January 15th, 2016 § permalink
The box sat on top of the heap of garbage. It was fresh, dry and new, recently deposited in a dumpster in a streetlamp-lit winter alley in a brick-lined residential strip of North Center.
It was a history teacher’s box of history. » Read the rest of this entry «
January 11th, 2016 § permalink
They gathered in early December at a coffee shop in Lakeview, weeks before the rest of the world knew Gapers Block was shuttering, to discuss what would come next. » Read the rest of this entry «
January 8th, 2016 § permalink
Although my background is in political beat reporting, I rarely delve into it on this site, other than the odd poem, rant about museums or what I’m sure is the only guide to tax increment financing to use the word “craptacular.”
But as tensions mount in Chicago, as the world’s eyes are turned toward the racial segregation we’ve lived in for years, as people yell and scream for the recall of the increasingly friendless mayor, I would like to take a moment to look at the biggest political issue of our day.
Mayor Rahm’s missing finger. » Read the rest of this entry «
January 6th, 2016 § permalink
“There’s a lot of stuff out there,” said Mr. Eckland, Mangan’s business partner, as they looked into the night sky from their offices above LaSalle Street in Chicago’s Board of Trade building. They were discussing ESP and how thoughts could travel through space. Grinning, Mangan replied, “I wonder who owns it?” At that moment in 1948 he claimed ownership of all outer space for himself and the Nation of Celestial Space.
Thus sayeth the Duke of the Moon of the Nation of Celestial Space, which commands all the known universe as registered with the Cook County Recorder’s Office. » Read the rest of this entry «
January 4th, 2016 § permalink
The man with the leather or rubber apron and the chainsaw paced the raised platform amid a dozen or so earlier creations. Dragon. Fish. Penguin. Octopus. Waving bear.
He patted the block of ice, gave statistics on its weight. 300 pounds. He and a young woman grabbed it with large metal pincers, set it on the short table.
He called for suggestions from the small crowd huddled around the surrounding fence. They called fish, penguin, bear. He rejected them all, pulling what looked like an awl out of his back pocket to start scratching out a shape for the crowd to guess at. » Read the rest of this entry «
January 1st, 2016 § permalink
Without falling prey to the “Great Writer” love of meaningless generalities I railed against a few stories back, today is a holiday celebrating the concept of new beginnings.
Not to address the issue on Jan. 1 would be as disingenuous as saying you’re not thinking about love on Feb. 14 or projectile-vomiting frat boys on St. Paddy’s.
Starting clean is an illusion, of course. We might as well celebrate each July 17. But we didn’t. Culturally, legally, economically, today is the day it all turns over, from your income tax forms to the special offers fitness clubs give to capitalize on resolution guilt.
Wouldn’t it be nice? A new start, a new you bringing only the good parts of your life and soul past this temporal border of 12:00:00 each January first.
But like the hangover many brought in from the last of 2015 revelries, we hauled our shames, shams and bad habits past that midnight divide as well. » Read the rest of this entry «
December 30th, 2015 § permalink
The boy with the intricate tattoo on his forearm rushed to the spices. He apologized, saying a coworker illness left him covering two sections.
The older white woman with the massive cat’s eye glasses, smiled and laughed at him, pushing the button on the machine that ground peanuts and almonds right there into homemade butter.
I stood with my list and looked at the world around me. » Read the rest of this entry «
December 28th, 2015 § permalink
For the last month or two, he said, it has been fashionable to cut out the knees of pants.
“I made these myself,” he said in his Aussie/Kiwi/Whatever accent, nodding toward his tightroll-ankle, cutout-knee blue jeans. » Read the rest of this entry «
December 25th, 2015 § permalink
To be a great writer, one must truck in impotent generalities. » Read the rest of this entry «
