My Guest Blog for READING THE PAST

CYBERSPACE -- READING THE PAST is Sarah Johnson's beautifully designed blog, jam packed with book reviews and links and just about anything a history-lover could want. It's for people who love to read books about history, but I would also recommend it to people who maybe don't know that they like reading about history. For those of you in that latter category, give it a try!

Sarah graciously invited me to guest blog about PRISONER 88, and here is the link to her site:

http://readingthepast.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-young-voice-from-past-guest-essay-by.html

Pieces of the Past

PITTSBURGH -- I had the opportunity to look through an array of artifacts that have been dug up around the Fort Pitt Block House. http://www.fortpittblockhouse.com/

Included among the artifacts were hundreds of pieces of broken glassware. These particular ones show a variety of patterns from dishes that were buried in the ground around the Block House, probably from the time when families lived there or nearby (throughout the1800s), possibly from fill brought to the site, or maybe even bottles from a bottle factory that was located across the Allegheny River that may have used the Block House for storage.

Stephen Foster: 150 Years Gone

ALLEGHENY CEMETERY, PITTSBURGH -- Every year since at least 1923, on January 13th -- the anniversary of Stephen Foster's death -- a ceremony is held at the Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood where Foster is buried. Yesterday's event saw a pretty good turnout because of a notable milestone:  150 years since Foster's death at the ungodly age of 37.

Children sang, historians spoke (and also sang), and the rest of us sang, too. And Joe Negri, known to many as Handyman Negri of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, played his jazz mash-up of "Ring Ring the Banjo" and "Swanee River" with some "Nelly Bly" and "Oh! Susanna" tossed in the mix.

Stephen Foster music is timeless. I included "Camptown Races" in my novel, Prisoner 88. Kentucky and Florida use Stephen Foster songs as their state songs. Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young have recently recorded "Oh! Susanna" and "Hard Times Come Again no More." Rest in Peace, Stephen Foster.

In Oakland near the Carnegie Museum.

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/01/13/Composer-Stephen-Foster-remembered-with-graveside-concert-at-Allegheny-Cemetery/stories/201401130134

Larry Won the Pittsburgh Poker Open (Winter Series) Championship , 2013!

RIVERS CASINO, PITTSBURGH -- It's a little late to write about this now that it's over, but I couldn't write much while it was going on yesterday because the film crew didn't allow electronic devices on the set. Confused? Here's a link to the Poker Night in America Facebook page. It mentions something about the winner being Larry Pileggi, a personal friend of mine. https://www.facebook.com/pokernightinamerica/posts/479456748837334

Day 1A started on Friday at noon. Pros in town who I saw included Darvin Moon and Greg Raymer. Day 1B was Saturday, but Larry had made it through Day 1A with a slightly less than average chip stack and without a rebuy. (Up to a certain point, a player can buy in again after busting out -- a rebuy.)

On Sunday, Day 2, play started at noon. It ended 16 1/2 hours later at 4:30 a.m. with the final six players. Yesterday, Day 3, play would start at 2 p.m., but Larry had to go to work in the morning. We slept maybe three hours (and wow am I feeling the effects of that now!).

This was the first time that a poker event would be filmed in Pittsburgh. Poker Night in America was the company doing the filming. The set was built upstairs in the ballroom area of the casino. Surrounded by black curtains, the table and cameras took up a space about the size of a two-car garage. Before play started, the players were miked and the lights and the cameras (5 cameras) were set up. The players were tense -- they were way too quiet for poker players. At one time, I counted 28 people in that small space, folks from Rivers Casino, from Poker Tonight in America, dealers, Dave Crawley of KDKA and his camera man, a photographer from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and even the young woman who served drinks (who was dressed in the required red santa-inspired cocktail dress).

Early on, Larry lost a huge hand. That's when my stomach settled down. He plays well short, and he wasn't going to crumble. I couldn't see the cards, but it almost didn't matter. The whole thing was over in about 3 hours. Well, before it was over, I did get to see the cards up close and personal.

By the time it was heads up, the chip stacks were so large that Larry couldn't reach beyond them. Management called me over to help. Sometime I stack chips for Larry, but I don't usually put in his bets for him. This time I had to. I don't play poker myself, even though I've watched a lot. (Okay, I played once or twice, but I don't really have the ability to concentrate for that long.) I'm just thankful I understood how the big and small blinds work in heads up. I felt like I was wearing boxing gloves, but I tried my best not to be seen.

And then it was over. Larry had won.

When we went back down to the poker room, the Poker Night in America broadcast was being streamed to all the TVs, but on a delay. People were confused because to them, it wasn't over yet. Was Larry out? And then they saw that he was carrying the box with the trophy in it. Yes, a Pittsburgh guy beat the pros.

The First Fan Letter For Prisoner 88!

PITTSBURGH, VIA NEW JERSEY -- At this summer's Princeton Children's Book Festival, I met Arron, who is nine years old. He and his dad bought PRISONER 88, and I just received a terrific letter now that Arron has read the book.

Here we are at the Princeton Children's Book Festival

I had asked Arron to think about the character Jake and to let me know if he thought Jake was guilty. This is what he said:

"Dear Ms. Pileggi,
Hello. We met in Princeton. My dad and I read Prisoner 88. It was a great story. I don't think he [Jake] is guilty because he didn't remember pulling the trigger. I hope he had a good life, too.
Sincerely,
Arron"

Thanks, Arron, for your thoughtful letter!

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, Filming in Pittsburgh!

SHADYSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD OF PITTSBURGH -- It's no secret that John Green's terrific YA novel, The Fault in Our Stars, is being filmed around Pittsburgh. I stumbled onto a shoot today. A funeral scene. Too cold here to stand around for long.

In case you haven't read this book, read it. Today. Teens, parents, it's a powerful story. I know of a group of teen girls who have read it over and over and cry every time. But it's a good cry, a cleansing cry. Fingers crossed that the film will do justice to the book.

Heinz Chapel Made Out of Legos!

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt's Heinz Chapel hosts a string of weddings every weekend, and I finally got to see what the hoopla is all about. I had never been inside Heinz Chapel in all the years I've lived in Pittsburgh, until today. I stopped by to see the Lego version that will be auctioned off in honor of the 75th anniversary of this Gothic style nondenominational memorial chapel. [http://www.heinzchapel.pitt.edu/home]