The Town That Shot
Itself In The Foot
Four Consecutive Major Hurricanes, Skyrocketing Insurance Rates, And The Rapidly-Declining Housing Market Have Turned Rachel Wonsark’s Life Upside-Down. Where can she go?
About The Author
Judy Gail Krasnow
Judy Gail Krasnow is a Chautauqua Scholar and Performance Artist who brings history to life through story, song and historical portrayals. She is known as the Historian of Michigan’s first state prison and resides in what historically had been the first state prison, renovated into Armory Arts Village. Judy’s works as an author include “JACKTOWN: History and Hard Times at Michigan’s First State Prison,” published by The History Press; and “RUDOLPH, FROSTY AND CAPTAIN KANGAROO: The Musical Life of Hecky Krasnow, Producer of the World’s Most-Beloved Children’s Songs,” published by Santa Monica Press. A dynamic public speaker, Judy is happy to present book talks.
About The Book
The Town That Shot
Itself In The Foot
Four consecutive major hurricanes, a rise in insurance rates, and the rapid downfall of the housing market have turned Rachel Wonsark’s life upside-down. But where can this outspoken, self-supporting storyteller go? As she was driving to yet another gig, the Miami resident suddenly focused on the serendipitous radio program playing, about a town called Jackson, in Michigan. The town became home to Michigan’s historic first state prison. Antiquated, closed and replaced by another house of incarceration a few miles north, the old penitentiary is being renovated into a community for artists. Through the Arts, Jackson hopes to erase its prison image and revive from its downfall as a once-thriving industrial town. Rachel leaves sunshine and friends and, along with many talented artists filled with spirit and hope, moves to the Jacktown Art Hatchery, where the motto states: Incubate Your Art and Hatch It as Your Day Job. Blundering town officials have no idea how to progress with this project and take the dedicated artists on a wild roller coaster ride of promises made and broken. Rachel, combining her talent as a storyteller with her love of history, unwittingly establishes a historic prison tour business that puts Jackson on the state tourism map. With every tour bus rolling in, the town officials grow evermore envious of Rachel’s success and how she cleverly revived the town through its prison identity. Reminiscent of a Stephen King novel, the officials plot a coup to take over the tours. What happens as a result is a riveting read. Inspired by actual events, the novel is filled with singular stories ranging from the bizarre to the heartfelt, chilling to outright hilarious – tales shared by the many who come to “The Hatchery.” They linger long after the book is read.
What Our Clients Say
The title of this book describes, with humor, the culmination of a series of events that take place in a town whose primary claim to fame is having two prisons located there! When the author, a professional storyteller, hears that one prison, the old historic one, has now been converted to workshops and apartments meant to attract artists of all kinds, she is intrigued, and moves there, hoping for a new start.
Her story of the following happenings is sometimes told as though witnessed by other of the book’s characters, including the spirit of a prisoner held in the old prison in a previous century! We learn of the author’s creation and development of tours of the old prison, complete with tales of its history. A tour of one now-empty cell block in the newer still-functioning prison is begun as well. However, the success of her enterprises, though bringing in busloads of tourists, is not viewed favorably by the town’s elite, and they conspire to take over, and remove her from the tours she created.
Do read this intriguing story—It is full of history as well as contemporary intrigue, and will inspire you to keep turning the pages to see what is going to happen next!
Jean Walsh
This story, inspired by true events both historical and present, had to be told; and only talented storyteller, writer and historian Judy Gail Krasnow could properly tell it. At last, these nearly 200-year-old walls can finally talk, and they have a lot to say. Read it and enjoy the magic!
Mary Jean Westerlund
“The Town That Shot Itself In The Foot” is entertaining, relevant and historically interesting. Author Judy Gail Krasnow has a definite gift for storytelling and unique characters. You want to keep reading on. Don’t miss out. Read this book!
Brian Doe
The book’s title tells it all: given a golden opportunity to reap fame and fortune on a piece of its history, the town wants this history to be forgotten (or at least relegated to a back burner); the powers to be apparently win. And at what cost? An outsider arrives and takes residence in a historic building that was the city’s first prison. It has been turned into lofts for artists and they forge a wonderful creative bond. And then the storyteller among the group realizes the potential of arranging tours through part of the building. Those become so popular she gets permission to include a tour of an unused part of the current prison. Busloads of delighted tour groups arrive and that generates jealousy among the “higher ups” in town. Written in flowing narrative, readers are introduced to various characters who provide laughter as well as sadness as things fall apart.
Monetta Harr