Late actor Andy Devine and artist-author Bob Boze Bell, both whom had long and enduring links to Kingman, Arizona, and Route 66, were named to the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame a few weeks ago. Late western author Zane Grey also was inducted. The Kingman Daily Miner reported about the inductions a few days ago: … Continue reading Two prominent Kingman figures named to Arizona hall of fame
Category: Books
Book review: “Route 66 Barn Find Road Trip”
It's a book I'm a bit surprised hasn't been done before -- a few chums travel down Route 66 searching for "barn finds" of classic cars. In case you're not familiar with the term, "barn find" is a long-neglected classic car or motorcycle discovered stored in outbuildings or barns. Many of these vehicles are rare or … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66 Barn Find Road Trip”
Book review: “Route 66 Roadside Signs and Advertisements”
"Route 66 Roadside Signs and Advertisements" leaves little doubt it exists primarily as an image-driven book. After all, you have to show all these neon signs, banners and billboards that made an indelible impression on generations of Route 66 travelers and contributed to the road's colorful history. The book contains hundreds of photographs by Route 66 … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66 Roadside Signs and Advertisements”
Book review: “Route 66 Postcard Coloring Book”
Folks may think the new "Route 66 Postcard Coloring Book," published by the folks at the Legends of America website, is tailor-made for children and nobody else. However, coloring books for adults became a craze in the last few years. According to a report earlier this year by CNN, therapists and researchers touted the mental-health benefits of adults … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66 Postcard Coloring Book”
Book review: “Route 66: A Trail of Tears”
This isn't a Route 66 nostalgia book. "Route 66: A Trail of Tears" (514 pages, soft cover, self-published) offers vivid evidence why some people regarded the highway with anguish and dread during its heyday. Historian Barry Duncan compiled hundreds of black-and-white photographs of accidents along a stretch of the Mother Road in southwest Missouri from the 1950s to the 1970s. The … Continue reading Book review: “Route 66: A Trail of Tears”
Why was Route 66 also known as “Bloody 66”?
For decades, Route 66 was known as "Bloody 66" because of the many car crashes that occurred on that busy and often-narrow highway. When I first talked to old-timers about Route 66 during the late 1990s, many of them recalled those "Bloody 66" memories. The few books about the Mother Road published at the time also recounted … Continue reading Why was Route 66 also known as “Bloody 66”?
Book review: “Portrait of Route 66”
"Portrait of Route 66" provides many colorful or obscure images from the massive Curt Teich Postcard Archive, and it offers a look at the Mother Road from the mid-1920s to the early 1950s. But one of the most enjoyable parts of "Portrait of Route 66" (280 pages, cloth, illustrated, University of Oklahoma Press) turns out to be … Continue reading Book review: “Portrait of Route 66”
Book review: “John T. Woodruff”
Cyrus Avery of Tulsa is known worldwide as the "Father of Route 66." Springfield, Missouri, is known as the "Birthplace of Route 66." John Woodruff never earned a tagline with his name. But a new book leaves little doubt he played a crucial role in developing Route 66 and Springfield. Thomas A. Peters' book is titled "John T. Woodruff" … Continue reading Book review: “John T. Woodruff”
“The Leisure Seeker” film gets a Grade-A cast
The good news is the film version of Michael Zadoorian's Route 66 novel "The Leisure Seeker" will star Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren in the lead roles, and filming will begin later this year. The bad news is the film won't take place on Route 66. "The Leisure Seeker" is about John and Ella Robina, an elderly and ailing couple -- … Continue reading “The Leisure Seeker” film gets a Grade-A cast
Upcoming “Sinatoro” comic will become a television series
"Sinatoro," a forthcoming comic created by Grant Morrison, will be turned into a television series by Universal Television and filmmakers Chris and Paul Weitz. The Hollywood Reporter got the scoop over the weekend at Comic-Con in San Diego. It reported: Adam Armus and Kay Foster, co-creators of the NBC drama American Odyssey, are writing the … Continue reading Upcoming “Sinatoro” comic will become a television series