The Eastland Water Spirits

July 24, 1915. Chicagos deadliest day, far worse than the Great Fire. The SS Eastland - a poorly-designed, overcrowded lake steamer - capsized without warning in the heart of downtown Chicago, killing 844 people preparing for a company picnic. The victims - mostly young immigrants who toiled long hours in Western Electrics Hawthorne Works - and the disaster itself were largely forgotten to the mists of time. But on the 100th anniversary of the tragedy, a quake strikes below Chicago, a purple flash emanates from a mystery hole in the Chicago River and an inexplicable hazmat event strikes a Chinatown diner. Thus begins Chicagos shocking reintroduction to the horror of July 24, 1915, and a commemoration of the victims. The Eastland Water Spirits is a parable about memories and stories which refuse to disappear. It explores our ancestors impact on each of us, like it or not. It celebrates our connectedness over time and space, using water and spirits to tell the tale.

Autumn, 2017. Chicagos skies are clogged with drones. Drones which deliver tacos, tasers or terror. The Super Cyclops facial-recognition drone, incendiary Vulcan Twister and tiny Mosquito, which can inoculate, inject or irk. Due to the popular Drone-O-LimpX reality show, everyones droning: TV crews, oppo researchers, drone-peepers, gang-bangers, dronie-snapping tweens. But when a drone graphically kills a beloved giraffe, the public turns against the unrestricted industry. Big Drone battles SAFE (Skies Are For Everyone), which would ban armed drones and impose drone taxes. Epic rumbles rage in the Halls of Congress and Skies of Chicago, where a local cop and FBI agent take to the sky to end a gang drone war. Drone Dogs is a parable about technology in the hands of idiots and call for public debate about new technologies.

The untold story of the worst disaster on the Great Lakes in U.S. History. On July 24th, 1915, Chicago commuters were horrified as they watched the SS Eastland, a tourism boat taking passengers across Lake Michigan, flip over while tied to the dock and drown 835 passengers, including 21 entire families. Rockefeller, Morgan, and Carnegie had bought into the ship business in the Midwest, creating a boom market and a demand for ships that were bigger, longer, faster. The pressure-filled and greedy climate that resulted would be directly responsible for the Eastland disaster and others. As dramatic as the disaster was, the subsequent trial was even more so. The public demanded justice. When the immigrant engineer who was being scapegoated for the accident was left out to dry by the ship’s owners, penniless and down-on-his-luck Clarence Darrow decided to take his case. The defense he mounted, which he was too ashamed to even mention in his memoirs, would be even more shocking.

At once riveting and poignant, The Sinking of the Eastland brings to life a bygone era that yielded one of the most significant American disasters of the last century. Includes 16 pages of black and white photos.

Surviving the Storm Through the Wind of the Spirit is the story of one woman’s journey through grief. The loss of her 21 year old son threw her into a storm from which she could see no hope of survival. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, her journey shows her the truth in God’s word that we can experience joy again through the promise of eternity. Roma Johnson Holley lost her 21 year old son, Zachary, to a horrific vehicle accident. The journey that ensues is one that is more like a roller-coaster ride than an actual journey. A roller-coaster will take you up and down, with twists and turns and then eventually return to where it began. And so has been this journey. Unspeakable joy at the birth of grandchildren and then the remembrance that this child will never know their Uncle Zachary. Unspeakable grief at the loss of a beloved cousin and aunt and then the remembrance that they are now in the presence of God. This journey is one that no one wants to take but that almost everyone will have to endure at some point in their life. The destination of each person will depend upon how we deal with the trials and difficulties along the way. Join Roma as she travels a rough and tumble road until she realizes the power of the Holy Spirit. The comfort, guidance and strength that comes from this one realization changes her entire perspective.