Award-winning journalist Mark J. Price, an Akron native, graduated from Kent State University in December 1985 with a degree in journalism. He has been a copy editor and staff writer for the Akron Beacon Journal since 1997. Previously, he worked 10 years as copy editor, columnist and features editor at the Canton Repository.
His book "The Rest Is History: True Tales from Akron's Vibrant Past," published by the University of Akron Press, is as much about the present as it is about the past. Price, whose popular weekly column "This Place, This Time" has appeared in the Beacon Journal since 1998, explores the history of Akron, Ohio, and Summit County through compelling vignettes, bringing to life bygone days through painstaking research of archival materials, local histories, newspaper records and vintage photographs, plus contemporary interviews.
A true treasure trove of this historic region, the real-life stories range from quirky to poignant, from humorous to tragic and all points in between. Read about the U.S. president who strolled through the countryside, the Akron stagehand who became a Hollywood icon, the beloved beagle that attended elementary school, the natural landmark that slid underground, the pop concert that made girls faint, the lost cemetery that turned into a city park and the world-famous gadget that caught on in Northeast Ohio.
Kent Reads will be held on the first floor of the Main Library at Kent State University. Snacks and beverages will be provided!