A Coralville man’s new book is titled “Central Standard — A Time, A Place, A Family.” Patrick Irelan has collected essays about his Davis County family and other experiences, though he says reaction from New York literary agents at first was not encouraging, as they said it was too regional.But Irelan persisted and says soon he was looking at a book contract. In one essay, Irelan describes the unique way his father used to address letters to his mother. He would draw pictures on them and avoid using words. Irelan says his book has appeals beyond Iowa’s borders. He’s received fan mail from all over the country and has book-signing appearances scheduled as far away as California. One critic linked the interest in Irelan’s book to nine-eleven as people were upset and thought it would reassure people.Irelan works as an editor for the division of continuing education at the University of Iowa.
