Tuscola author publishes book of award-winning columns

Dec 14, 2020

David Porter, a newspaper publisher in Tuscola, Illinois, has published a 300-page compilation of his award-winning Ramblin’ Man columns. Called The Make-Out Room & Other Stories, the title column won the 2020 Best Humor Column award from the National Newspaper Association. Over the past 26 years, the column also has received first-place nods from the Illinois Press Association and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.

The self-syndicated column has appeared in more than a dozen Illinois newspapers. The stories draw from the everyday experiences and musings of the author. Topics frequently include family, cigars, reflections on the news and oddball stuff.

Dave Barry, a Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist quipped, “David Porter is without question the finest newspaper columnist on the planet that I am aware of who is based in Tuscola, Illinois.”

The book, available on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com, is illustrated by Lana Weatherford Hill of Arcola, Illinois. Hill, who was a classmate of Porter’s at Tuscola High School, also writes an award-winning column and illustrated the children’s book Ten Little Sisters.

The Make-Out Room also is available for Kindle readers on amazon.com.

Porter is married to the former Jennie Quinn, a Kindergarten teacher. They first met while in Kindergarten together. They have three children, five grandchildren (and one on the way) and four great-grandchildren.