Mixing History and Humor - One Author\'s Winning Recipe

Joseph Yakel was born and raised in New Yorksexplained, \"Mary was born in the South End 1879
Capital region, and calls this place home. His travelsand passed away in 1940. She had an autograph
have taken him far and wide, but its hisbook, which was filled with entries from family
hometown surroundings that serve as a backdropand friends along the Second Avenue corridor. I
for his writing. Hes recently published three books,took the small book of hers, a family heirloom,
and thinks his blend of history and humor shine aand rewrote it. In addition to the original book
bright spotlight on the local area and its people.entries, I supplemented it with details and
Said Yakel, \"My roots to the Capital District havecomments about the people and families
been a major influence on what Ive chosen tomentioned within her little book. I never knew
write about. I split my youth growing up in AlbanyMary Yakel, of course, but working on this
and Loudonville, and summers were spent at ourmemoir has helped me to understand her in ways
camp in Westerlo. I attended Albany Academythat I couldnt otherwise.\"
for Boys and Christian Brothers Academy. As anThe JACKEL, JECKEL, JAECKEL, IEKEL, YAKEL
adult, Ive traveled fairly extensively acrossFamily History Book has a mouthful of a title, but
America, and spent two years in Belgium,Yakel says the title is dwarfed by the books
Germany, and other European countries with thecontent. He went on, \"Without a doubt, this has
US military. So, I am fortunate to have a mix ofbeen my most intensive writing effort, ever. Its a
local city, town and country exposure, in464-page family chronology, tracing 350 years of
combination with this broader range of travel tomy Rheinish ancestry. Our original surname was
draw from.\"JACKEL and JECKEL, but changed more than 50
He went on, \"I began writing my first book whentimes after the family came to America. In
I was about seven years old. Although I didntAlbany, the spelling settled on YAKEL in the
publish that book, I still have it, and Im proud of1870s, while in Milwaukee, it settled on JAECKEL,
what I created at that young age. Looking backand in Iowa, our family name changed slightly to
on it now, I think it marked the starting pointIEKEL. This book is first and foremost a
where writing would have some longstanding placegenealogy reference, but its also jammed packed
in my life.\"full of really intriguing local and German history as
While Yakels desire to write has been with himwell, and thats why this book and the Mary Yakel
since childhood, he says that it has emerged in aautograph book have a wider audience appeal.\"
more public way over the last decade. \"Over theHis third and most recent book is a complete
years, Ive penned quite a lot, but it wasnt untildeparture from the first two. The Legend of
1998 that I submitted my first article forJuggin Joe is an over-the-top fictional humor story
mainstream publication. It was a technical piece onthat takes place in and around the Town of
cable television system operations. Since then, IveWesterlo, NY, and centers around the life and
written a number of other articles, mainly ontimes of a hillboy dubbed Juggin Joe, for his
military subjects, published in both tradeuncanny musical abilities with the jug. Yakel said,
magazines and on organizational websites.\"\"This book is a country boy comedy/melodrama
Its his latest writing efforts, however, that Yakelthat Ive written in country speak, which makes
says are his greatest accomplishments. Betweenthe story that much more fun to read. Its a
December 2004 and March 2005, he completedlight-hearted, clean, fun adventure, suitable for all
and released three books. \"Writing the materialaudiences.\"
was the easy part\", said Yakel, but putting it allThe Legend of Juggin Joe\"
together was a huge undertaking. Im pleased with* ISBN 1-4116-2588-9 * Pub date: March 2005 *
the results, and think others will enjoy them as$9.00 paperback * 123 pages *
well.\"The Autograph Memories of Mary Yakel
As for the books themselves, Yakel said hes got* ISBN 1-4116-2101-8 * Pub date: December 2004
something of value for a variety of people. Two* $9.00 paperback * 75 pages *
of his books are genealogy references that alsoThe JACKEL, JECKEL, JAECKEL, IEKEL, YAKEL
contain quite a bit of local history in them as well.Family History Book
The Autograph Memories of Mary Yakel is the* ISBN 1-4116-2715-6 * Pub date: March 2005 *
19th century memoir of his grand aunt. Yakel$26.