State & Wacker: A Story of P.R. in Chicago

In this remarkable second novel by Burt Zollo, we meet Lyle Kopp, a public relations man in Chicago during the Sixties. P.R., at this time, is still a relatively new, undefined profession, and Kopp is one of the pioneers in shaping the public perception of P.R., which is, after all, all about shaping public perceptions. Kopp's world is one of publicity stunts, politics, romance, family, ambition, and friendships real and forced. It's a story of a profession never before explored so intimately and insightfully in fiction, and the story of a family man, who balances a home life in suburbia with a work life in the city.

State & Wacker is also very much the story of Chicago, which happens to be Zollo's hometown. His Kopp is a savvy guy, balancing the art and science of his growing field, while struggling with the awareness of the power of persuading public opinion on behalf of his clients. Even the name "Public relations" is not free from his scrutiny, and this level of consideration gives this novel its depth: "While he thought `public relations' was descriptive," Zollo writes, "he feared it might be considered deceptive, not as humble as he preferred. He didn't resent the variety of names his practice had achieved; he simply didn't want to appear, as he explained, `too grand.'" Public relations, Kopp felt, was "the most maligned, least understood creative practice. At its best, he thought, P.R. changed people's minds; at its worst, P.R. bred suspicion." Walking that line between being influential and manipulative is where this novel lives.

Burt Zollo is the author of the acclaimed novel of World War II, "Prisoners" (Academy Chicago Publishers), a true story based on his experience as part of the U.S. Army overhead cadre at a POW camp near Le Mans, France. His first book, "The Dollars & Sense of Public Relations" (McGraw Hill), is considered by many as one of the most authoritative books ever written on the subject and has been adopted as a textbook by numerous colleges and universities.

Zollo has been a prolific writer of fiction and non-fiction, contributing articles, essays and short stories to magazines and journals, including Playboy for which he served as one of the original writers. He enjoyed an illustrious career in public relations, first serving as director of public relations for Esquire and Coronet magazines and Coronet Films. Zollo spent the bulk of his P.R.career as a partner in the Public Relations Board and President of Public Relations Network/International and Public Relations Sports Network. A Chicago native, Zollo is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. The grandfather of seven and father of three, he lives in the Chicago area with his wife.