Tom Zagorski
was one of the most popular morning radio personalities
in Chicago for nearly twenty years, but the
financial realities of the new corporate-owned
media world make him obsolete. His boss is doing
whatever he can (including public and private
humiliation) to make Zagorski quit so he doesn’t
have to pay the severance. Zagorski pushes back
by passive-aggressively needling his boss into
firing him—without ever crossing the line
that could get him fired for cause.
When neither side budges after six months of
battle, an exasperated Zagorski sends an e-mail
to the CEO of the corporation, sarcastically
suggesting a massive firing of anyone who doesn’t
actually bring in money. Instead of firing Zagorski
in a rage, CEO takes the e-mail at face value,
eliminating thousands of jobs and sending the
stock price soaring. To reward the genius who
came up with the idea, the CEO makes Zagorski
his new COO.
Getting fired suddenly becomes a monumental
task: Zagorski has become the darling of Wall
Street. In order to get fired, he has to get
the stock price to go down and/or irritate his
mercurial boss so much that he can’t take
him any longer. Zagorski takes great glee in
pursuing both of these options, and, along with
his on-air partner Richard Lawrence, plunges
headlong into the world of media finance, politics,
and personalities.
Read
an interview with Richard Kaempfer here
Listen to a podcast
with Richard Kaempfer here
About
the author
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Readers’ reviews:
“I think it’s a great,
funny, sarcastic, entertaining and thought-provoking
book . . . that really shows how broadcasting
has changed over the last few years.” —
John Records Landecker, Rock and Roll Hall of
Famer, WZZN Radio, and Shore
Magazine
“Brilliant satire! I got
a paper cut from the sarcasm. I wish I could say
it was great fiction, but having worked in radio,
I think it’s just really funny non-fiction.
The reality in between the laughs will scare the
hell out of you.” — Spike Manton,
longtime radio personality and playwright
“I began laughing almost
immediately! The first paragraph alone made me
feel like I was back at my first radio job trying
to avoid doing anything remotely near the station’s
break room! I absolutely LOVE the book! The plot
twists and turns were totally unpredictable!”
— Darren Marlar, Marlar in the Morning,
101-QFL
“[Kaempfer] cuts the modern
media conglomerates to the quick in his alternately
hilarious and disturbing $everance. Some
readers will think his moguls and media personalities
are exagerrated. I'm here to tell you they're
pretty dead-on.” — Roe Conn, WLS 890
AM
“As funny as this book
is, $everance is a must read for anyone
who cares about the state of radio and the media
in general. The more ridiculous the plot gets,
the more one realizes that it’s probably
the closest to the truth about what comes out
of our radios, TVs and newspapers every day! Kaempfer
has done his homework and manages to weave a delightful
tale questioning the terrifying possibilities
of truth for sale.” — Jeanne Ashley,
Star 102 KCKC, Kansas City
“$everance is
a comical, suspenseful, thought-provoking novel
about the frightening realities of corporate media
in America. Kaempfer writes with ease, quickly
drawing the reader in to the satirical —
yet oddly realistic — world he’s created.
This one is tough to put down — a delightful
page-turner!” — Julia Perla, managing
editor of Shore Magazine
“Too bad Zagorski is fictional.
Today’s media could use someone like him
to shake things up. He’s the personification
of fairness with just enough wicked cynicism to
make him completely irresistible. The thought
that a team like Zagorski and Lawrence might actually
exist should make some big bosses more than a
little uneasy.” — Leslie Keiling,
WGN Radio
“It’s a ripe satire
that rips the media giants
a new one. Kaempfer throws his rocks with a keen
insight.” — Jeff Hoover, WGN-TV Morning
News
“Richard Kaempfer has peeled
the lid off your favorite radio station and shown
what’s inside. $everance turns
the radio business on its head and makes you laugh
out loud, but it also asks some tough questions.
A great read!” — Reed Pence, Media
Tracks
“Got this book and read
it in one sitting. Fantastic. I’m realizing
that I worked with — and for — most
of the characters in this book!” —
Len O’Kelly, WFGR morning host
“I was with it the whole
way, and I love the appended real life figures
at the end. I enjoyed the hell out of $everance.”
— Steve Rhodes, The
Beachwood Reporter
“A hysterical critique
of corporate morality.” — Larry Potash,
Chicago Tribune’s RedEye columnist and WGN-TV
morning news anchor
“It’s about time
somebody told this story. $everance certainly
captured the world of radio, warts and all.”
— Clark Weber, Radio Hall of Famer
trade
paperback
5.25" X 8.25"
254 pp.
list price $19
ISBN-13: 978-0-9752540-5-9
ISBN-10: 0-9752540-5-7
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