#123: A Killer’s Ex Rides the Bus

February 8th, 2013 § permalink

He talked about salvation and passing on your goods to others because you can’t take it with you. He talked about Oprah not having any kids and about people who leave billions to their dog. He quoted Mark 8:36 to the bus driver and turned his head a bit to see if the rest of the No. 66 west to Pulaski heard him.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” he asked the bus driver and crowd.

But it was something else that made me shoot up in my seat.

“No therapy, no counseling, none of that,” he told the driver in a hushed loud tone.

That’s when I realized I knew this man. He was telling the bus driver about how his wife tried to murder their child. » Read the rest of this entry «

#122: Dudes’ Night

February 6th, 2013 § permalink

The bouncer looked much more chest-appropriate in his Superman T-shirt than I do when I wear mine.

Yes, I own a Superman T-shirt. » Read the rest of this entry «

#121: The Vitamin Vault

February 4th, 2013 § permalink

Wicker Park and Bucktown in the snow are a lot like the neighborhoods themselves: A bunch of flakes clumped together to create something cold, unwelcoming and predominantly white. » Read the rest of this entry «

#120: King George’s Black Belt

February 1st, 2013 § permalink

“His place is a dingy one-story nondescript shack, in a neighborhood of shacks, but it houses the first and only authentic barbecue pit in town. It is a large brick fireplace, taking up half the space, and here you see chickens, pork, beef, and other meats being broiled in the leaping flames.”

Now it’s an athletic field for the three schools that moved into the old DuSable High School grounds. On that spring day, gray-headed dandelions grew long among bleachers. Green blades had broken through the track at points, inspiring or angering depending whether you’re a bigger booster of nature or education. » Read the rest of this entry «

#119: Why I Bought Her a Croissant

January 30th, 2013 § permalink

I saw her standing shivering in a doorway. Then I saw the pink felt blanket she wore as a shawl.

Then I saw the giant hooded blanket she wore underneath, the one I had once described as “spangled with star-burst mandalas.” That’s when I realized I had written about this woman before. » Read the rest of this entry «

#118: Chicago by Poster

January 28th, 2013 § permalink

“Most people don’t look up in this neighborhood,” he said. “But if you look up, right above the Swedish American Museum is a water tower with the Swedish flag on it. The neighborhood was a Swedish neighborhood. There’s still a Swedish bakery and there’s a deli and it’s still definitely part of the neighborhood today.”

“This is my neighborhood,” he said, giving the poster an unintentional tap with his finger before he the print marked Andersonville at the bottom of the pile on our table. » Read the rest of this entry «

#117: A Letter from September

January 25th, 2013 § permalink

Hi, Chicago. There will still be afternoons in Hyde Park. » Read the rest of this entry «

#116: “Is It Because I’m Black?”

January 23rd, 2013 § permalink

All the passengers shifted in their seats when he got into position.

Some suddenly found the window enthralling. Others looked down at their hands with vigor renewed. Those of us lucky enough to already be facing away from the man in winter gear slumped lower in our seats as he took his stance in the open area between the doors of the Blue Line from O’Hare.

“Excuse me,” the man said loudly. » Read the rest of this entry «

#115: The Last Canoe

January 21st, 2013 § permalink

Rich Gross was in the back of the shop, soaking the birch bark for the box that would hold his friend’s remains. » Read the rest of this entry «

#114: The DIY Orchestra, 3 of 3: The Composers

January 18th, 2013 § permalink

As the Dead Kennedys’ “Terminal Preppie” screeched overhead, Randall West took a swig of cider and talked about his series of short orchestral pieces based on the periodic table of elements.

“They build new atoms out of bombarding electrons onto the nucleus. They’re building new elements, I think, faster than I can write music,” the computer programmer said. » Read the rest of this entry «

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