Archive for December 2006
Anansi Boys
Neil Gaiman returns to the epic world he created in American Gods to tell the story of two sons of an African trickster god, Anansi– “Mr. Nancy” in American Gods. I have been meaning to read this book for several months. I now have the opportunity. Gaiman has a gift for describing a rich […]
On Chicago and the Midwest
Over the past few days Whirl and I have been having a discussion about the geo-cultural classification of Chicago. Stated in the simplest terms: Is Chicago part of the Midwest? I hold that Chicago is part of the Midwest. My child bride does not. I must note that this discussion is not premised upon a […]
Boss
A Christmas gift from my good friends, Spencer and Templar– this book is the story of the late Richard J. Daley written in 1971 by another mainstay of Chicago journalism, Mike Royko. It is described as: a bare-all account of Daley’s cardinal sins as well as his milestone achievements … Royko brings to life the […]
Festivus
In “The Strike”, one of the most memorable episodes of Seinfeld ever, Frank Costanza revealed some of the rituals of a Festivus celebration: a bare aluminum pole, feats of strength, the airing of grievances. Transcending television to become a phenomenon in its own right– thousands of people now celebrate Festivus. Many do so to […]
Catch-22
I am unsure why I missed reading Joseph Heller’s classic satire both in high school and in college but I did. There was a time when reading Catch-22 was nothing less than a rite of passage. And 45 years later, the novel’s strength can be found in how it still holds a looking-glass to […]
The Lost Continent
Journalist Bill Bryson wants to find the archetype of America– the small town of fantasy, where Jefferson Smith and Atticus Finch are your neighbors and the balcony to the Strand movie theater is still open on Saturday afternoons. He travels the country in an untrustworthy sedan. He begins from the driveway of his hometown […]
On Sentimentality
What is it that draws me to something for mawkish reasons? Why do I regret actions without rational justification? What is it about something—something simple and concrete—that compels me to attach emotional value to it?
I know I am not alone. I find these experiences permeated throughout almost every aspect of the days between Thanksgiving […]
