Why in the world of reading, with libraries of books, would anyone ever want to read a book written by Bob Katzman? Why would you want to read something about your world that you already know? Here are a reader’s answers.
Bob’s books are about Chicago and a Jewish community as Bob knew it, but mostly as it was. He’s an outsider, and you get to see the city through a rebel’s eyes. He writes to us about a world in Chicago that we wonder about, even if we lived in it. Whether Jew or Gentile, from Bob you’ll learn depths about Judaism that the Rabbis don’t teach.
At times it’s like a conversation with three generations of a family all at once, sometimes in conflict but refreshingly direct. It’s meeting past generations as they lived.
Most of all, you get to see how an ordinary guy battles big-city bosses. You will learn sidewalk history as you follow one man’s trek to survive in Chicago’s arena of giant politicians and little guys. He doesn’t merely know this city from the sidewalk up, he takes you to foreign places as well as the streets of Chicago. It’s the world according to Bob, not a main-stream guy.
The details lure us into his stories. Be careful of what you might learn from the unseen sights he shows.
I’m glad I read Bob’s stories. I saw a lot. You’ll be glad you did.
Jim Payne – Kenosha Writers Guild
Robert M. Katzman on Jim Payne
I met Jim when I joined the Kenosha Writers Guild in 2015 when I moved from Illinois to Wisconsin. He was one of the three people who founded it. He was immediately open, friendly and welcoming to me.
Not easy to come in to a small, tight group and feel part of it, but Jim had no walls around him, which was true for all I met. Here were hesitant people seeking to express themselves in public (in a very small way) and who hoped to receive a respectful response. That was the atmosphere I encountered; and found the dozen or so who showed up each month to be exactly like that.
He was at the funeral of my wife Joyce who died less than two years after I moved here. He was also at my wedding to Nancy Alexander 923 days later.
We were honored to have him there. He understood my loneliness. He has been a widower for far longer than I had been. Besides the group, I’ve had dinner out with Jim and my wife Nancy.
He is easy company (high praise from me) and makes me feel like he cares about my work and life.
Not very many people have that gift to offer to a new friend.
The Writer’s Guild never seems to have more than ten or so show up, although rarely the same ten.
Jim is one of them. He makes anyone feel welcome.
I am proud to have him as a friend.
Robert M. Katzman