduces clients and advisors to longevity concepts and provides a step-by-step guide for creating a Personal Longevity Plan to live a more purposeful, fulfilling, healthy life to age 100 and beyond! “Uncommon outcomes grow from small pieces and the commitment of uncommon people,” said Steve Klick, owner of the Old Course Sauk Centre – a golf course in the small prairie town of Sauk Centre, Minnesota. When Dave Caughren, a local banker, sought treatment for stomach ulcers, his doctor recommended walking and golf as a partial remedy. That suggestion inspired Dave to gather a team of town leaders to build a nine-hole golf course on the shores of Sauk Lake in 1921. Combining inspiration with the commitment of ordinary and not-so-ordinary townspeople, what resulted was a love affair for golf in Sauk Centre that persisted through the dark days of the Great Depression and World War II, to prosperous decades and the financial struggles that followed. This is a story of community cooperation and resourcefulness in pursuit of preserving a cherished golf course. But it is also a story of the relational ties that bind for a common purpose, as discovered through the personal stories of the golfers that ultimately make the Old Course still live and breathe. “How do we become who we are anyway?” asks Sinclair Lewis biographer Richard Lingeman in his Foreword to this fresh look at the early life and young adulthood of the first American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. “How did a skinny, voluble, dreamy, acne-complexioned, paprika-haired, Yale-educated country doctor’s son named Harry Lewis from Sauk Centre,Minnesota, become the world-class American author Sinclair Lewis?” To answer this question, Dave Simpkins, Lewis scholar and newspaper publisher from Sauk Centre, spent ten years researching and writing on this passion until his untimely death in 2018. That’s when his close friend, Jim Umhoefer, agreed to pick up the baton to facilitate the completion and publication of the book. Another of Dave’s friends, Sally Parry of the Sinclair Lewis Society, enlisted the help of Lewis scholars from around the country to pore over the text to ensure its authenticity. The result is an engaging, readable examination of the chapters of young Harry’s life, from his prairie village youth to the dawn of his world-wide literary ascendance with the publication of his breakthrough novel, “Main Street.” In Turning Points, the author, Greg Poferl, reflects back on kids at play during his growing up in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the 1950s and 1960s. It moves on to stories about his military service, labor struggles and strikes, directing youth in social justice theater projects, peace and justice actions, his sentence in federal prison, teaching social studies, and experiencing the overwhelming love of family during his 38 years of sobriety. Part Two includes Christmas stories written over 12 years, about a courageous wife, nine children, 35 grandchildren, and a wonder dog named Tana. Towers of Aging is a compilation of poetry by Joseph A. Amato. Writer Emilio Degrazia wrote in his Introduction to Towers of Aging, “in his senior residence, Amato sees up close the varied course of the aging of two hundred seniors. His poems are about them while being meditations on his own… aging. The Towers… proved to be a classroom of aging for Amato and an occasion for a poetic letting go.” HONORABLE MENTION WINNER OF THE 2020 GEBHARD AWARD! – a bi-annual recognition of Minnesota architectural history research by the Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (MNSAH).
Elder Eye Press, 350 pages, paperback.
by James V. Gambone
Elder Eye Press, 92 pages, paperback, plus as an epub on Kindle & Kindle Unlimited
by Robert Kutter
Elder Eye Press, 188 pages, paperback
by Carolyn Wilson Eklin
Elder Eye Press, 104 pages, paperback
by Emilie Eklin Khair
Elder Eye Press, 84 pages, paperback
by Tom O'Connell
Topics include:
• Leadership—a participatory approach.
• The “community” in community leadership.
• Leadership contexts: from social service to electoral politics.
• Social power: what it is; how to get it.
• Social values: developing a moral compass.
• How to build an effective organization.
• The art of reflection: sustainable leadership for the long haul.
Elder Eye Press, 121 pages, paperback
by Carolyn Wilson Eklin
Elder Eye Press, 107 pages, paperback
by James V. Gambone, Ph.D. and Rhonda Travland
Elder Eye Press, 134 pages, paperback
by Steve Coleman and James Gambone
Elder Eye Press, 101 pages, paperback
by James V. Gambone
Elder Eye Press, 223 pages, available in paperback & an e-book Kindle at Amazon.com
Together for Tomorrow: Building Community Through Intergenerational Dialogue
by James V. Gambone, Ph.D.
Elder Eye Press, 202 pages, paperback
All Are Welcome: A Primer for Intentional Intergenerational Ministry and Dialogue
by James V. Gambone, Ph.D.
Elder Eye Press, 176 pages, paperback
BOOKS COORDINATED
BY ELDER EYE PRESS SERVICES
Spring of Springs: Early Chapters in an Autobiography
by Joseph A. Amato
Crossings Press, 196 pages, paperback, (cover design by the author)
Body, Vessel and Sea of Self
by Joseph A. Amato
Crossings Press, 244 pages, paperback, (cover design by the author)
Self, One and Many
Historical Reflections
by Joseph A. Amato
Crossings Press, 286 pages, paperback, (cover design by the author)
Join the Longevity Revolution
A Guide for Financial Advisors and their Clients
by Bradley C. Jenson, CFP, John M. Comer, CFP, and James V. Gambone, Ph.D.
Longevity Revolution Press, 188 pages, paperback
The Old Course on Main Street:
A Century of Life and Golf on the Minnesota Prairie
by Jim Umhoefer
Free Air Publishing, 376 pages, paperback
Becoming Sinclair Lewis
historical biography by David Allen Simpkins, with Sally E. Parry and Jim Umhoefer
Free Air Publishing, 256 pages, paperback
Turning Points: Never give up on anyone, especially yourself
autobiography by Greg Poferl
ESFL Press, 178 pages, paperback
Towers of Aging
poetry by Joseph A. Amato
Crossings Press, 88 pages, paperback
Reinventing the People’s Library
historical nonfiction by Greg Gaut
Reinventing the People's Library traces the history of the Arlington Hills Public Library – one of the branches of the St. Paul Public Library built by Andrew Carnegie – and its reinvention as the East Side Freedom Library, an institution dedicated to telling the stories of St. Paul's East Side, including the Dakota who first lived there, the European immigrants who settled the area, the African Americans and Mexicans who came between the wars, and the more recent Southeast Asian, Central American, and East African immigrants who are revitalizing the area.
ESFL Press, 148 pages, paperback
Buffalo Man: Life of a Boy Giant on the Minnesota River
historical novel by Joseph A. Amato
Buffalo Man is serious fun. It is about a giant child’s growing body and awakening mind. In the spirit of Rabelais and Swift, Buffalo Man is the story of a Gargantuan child, aptly nicknamed Gar—who was born out of the sky in 1848. He lands in the pasture of a Métis trading post along the Minnesota River. The following chapters record Gar’s upbringing, baptism, adventures, and education as a physical phenomemon and a dawning prodigy. Episodic, comic, ironic, scatological, and mystical Buffalo Man tells of the 1850s childhood of this Paul Bunyan of the river, living among the Métis, Natives, French-Canadians, new Englanders, and other European settlers along the Minnesota River during territorial times. A zany mix of myths, storytelling, singing, dancing, games, and jokes, Buffalo Man introduces the reader to Minnesota’s last giant in a world that has no more room for giants. With client-provided illustrations and hand-drawn maps, Elder Eye designed this book to bring about a feeling of books that were published in the 1850s.
Crossings Press, 274 pages, paperback
The following book was created for a private organization and is not available for purchase by the general public.
Fox & Hounds: The Colorful History of a Revered Breakfast Club
Private history by the Fox & Hounds Breakfast Club
This book visually highlights 70 years of weekly gatherings of members of a unique breakfast club made up of esteemed businessmen from the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) area. Elder Eye Press updated the club’s previously-published book with a more comtemporary layout, re-designed the club’s logo, designed substantial additions to the book, and enhanced the quality of numerous photos. Elder Eye also coordinated its publishing as a print-on-demand book and created a digital interactive version.
154 pages, hardcover with jacket
The following book is an exception in that it used Elder Eye’s concierge publishing services of editing, typography and layout consultation, and cover design, although an independent publisher (Legas Publishing) laid-out and published the book through traditional print methods. It is currently only available through Legas Publishing.
The Trinity of Grace
poetry by Joseph A. Amato
The Trinity of Grace is a compilation of poetry by Joseph A. Amato. Writer Dana Yost wrote of this book, “in this superb collection, Joseph Amato wonderfully blends writing about everyday people and events with a sacred yearning for the mystical and eternal gifts of grace.”
Legas Publishing, 143 pages, paperback
“How very beautiful it is as an embodiment of the book arts—what an exquisite cover…”
– Suzanne Noguere, poet
“The cover is really terrific.… Very effective. The typography is really good. A well-done book!”
– Dana Yost, author
