Rivers, Rails, and Runways' Introduces the work of five distinctive voices from the Heartland. Rooted in Indiana, the poems capture the lure of the landscape and its relevance to each poet's journey. Pulsating throughout are the authors' personal histories and meditations. Notable for its thematic range, the anthology gains its strength from a juxtaposition of styles, each elegant and attuned to the rhythms of everyday life.

paper 89 pp. 2008 / ISBN 978-1-60461-007-9 / $14.95
Order No. 2764

Sweet Sister Moon

Norbert Krapf's Sweet Sister Moon is a rich celebration of the feminine spirit, manifested through a wide range of subjects. Krapf's carefully-crafted poems encompass history, emotion, and the natural world.

paper 171 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-1-93499-962-2 / $20.00
Order No. 2762

Porthole Views of the World

 Paintings by Hazel Stoeckeler / Poems by Elizabeth Weber

Carol Sissom

Is based on the true story of one woman, a modern-day private eye and investigative reporter, who is obsessed with the sensational serial killings of three good-looking bachelor slain in 1971.  Risking her own life, she is determined to expose the story.  She is relentless in her persuit of the truth as she hunts down her enemies before they kill her.  This is book two of a three part series.

Paper 327 pp. 2008 / ISBN 978-1-60702-666-2 / $20.00
Order No. 2770

Banking with Dillinger

Carol Sissom

True Crime Writer and detective Carol Sissom visits the John Dillinger family and reveals a spell binding account of what "Public Enemy Number One" was really like. Banking with Dillinger" is the true story about one of the most famous criminals in American History. Ironically - it's a saga about the man who not only robbed banks, he was a fugitive with a good heart who helped people in need during the great depression.

Paper 203 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-1-6072-678-5 / $17.95
Order No. 2768

Cooling Board: A Long-Playing Poem

Mitchell L. H. Douglas

In the tradition of the Langston Hughes classic Montage of a Dream Deferred, Mitchell L. H. Douglas uses persona poetry to explore the personal and professional struggles of soul legend Donny Hathaway in his debut collection Cooling Board: A Long-Playing Poem. Evoking the sense of listening to a concept album, Douglas presents a narrative in two sides: side one focusing on Hathaway’s development as a young musician and subsequent rise to fame and side two bearing witness to the adversity that plagued his later years. Readers will see Hathaway as true to his family, true to his faith, and uncompromising in his quest for musical innovation.

Paper 109 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-1-59709-104-4 / $19.95
Order No. 2759

Eastside Indianapolis: A Brief History

Julie Young

In its early days, Indianapolis was designed to be a city of only one square mile, but as settlers flocked to the Circle City, a steady beat of progress made its way across the Eastside. Through their dedication to maintaining the character of neighborhoods like Woodruff Place, Fountain Square and Irvington, Eastsiders have banded together time and again to preserve the memories of landmarks like the Rivoli Theatre and Al Green's. Julie Young, a lifelong resident of the Eastside, celebrates one of the most culturally diverse areas of Indianapolis as she illuminates the strength and determination that would make any resident proud to call the Eastside home.

Paper 128 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-1-59629-683-1 / $19.99
Order No. 2758

Air Raid Nights and Radio Days

Don Schroeder

Don Schroeder explores the sharp contrast between the dark nights and bright childhood memories that opened the doors for a boy growing up as part of the Silent Generation. After the Depression and World War Two, conditions improved for many Americans, including Don and his family. With wit and humor, Don invites the world to see Indianapolis as this 'nasty little gutter tramp' saw it. Sample city chicken or scrambled brains with eggs, mow down imaginary Nazis, and turn off 'Fibber McGee and Molly,' the favorite nighttime radio show, in time to confuse enemy bombers and save Indianapolis from destruction. Don relishes those nearly forgotten years and the memories of God reaching for a boy slip-sliding along during this difficult period of Air Raid Nights and Radio Days.

Paper 264 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-1-60696-034-9 / $14.99
Order No. 2757

T. C. Steele and the Society of Western Artists, 1896–1914

Rachel Berenson Perry

This book chronicles the Society of Western Artists from its inception in 1896 to its last sponsored exhibit in 1914. Comprised of the top artists from Indianapolis, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, and Cincinnati, the annual traveling exhibition enhanced the stature of the work of Western artists through exposure to a wider public and by garnering reviews in the nation's art periodicals. A founding and active member of the society, Hoosier Group artist T. C. Steele executed some of his best landscape works during the years the society was active. Rachel Berenson Perry examines Steele's thoughts on plein air painting, his role as a catalyst for the development of regional Midwest impressionism and the Brown County Art Colony, his painting techniques, and his unwavering devotion to nature. The volume features 60 color reproductions of artworks by the society's major artists, complete annual catalog listings, and original exhibition reviews.

Cloth 176 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-0-253-35293-14 / $49.95
Order No. 2754

Indiana's Weather and Climate

John E. Oliver

There's more to Indiana weather than what greets us when we go outdoors. Ever wonder why the daily weather report is so erratic? Why the seasons seem to come too early or start too late? Whether there really is such a thing as global warming? This fascinating and informative book tells the story behind the daily forecast, seasonal variations, and climate change. It explains why there are seasons in this part of the world and examines some of their more dramatic aspects—thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, droughts, and snowstorms. Here you'll find information on forecasting, weather satellites, and data collection; on faraway events that influence Indiana's weather, such as El Niño; and on long- and short-term changes in Indiana's climate beginning more than 1,000 years ago. Air pollution, urban heat islands, "the LaPorte anomaly"—it's all here in this comprehensive and up-to-date reference.

Paper 176 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-0-253-22056-1 / $29.95
Order No. 2755

Steel Giants: Historic Images from the Calumet Regional Archives

Stephen G. McShane and Gary S. Wilk

At the turn of the 20th century, an army of workers descended upon the northwest Indiana dunes to forge a world-class steel industry for America and along the way built a city. As a result of the mills constructed by companies such as U.S. Steel, a small, grid-like city on the shoreline of Lake Michigan grew into a prosperous steel town, drawing workers from all over the country and beyond. The Calumet region became one of the most heavily populated and ethnically diverse regions in the state. The story of its phenomenal growth was captured by photographers from U.S. Steel in Gary and Inland Steel in East Chicago. Steel Giants presents a selection of these dramatic photographs, with detailed captions, showing the construction of the steel mills and steel towns, the early production of steel, and the people who lived and worked in the industry.

cloth 286 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-0-253-35299-6 / $39.95
Order No. 2753

Journey's End: Relics and Ruins of Indiana’s Transportation Legacy

John Bower

Journey's End is a book filled with emotional portraits of once gleaming, but now rusted, vehicles abandoned along fence rows, lonely depots adjacent to trackless railroad grades, and defunct service stations whose retired pumps offer gas at 31¢ a gallon. These are images that will spark transportation memories in everyone who sees them—of those Sunday drives to Grandma's, interminable waits at railroad crossings hoping for the arrival of a caboose, a first airplane flight, a first car, or the long bus rides to school. These stunning images are iconic reminders of where we have come from—and the means of transport we took along the way.

paper 144 pp. 2009 / ISBN 0-9745186-5-7 / $22.00
Order No. 2751

Peopling Indiana: The Ethnic Experience

Robert M. Taylor Jr. (Author), Connie A. McBirney (Editor), John Bodnar (Editor)

This volume is the capstone of an ethnic history project launched by the Indiana Historical Society in 1989. The lavishly illustrated book contains thirty-one chapters touching on many of the past and present ethnicities that populated the Hoosier State, including African Americans, Germans, Greeks, Chinese, Hispanics, Hungarians, Jews, Native Americans, French, Irish, Italians, Scots, Poles, and others. Chapters represent various ethnic groups, which are presented in alphabetical order, followed by a thorough index. The book also includes historic photographs, maps, tables and charts, and detailed footnotes.

cloth 703 pp. 2009 reprint (originally pub. 1996) / ISBN 978-0871951120 / $49.95
Order No. 2186

 The Hoosier Cabinet in Kitchen History

Nancy R. Hiller

Loaded with labor and time-saving conveniences, the Hoosier cabinet was among the earliest design innovations of the modern American kitchen. This culinary workstation allowed owners to maintain an efficient and clutter-free kitchen by centralizing utensils, cookware, tools, and ingredients all the while providing a space in which to prepare the meals of the day. Bloomington-based cabinetmaker Nancy R. Hiller draws on her years of specialty cabinet making and thorough knowledge of interior design to deliver an entertaining, beautiful, and informative history of the Hoosier cabinet—revealing its influence on the development of the contemporary American home. Illustrated with original manufacturers' advertisements and sales literature—some of which is previously unpublished—as well as color and black-and-white photos, this long-overdue book on an icon of the early 20th-century kitchen will be an invaluable resource to cabinetmakers, antiques enthusiasts, and homeowners planning a period-inspired kitchen.

cloth 144 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-0-253-31424-6 / $34.95
Order No. 2743

The Natural Heritage of Indiana (DVD)

WFYI Productions
Samuel Orr, Documentary Filmmaker

Marion Jackson described his vision for the book The Natural Heritage of Indiana as “a celebration of Indiana’s natural heritage—its natural and human history, its landscape and its life—what it once was, what it is now, and what it promises to be.” He emphasizes the importance of understanding the past to prepare “us better to mold Indiana’s future.” He issued this challenge: “if you feel moved to help protect what remains of Indiana’s natural heritage, our objective will have been fulfilled.”

The series shares that mission. Documentary filmmaker Samuel Orr has spent more than two years, and has traveled thousands of miles to bring the landmark book to television in a four-part documentary series. The programs are produced in stunning high definition, and reveal their subjects through breathtaking photography, time-lapse cameras and innovative camera placement.

DVD 2008/$30.00 (45% discount for retailers)
Order No. 2721

• Purchases may be made via a visit to our office, by telephone (317-232-2535), fax (317-232-3728), or e-mail (ihb @ history.in.gov). More info on purchasing here.