Chicago Blues (Medicine for the Blues Book 2) Dangerous Medicine (Medicine for the Blues Book 3) by Jeff Stookey

2/1/2019

Multi-volume author, Jeff Stookey, introduces us to the second volume in his “Medicine for the Blues” series, “Chicago Blues”:
Jimmy Harper arrives in Chicago with the Diggs Monroe Jazz Orchestra, seeking fame and fortune. Instead, he descends into the jazz underworld where he becomes entangled in dark dealings with a sinister mob boss and in an erotic affair with a black drag performer. In this unfamiliar world, Jimmy begins to question whether he can trust anyone, even his old band members.
"… a finely woven tale of self-discovery and acceptance." —Poison Waters/Kevin Cook, Drag Queen Extraordinaire.
The trilogy Medicine for the Blues, a work of historical gay fiction, explores the complexities of gender and sexuality through the lens of the early 1920s. Chicago Blues follows Book 1 Acquaintance. The story continues in Book 3 Dangerous Medicine.

I really enjoy the style and quality of writing that comes from the heart and pen of Jeff Stookey. He has an amazing eye for so many details in this historical fiction, I feel like I am right there.
His scene-setting is marvelous, dialog and action are impeccable. Everything seems so real.
I give this book 5 stars! It’s so good.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Blues-Medicine-Book-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-chicago-blues
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chicago-Blues-Medicine-Book

Tags: LGBTQ, gay, jazz, music, singing, drugs, mobsters, Chicago

* * *

Multi-volume author Jeff Stookey introduces us to the third volume, in his series “Medicine for the Blues, “Dangerous Medicine”:
In a time when homosexuals had to hide their identity, Dr. Carl Holman’s status with the respected clinic where he works is imperiled by pressures from the Ku Klux Klan, societal expectations to marry, and other forces beyond his control. As compassion impels him to treat unorthodox cases involving addiction, birth control, and child abuse, he must make difficult decisions about his professional and domestic affairs. Can Carl and those he loves find a way to live authentic lives in a hostile world?

I really enjoy Jeff’s writing, his first person POV is tops, bar none. The reading is so smooth, you are transported to the time and place in the book without any effort on your part.
Splendid scene-setting, accompanied by awesome action and dynamic dialogue, will leave you breathless at the end of the book and the series.
The finale of “Medicine for the Blues” series, “Dangerous Medicine” gets the top score of 5 stars!

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/dangerous-medicine-jeff-stookey
https://www.goodreads.com/-dangerous-medicine
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dangerous-Medicine-Blues-Jeff-Stookey

You can follow Jeff Stookey:
https://twitter.com/jstookey108
https://jeffstookey.com/
http://medicinefortheblues.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Medicine-for-the-Blues-804068619770425
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-stookey-2b5357141
https://www.flickr.com/photos/153028055@N04/albums
https://www.instagram.com/jeffstookey1923

Tags: LGBT, gay, jazz, medicine, historical fiction, Oregon,
My review of the first book in the series: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/acquaintance-medicine-for-the-blues-book-1-by-jeff-stookey
Copyright © Mark Schultz 2019 except for the author's introductions

23 Comments

Jeff Stookey link

2/2/2019 12:47:01 pm

I am smiling after reading this review, happy to know that you enjoyed my Medicine for the Blues trilogy. You mentioned the quality of the scene-setting, and I believe I can attribute that to my long infatuation with movies and filmmaking. I spent the first few decades of my life as a film buff and completed a number of short films. That visual orientation focuses my writing on small physical details and the space and movement within any scene. Historical accuracy was important to me in writing this story and I spent many hours studying postcards and photographs from the early 20th century. I hope your review will inspire others to learn more about this period, which has many parallels with our present historical moment.
Besides the links cited above, readers in the Portland area can purchase these books at Another Read Through bookshop and at Broadway Books.

Mark

2/2/2019 02:18:58 pm

My review covers quite well how much I enjoyed reading your books. It did get a little bit racy for me in a couple of places, I have no doubt many will enjoy your books, they are so well written.
New questions.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer?
What inspired you to write this book?
Why did you choose this genre, or do you feel the genre chose you?

2/3/2019 12:20:39 pm

Chicago Blues had to get a bit racy because Jimmy Harper needed to fully come to terms with his sexuality. I felt it would be dishonest to leave out the sex, like they do in the movies when the camera pans away once the kissing starts.

Although I am retired from the workaday world, I don’t write every day. I participate in some writing groups, mainly at the Q Center in Portland. These groups are great fun, and they challenge me, stimulate my imagination, and keep me moving my pen across the pages of my notebooks.

I’ve never thought of it like that, but actually this genre, historical fiction, did choose me. I was inspired by an image that dropped in my lap while I was planning to write about my memories of my old friend, writer Jesse Bernstein. Maybe his departed spirit dropped the image in my lap. It was a mental picture of two young men kissing in a 1920s automobile, and I sensed that there was a hand gun under the seat of the car. As I started trying to figure out who these fellows were and how they met, the story unfolded. But I had to keep pushing to find out more. It was a long process.

2/3/2019 02:05:25 pm

I agree, it was pretty important to the story about Jimmy. Going through the wringer, like he did, really clarifies what is important and what is not.
You are a lucky man, many writers don't have a group like that, I always encourage them to find one or start one.
That is a very interesting story about the inspiration for the series. You carried it through quite well.
New questions.
What kind of historical research did you do?
Did the KKK really take over the government in Oregon in the 1920s?

2/4/2019 04:00:59 pm

Historical research was very important to me in writing this story. Around the time I started, I heard a report about Umberto Eco when he was writing The Island of the Day Before. He began reading all the sea novels he could get his hands on and studying maps, paintings, and other images from the 1600s. Following his cue, I collected early gay themed novels, many listed in the Bibliography tab at the top of my website. (One of my favorites was Henry Blake Fuller’s Bertram Cope’s Year, 1919. Quite a fun read.) Collecting postcard images from the early 20th century provided another important resource. John Loughery’s book The Other Side of Silence came out the year I started writing this story and that book opened a whole world of gay historical research that was new to me. I also met two Portland historians early on, George Painter and Tom Cook, who directed me to numerous historical resources. Then during the years that I worked on this project an explosion of gay history came out in the press. Without gay historians like Peter Boag, Jonathan Ned Katz, and George Chauncey I never could have written what I did.

An old friend, Michael Nove, wrote an article about the Ku Klux Klan and the Oregon School Law of 1922 for the Oregon State Bar Bulletin. That opened up a whole other avenue of Oregon history to me. In 1922 Walter Pierce was elected governor while tacitly supporting the Klan and their School Bill which would have outlawed Catholic Schools by requiring public education enrollment for every child age 8 to 16. The Klan had seized on anti-Catholic sentiments in a state that was overwhelmingly Northern European and Protestant. There was a strong anti-immigrant element involved as well, since many foreigners coming to the US in those years were Southern and Eastern European Catholics and Jews. Many state, county, and municipal officials belonged to the Klan during those years, so the KKK did in essence take control of Oregon government.

2/4/2019 04:19:10 pm

That is quite amazing, how all those resources appeared just when you needed them.
Oregon has had a very homophobic and even racist past, ex-slaves and freedmen were not welcomed to the state. They were forbidden entrance by the Oregon constitution, if I remember correctly. There is even a White City, near Medford, that was planned to be a white enclave, when it was founded before WW2.
New questions.
Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to give them a shout out.
Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?
Was it hard to find a publisher?
How did you pick your publisher?

2/5/2019 01:39:43 pm

Amy Livingston designed the book covers for Medicine For The Blues trilogy. You can find her at
<https://www.sacredartstudio.net/>
We sat down together and I showed Amy some covers that I liked. In particular I was inspired by the cover for President Obama’s book Dreams From My Father with the three photographs that tell the story of his lineage. I did graphic design for school yearbooks in high school and college, so I was used to telling stories with pictures. My partner Ken has collected a trove of vintage photos and I thought it would be good to use some of those photos to suggest the story of each book on its cover. Dangerous Medicine uses two of Ken’s photos on the cover, but the Klan photo came from the Oregon Historical Society. For Chicago Blues I needed vintage jazz band pictures and had to go farther afield to find just the right images. Photo credits appear on the permissions pages. Once we decided on the photos to use, I left the rest up to Amy. I’m pleased with the 1920s feel that her design suggests.

How did I pick my publisher? The Willamette Writers Conference offers opportunities for writers to pitch their work to agents, and I took advantage. Six different agents expressed some interest in my project, but on follow up, none responded. In the political climate of 2016 I found so many parallels with the milieu of my novels (specifically anti-immigration sentiments, racism, and religious bigotry) that I felt it was important to get this work out into the public immediately. Finding an agent and a publisher can take years, so I decided to self-publish as soon as possible. My editor Jill Kelly, PhD, guided me through that process. Because many small independent bookstores won’t stock books printed by Amazon, I recently I migrated from Amazon/CreateSpace/KDP to IngramSpark.

2/5/2019 02:18:35 pm

I do like the covers a lot. I have a background in photography, I particularly enjoy black and white photographs. Color pictures can hide a host of issues that are exposed when the picture is black and white.
There is no doubt that publishing has changed so radically, agents and publishers only take a chance on something the think is a sure thing. More and more people are taking a route similar to yours, including away from Amazon. They are the 800 pound gorilla and do what they want with impunity. I hope you were able to preserve your intellectual property rights for movies, plays, audio book, and foreign sales.
New questions.
How do you think your book compares to a book published by a major publisher?
There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?
Now that your books are published, is there anything about them you would like to change?

Sophia Douglas

2/4/2019 07:20:58 pm

So glad to see you are getting good reviews, Jeff. I celebrate your accomplishments as writer and especially for working with such complex difficult issues of intersectionality. Do you have any connections at First Unitarian Church of Portland? Best regards, Sophia

2/4/2019 08:31:01 pm

Hi Sophia. Great to hear from you. Yes, I'm thrilled that the trilogy is getting a good reception. Glad you used the word intersectionality. Many different issues from the 1920s have resurfaced across cultural lines in our politics today. Yes, I know a few folks from the Unitarian Church here in Portland. They are very progressive regarding social justice. Be well.

2/4/2019 11:11:57 pm

Thank you for dropping in Sophia. Jeff has written an amazing book.
Are you a writer?

2/6/2019 02:58:23 pm

Mark:
New questions:
How do you think your book compares to a book published by a major publisher? 
There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?
 Now that your books are published, is there anything about them you would like to change?

Jeff:
I believe my books compare favorably to books published by major publishers. I engaged a professional editor, and a professional proofreader (you) to help improve my manuscript, and I hired a professional book designer to handle the interior and cover of each book. These are steps I would have had to go through with any publisher, large or small. Editors and designers vary in quality no matter who you are working with. By self-publishing I was able to maintain ultimate control over the final product. With a major publisher I may have been asked to make significant content concessions in regard to the current book market, and a cover design may have been chosen that I had no say in. I have gotten good feedback on the books so far, and I believe they is equal to many of the books launched by established publishing houses. The difference is that other publishers have distribution connections that I, as a small independent self-published author, do not have. At the same time, while publishing houses can give some help with book publicity, most unknown authors are still responsible for much of the promotion of their own work.

Regarding ethical practices in the publishing world, I am no expert. But as a consumer and an author, I am deeply disturbed by the huge advantage that Amazon represents compared to small independent bookstores. We love our small local bookshops, even our favorite large independent Powells. These businesses are threatened by the incredible reach and market clout of Amazon. Support your local book sellers! My books are available in Portland, OR, at Another Read Through bookshop on North Mississippi Avenue and at Broadway Books.

As far as changes I would like to make to my books, each time I give a reading, I make minor edits to passages before I present them. In each instance I find wording and phrasing that I think can be improved, especially in light of reading it aloud many times in preparation for an audience. But the published books stand as they are. I expect all writers go through this same experience. We continue to learn, the more we write, and our sense of the best way to word a passage improves over time. Some writers republish improved versions of their works, the example of John Fowles comes to mind for his reissue of The Magus more than ten years after its first publication.

2/6/2019 03:28:45 pm

Distribution is a huge issue, of course. I am glad your books are available locally as well as on Amazon.
Your experience mirrors that of many authors who choose to publish independently. Besides having more control of your intellectual property you were able to have creative control also.
New questions.
I love the old photos on your covers. Tell me more about them.
Do you have a blog?
This series is done. Are you going to write more? What can you tell us about your next project?

2/7/2019 02:35:06 pm

New questions:  I love the old photos on your covers. Tell me more about them. 
Do you have a blog? 
This series is done. Are you going to write more? What can you tell us about your next project?

Jeff - 02-07-2109
My partner Ken began collecting old photos and photo albums after he graduated from Brooks Institute of Photography in the 1980s. He was focusing on vintage photos of affectionate men. As that genre of photography became more popular and books of those photos came out, it became harder to find them in secondhand shops. At the same time photo albums became more and more expensive until prices were prohibitive. I’ve been featuring a vintage photo on my website every month. Please check it out at www.jeffstookey.com and scroll down to “Featured Image.”

I have a monthly blog, also on my website. You can access all the past blogs through the “Latest News + Blog” tab at the top of my home page. I focus on topical issues, historical issues, and subjects of interest to the LGBTQ community. This month, Black History Month, I wrote about a black lesbian activists from the 1960s. To keep up with my posts, sign up for my monthly newsletter using the “Subscribe to our newsletter!” form at the bottom of my home page.

For my next big writing project I want to explore Native American issues. I grew up in north central Washington state across the Okanogan River from the Reservation of the Colville Confederated Tribes, and in college I won a small grant to make a short film about the native rock paintings and the folklore of the Okanogan area. I have long been interested in what it was like for American Natives who traveled east across the Atlantic to the royal courts of Europe during the early colonial period. I have also been writing short pieces—short stories and essays, and I am about to start a poetry seminar with Andrea Hollander. Who knows where all these threads will lead.

2/7/2019 02:51:37 pm

So old photographs have become an item, just like old postcards are quite the industry now. I am not surprised. I bet Ken's collection is quite large, I appreciate him sharing that with everyone on your website.
The Native American project will be interesting, I look forward to seeing that. It must have been quite a cultural shock for any American Natives that made the long journey across the Atlantic.
What were the attitudes of the tribe towards those who had same-sex relations? I would imagine it varied from tribe to tribe.
New questions.
What software do you use to write and publish your books, and why do you use those?
Are you a plotter, a pantster, or a hybrid?
Do you have defined space for writing at home, or are you a coffee-shop writer?

2/8/2019 02:11:07 pm

You can view the collection of past “Featured Image” vintage photos on my Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/153028055@N04/albums/72157682524026873

Much has been written about the berdache (or two spirit) tradition in Native American tribes. The Spirit And The Flesh, Sexual Diversity In American Indian Culture by Walter L Williams (1986) mentions Jonathan Ned Katz in his dedication. Katz book Gay American History (1976, revised in 1992) contains many excerpts of historical references to gender variant behavior in the Americas. You are correct that attitudes varied from one tribe to another.

I often write longhand especially in the early stages. I believe it is important to keep the writing activity close to the body. My Mac laptop came with the word processing program Pages. I use that for typed text and convert it to Word format when sharing with others, including my editor and book designer. I hired professional help for the conversion process to eBook formats. I’ve been encouraged to try Scrivener for composing and organizing writing projects, but I have not had time to explore it yet.

Generally, I would have to consider myself a seat-of-the-pants writer, at least that’s how I first wrote Medicine For The Blues. My editor suggested major revisions for Dangerous Medicine, Book 3, and I used Larry Brooks’ Story Engineering to rework that part of the story. Brooks suggests that a person can write either way, pantsing or plotting, but believes plotting is more efficient. I have recently been studying Eric Witchey’s concepts of Fiction Fluency, which I find intriguing. I will be experimenting with those structural ideas in future writing, but I would add that Witchey suggests going back and forth between intuitive, off-the-cuff writing and structural analysis (subconscious vs analytical), making adjustments until a piece of writing finds its best form.

My office is where I do most of my writing, either sitting at my desk (a cluttered banquet table) where I write longhand, or standing at my computer for typing. The room is surrounded by bookshelves so I can grab books as needed for research. As I write, I have three books beside me, ones which I have referred to above. I prefer an intense focus without distractions when writing, and I’ve never done any writing in a coffee shop.

2/8/2019 02:34:33 pm

Thank you for the invitation to your Flickr account. That will be interesting.
I had a hunch you would know about some of the tribal attitudes towards same-sex attractions.
Not many writers have told me they start with hand-written copy, I wouldn't be able to pull it off because my handwriting is so poor. My printing is pretty good, but to make cursive look good I have to go slow.
I have heard Scrivener has a steep learning curve, I have been thinking about trying it also.
Being a hybrid writer makes a lot of sense to me.
New questions.
Action, dialogue, or narration; which is easiest to write?
Of the five senses which is the easiest to write and which is the hardest?
How long does the research process take before you start to write a book or do you do the research as you write the book?

2/9/2019 12:39:46 pm

I’ve been told my dialogue is good, but I can’t say it is easy to write. You kind of have to just let the characters speak. Action is difficult for me. It seems to me it has to be quick and smooth and accurate, but I tend to want to over-describe the action.
As I said before I am visually and spatially oriented, so those aspects of writing come pretty easily. My sense of smell is not great so I have to work to bring those details to mind.
With Medicine For The Blues I just started writing and then did research as I went along. Here’s a story. I originally had the characters playing Chinese Checkers. Then I learned the game didn’t exist until the late 1920s or the early 1930s. It developed out of an older game called Halma.

Thanks for this opportunity for a book review and a dialogue with you. I hope readers have gotten some insights along the way.

2/9/2019 08:30:30 pm

I think your dialogue is top notch. It feels very congruent to the era you wrote the stories in.
I didn't know that about Halma and Chinese Checkers.
Many writers don't bring the sense of smell into a story. I think it can add a great deal.
You are very welcome, let's continue, if that is okay, I am enjoying our conversation.
Last questions.
How many drafts do you go through to have a ready-to-publish manuscript?
Going back in time, did you do any kind of creative writing, even back in grade school?
How early was it that you realized how powerful words can be?

2/10/2019 01:02:38 pm

I couldn’t give you a number as to how many drafts I went through before publishing. Many, even before going through it with my editor.
I wrote a number of short stories starting when I was in grade school and continuing in junior high and high school. I was inspired by The Twilight Zone, later by J. D. Salinger.
I remember writing a passage, probably in junior high, when I was fascinated by the words “stagnant” and “dormant,” how evocative some words were in calling up certain feelings. That seemed an important moment. Before that I was more interested in how stories made me feel. But of course you can’t separate words and stories.

2/10/2019 06:15:04 pm

Thank you, Jeff, for sharing your thoughts about your writing and publishing experiences. I have enjoyed our conversation.
I also really enjoyed reading your books. Some really good writing.

2/11/2019 09:27:01 pm

You're welcome. I appreciate this forum for spreading the word about my writing. Your questions have have pushed me to re-exlore some of my past and present.

9/21/2021 08:25:15 pm

Can you correct these typos?:
2/11: Your questions have have pushed...
2/6: ...and I believe they is equal to many of the books...
2/5: ...publishers only take a chance on something the think is a sure thing...

Chicago Blues (Medicine for the Blues Book 2) Dangerous Medicine (Medicine for the Blues Book 3) by Jeff Stookey

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