The latest is Illinois Blues: How the Ruling Party Talks to Voters
Also books about religion, drawing on his time as religion reporter for the Chicago Daily News, 1968-1978, and his previous 18 years as a Jesuit.
Less recent:
*Company Man: My Jesuit Life, 1950-1968, a Blithe Spirit Publication in collaboration with Little Man Press (Lulu, 2012)
— Company Man covers Bowman’s years as a member of the Society (Company) of Jesus, from his time as an 18-year-old novice to seminary student of literature, philosophy, and theology and a priest for five years before leaving the order, eventually marrying and with his wife raising their six children.
* Bending the Rules: What American Priests Tell American Catholics, Introduction by Andrew Greeley (Crossroad, 1994).
— Bending the Rules recounts interviews with 34 veteran pastors from around the United States, including the still knotty question — under Pope Francis — of admitting the divorced and remarried to the sacraments. On this issue the interviewed priests almost to a man held a permissive, liberal position such as has been debated in the last few years.
* A Short History of Oak Park: Volume One, 2004-2005, a Blithe Spirit Publication, 2009.
— This short history is an informal account based on monthly columns by Bowman in the Wednesday Journal of Oak Park & River Forest (Illinois). It reports events with commentary, catching the flavor of Oak Park, where Bowman lived as a boy in the 30s and 40s. He and his wife lived there 1970-2015 and raised their children there.
Corporate History and other commissioned books:
* Beyond Burnham: An Illustrated History of Planning for the Chicago Region, by Joseph P. Schwieterman and Alan P. Mammoser, Lake Forest College Press, 2009 — for which Bowman did editing and research
* Good Guys Finish First: Reflections of a CEO and How To Start a De Novo Community Bank, byC. Paul Johnson with Jim Bowman, 2004
* Winston & Strawn: The First 150 Years, history of a Chicago law firm, 2004; Bowman was a researcher and writer for this project.
* Reach Out . . . The Story of Motorola and its People, by Harry Mark Petrakis, 2003; Bowman was a researcher and editor.
* History of William Blair & Company, Chicago, investment banking firm, completed 2000, unpublished
* Florsheim the Brand: 100 Years and Counting, Florsheim Shoe Co., Chicago, 1996. Production was halted when company was sold.
* “Waste Not . . .”: The Safety-Kleen Story, J.G. Ferguson Publishing Co., Chicago, 1989
* Good Medicine: The First 150 Years of Rush-Presbyterian- St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago Review Press, Chicago, 1987
* More Than a Coffee Company: The Story of CFS Continental, Chicago Review Press, Chicago, 1986
* Booz, Allen & Hamilton: Seventy Years of Client Service, 1914-1984, New York, 1984
Newspaper writing:
2004-2009. For the Wednesday Journal of Oak Park & River Forest (Illinois), monthly column on local subjects.
1982-85. For the Chicago Tribune Magazine, “The Way We Were,” weekly column on Chicago history.
1968-78. For the Chicago Daily News, religion reporter and columnist.
Affiliations:
Member, past president, Society of Midland Authors
Member, Midwest Writers Association
Email: Jim Bowman7 at aol.com
Twitter: Jim Bowman
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He blogs at:
* Blithe Spirit: Right-of-center commentary and reporting on the world, the flesh, and the devil . . .
* Dominus Vobiscum: Novus Ordo (re)considered: New Mass, good, bad, indifferent? Its history with comments
Blithe Spirit 