Illinois Authors

The Illinois Center for the Book banner

David Cowan

Born: Chicago
Pen Name: None

Connection to Illinois: Born in and currently resides in Chicago.

Biography: David Cowan was born in Chicago in 1963. He co-authored, with John Kuenster, the critically acclaimed book about the Our Lady of the Angels school fire, To Sleep With the Angels: The Story of a Fire (1996, Ivan R. Dee). The authors' investigative journalism for the book yielded answers to many lingering questions about the deadly elementary school tragedy and helped heal a Chicago community devastated by the loss of 92 children and three nuns.A U.S. Air Force veteran, former award-winning newspaper reporter, firefighters' union organizer, and longtime Chicago-area firefighter, Cowan holds degrees in journalism and political science from Southern Illinois University. Now an independent journalist, Mr. Cowan has written for major newspapers and maga¬zines and has appeared in numerous television documentaries about historic fires. He still resides in Chicago.


Awards:

Primary Audience(s): Adult readers

David Cowan on WorldCat : http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=david+cowan


Selected Titles

Great Chicago fires :
ISBN: 1893121070 OCLC: 48422263

Lake Claremont Press, Chicago : 2001.

Recounts the stories of the fires that have shaped the city of Chicago, including the burning of Fort Dearborn in 1812, the Iroquois Theater fire, the Our Lady of the Angels school fire, and the legendary Chicago Fire that destroyed the city.

To sleep with the angels :
ISBN: 156663217X OCLC: 41094543

Ivan R. Dee, Chicago : 1998, ©1996.

Tells the story of the fire that occurred at Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago in December 1958, claiming the lives of ninety-two children and three nuns, and precipitating a complete overhaul of school fire safety laws in the United States. Includes interviews with survivors of the fire, and discussion of the rumors and evidence about how it started.

 

 

Accessibility