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”
Category: Books
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
Michael Wallis to give “state of the road” speech at Vinita festival
Michael Wallis, writer of the best-selling "Route 66: The Mother Road" and more than a dozen other books, will give a "State of the Mother Road" speech June 18 during the Vinita Route 66 Festival in Vinita, Oklahoma. Wallis long was known for his fiery "state of the road" speeches with his big, baritone voice during … Continue reading Michael Wallis to give “state of the road” speech at Vinita festival
Book review: “The Zeon Files”
"The Zeon Files" provides a colorful glimpse of Albuquerque's past with dozens of a company's working drawings of neon signs that once graced the Route 66 corridor decades ago. But what's most striking is the drawings are revealed as detailed and precise as any architectural rendering. The people who made these signs weren't just blue-collar guys who'd learned the trade of fire, electricity … Continue reading Book review: “The Zeon Files”
“Route 66 for Kids” now out in print form
Due to popular demand, an updated version of "Route 66 for Kids" guidebook for parents with children is available in print form for the first time in more than a decade. A Kindle version of "Route 66 for Kids" long has been available, after author Emily Priddy printed a few dozen copies of the first … Continue reading “Route 66 for Kids” now out in print form
Interview with a former Harvey Girl from La Posada
This new, well-produced interview features JoAn Fuller, who worked as a Harvey Girl at La Posada at Winslow, Arizona, during the mid-1940s. Fuller also lived near Route 66 in Prewitt, New Mexico, when her husband worked for the railroad. JoAn Fuller Interview from Katrina Parks on Vimeo. It turns out the Fuller interview was produced by … Continue reading Interview with a former Harvey Girl from La Posada