Local Author Pens New History Book on Area's Bests

May 2, 2012 - PRLog -- The latest edition to Arcadia Publishing’s new Legendary Locals imprint is Legendary Locals of Wheaton, by local author Keith Call. Filled with an average of 180 images and a new design, this people-centric imprint focuses on newsworthy and noteworthy individuals and groups who have built and shaped their communities.

A city is not merely its structures but also its citizens, the men and women working hard and raising families, aspiring to ideals or lofty dreams. Since its founding as a farm community by tough New England sodbusters, Wheaton has provided residency for an amazing array of personalities, from ex-slave William Osborne to astronaut Shannon Lucid, from sculptors to preachers, from intensely focused athletes to “ordinary” citizens performing extraordinary, selfless acts.

As Carl Sandburg, poet laureate of Illinois, mused, “These are the people, with flaws and failings, with patience, sacrifice, devotion, the people.” Portraying glimpses of their humor, insight, dedication, and ability, this book seeks to celebrate only a fraction of these fascinating individuals, the true heart and soul of the city—and the nation.

Keith Call is the special collections assistant at the Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections. He has published two books for Arcadia, Wheaton and Oregon, Illinois, and is the general editor of the Selected Works of Clyde Kilby. He has published fiction in Inklings magazine, in addition to nonfiction in Books & Culture and SEVEN: An Anglo-American Literary Review.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or at www.LegendaryLocals.com or (888)-313-2665.  

Each book in Arcadia Publishing’s Legendary Locals imprint delves into the history of some of the unique individuals and groups, past and present, who have made a memorable impact on their community throughout its history.