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Join the Pen and Pencil Book Club! Our first book will be A Prayer for the City, a book about Ed Rendell's first term as mayor written by Pulitzer Prize winner Buzz Bissinger, who is in part known for his book Friday Night Lights -- among many other things.

Bissinger had what the New York Times called in 1998 "extraordinary access to report the inside story of big-city politics in Philadelphia" granted by Rendell, who was previously a Philly District Attorney and later became governor.

Join board member Aliya Schneider to discuss this Philly required-reading on Tuesday, July 29 at 7 p.m. The book is 448 pages, and this is a discussion meant for people who read the book, so hit up your local bookstore or dust off your Kindle and start reading. Please email aliyaschneider@gmail.com or RSVP here if you plan to attend.

This book is the perfect way to learn about how Philly’s political past brought us to today’s news of the DC33 strike. The book is the result of journalist Buzz Bissinger’s incredible access to Ed Rendell’s first mayoral term, and it gives an inside look into his negotiations with DC33, which is crucial to understanding how DC33 got to where it is today.

As reported by Sean Walsh, the P&P Treasurer, in his coverage of the strike for The Philadelphia Inquirer:

“The concessions Rendell won from DC 33 and other municipal unions amid the city’s early ’90s fiscal crisis are a key part of his frequently celebrated legacy as mayor. But among most DC 33 members and leaders, it was one of the darkest chapters in the union’s history.”

Walsh also reported that David Cohen – whose role as Rendell’s chief of staff is documented in the book – said Mayor Cherelle Parker and Council President Kenyatta Johnson have both talked to him about wanting to emulate the relationship Rendell had with then-Council President John F. Street.