Granta chooses Algren's City on the Make

Granta, the magazine of new writing, has devoted its latest issue to Chicago.  Only a few times since the magazine reemerged in 1979 has it chosen a location to be its muse, the list so far includes Russia, Africa, and India.  Now, Granta has chosen not a continent (really? you whittled down all of Africa into one issue?) nor a country, but a city, our city, the city on the lake, as its inspiration.

The collection includes poetry, excerpts from novels, essays, photography and short stories.  The connection each contribution has to Chicago varies.  Some are simply authored by an individual who was born here or chose to live here at some point in their life.  Others are about, or take place in Chicago, like Alex Kotlowitz's short story Khalid.   Contributions like these are brimming with Chicago-specific details, like street and store names.  These elements help to conjure up images of the city's neighborhoods and busy intersections.  As the reader, you begin to share Chicago with the characters, which gives you the feeling that you might pass them by on the street one day, if you haven't already.

Granta has promoted its all-Chicago issue around the city this September with readings by contributors at local libraries, bookshops and other venues.  An event at Rainbow Club in Wicker Park caught my eye, and not only because it was free and near my house.  In order to celebrate one of the literary gems in the issue, a never-before-published short story by famed Chicago author Nelson Algren,  his friend and professional photographer Art Shay narrated a slide show of photos he took with Algren over the course of their friendship.

Nelson Algren's best known novels are The Man With the Golden Arm (a National Book Award winner), Chicago, City on the Make, and A Walk on the Wild Side but Algren is just as famous for his  bohemian lifestyle and the social circles he traveled in.  Although Algren passed away in 1981,  Shay managed to bring him back to life through firsthand accounts of their time spent together roaming Chicago streets encountering addicts, hookers, bums, cops, hustlers, and other street characters.

The best tales were the ones that shed light on recognizable photos, like the anecdote that came along with this famous shot of Simone de Beauvoir's backside.  First, Shay showed us Algren's tiny, grubby apartment, pictures of Algren shaving over the kitchen sink, amidst dirty frying pans and unwashed dishes.   These shots made it easier to believe the following piece of information, that the flat had no proper bathroom.  Ultimately this posed a problem for Algren's lady friends, and Shay was assigned the task of finding a bathtub for Beauvoir to use when she was in town visiting Algren.  On one of these occasions, Shay was privy to Simone's privates and shot this picture.


What's odd, is that the event made me wistful and nostalgic for something I wasn't a part of then: 1940's Chicago and for something I'm not a part of now: a solid literary community.   I wondered who is this century's Nelson Algren?  Am I as connected to my city and its people as Algren was?  Who will we be celebrating 50 years from now as a great Chicago author? And how do I meet that person and become their friend?  I suppose I could take a hint from Art Shay, just knock on the door and introduce myself, like he did with Algren.  And the rest, as they would say, would be history. 

For additional infrmation on Granta, the magazine for new writing, visit granta.com.

21 million adults in America cannot read this sentence!

You might not consider yourself a "reader" if you don't get around to the latest paperbacks, but pay attention to your environment and your daily routines and you'll see that reading is something you do all day long, whether you're conscious of it or not.  Sure you peruse newspapers, magazines, e-mail, websites, and (don't be embarrassed) the TV guide channel.  But let's not forget the maps, transit schedules, street signs, advertisements, menus, product labels, and bills that you come across on a daily basis.  You didn't think of these as reading material, did you?  You're realizing you read more than you thought, right?

So, try and imagine what it would be like, how isolating and difficult your life might be, if you had to live outside of the world of words.  Blind people count steps to get around, the hard-of-hearing read lips, but what about those that are handicapped by illiteracy?  How can they compensate for the inability to read and write?  What life choices are they forced to make as a result?  What affects does this have on their children and community?

Consider this:

37% of adults in Chicago cannot read a story to a child
53% of adults in Chicago have low or limited literacy skills
61% of low income families have no children's books at home

How did things get this way?  That's an easy question to ask, but a difficult one to answer.  And I'm not sure I'm qualified to do it.

How can you help?  I can field this one.

First, start with the children and young adults around you.  Engage them in book talks by asking about what they like to read.  Take them to the library to choose books.  Read WITH them.  Read TO them.  Read AROUND them.  Show them how exciting a good book can be!

Get involved with your community by volunteering at a school or through a non-profit.  I found an amazing group in Chicago called Open Books.  Open Books offers 4 unique volunteer opportunities to work with children, teens and adults on reading and writing skills through buddy reading, workshops, field trips, and virtual mentoring.   In addition, they have been collecting used books since their inception in 2006 and have an inventory of over 100,000 books.  They will use these to stock their nonprofit bookstore and community center (opening Fall 2009) which will help support the program and their mission of literacy.

As a former elementary teacher (who never thought she would miss those quirky children) I decided to be a reading buddy.  I read with 2 children for one hour a week at a school in my neighborhood.  Jayla and Brittney are 1st graders who are incredibly excited to have me come and spend quality time with them in their school library.  We eagerly peruse the shelves before we sit down and share the reading experience together.  At this young age, they are already enthusiastic about books.  All I have to do is encourage their interest and eagerness, a simple, enjoyable task that will hopefully result in a lifelong reader and learner.

I hope to inspire you to become involved in literacy.  It could be a small contribution, giving your time as a buddy or donating a few books from your shelves, but it can have a life-altering impact on these children that are our future. For more information on how to support Open Books and their mission, click here.  If you don't live in the Chicagoland area, but want to be a literacy volunteer or make a donation, check out ProLiteracy, a website where you can find a program near you.  And OPEN SOME BOOKS!

Passion Pit at Logan Square Auditorium + radio marketing bullshit

You've been invited...









what:         Passion Pit perform live

where:       Logan Square Auditorium

when:        Wednesday, September 30 2009 8:00 p.m.

cost:         FREE*

* 1)  you can only get tickets by entering a raffle** through XRT (the radio station)
   2)  you  can only enter the raffle by "spending" XRT VIP points.
   3)  You can only get VIP points by:
         a)  entering keywords heard on air
         b)  referring friends to become members of XRT's VIP program
         c)  taking XRT surveys

**This is a pain in the ass.  Why can't I just pay $20 to see the show and not have to do all this bullshit work (ie. sign up for spam, subject a friend to the same, fill out forms on music preferences) Sure, XRT is great, and I'd like to help them out, but I might not even GET a ticket after all.  Is there a cold-hard-cash-purchase option or do they only want to pack the show with suckers?*** 

***I'm a sucker, I signed up and entered the raffle twice.  Wish me luck!

Street Art: A gallery at your doorstep

My girl Lauren has given me the gift of vision.  From time to time, while we cruise around, she'll point out new additions, in the form of street art, to our local urban landscape.  But not the typical, obvious street art like graffiti, commissioned murals, or even those sketched-upon US Post Office Priority Mail stickers that have been stuck to telephone poles.

This is modern art on your sidewalk instead of at the MoMA.   There are three-dimensional collages composed of wooden blocks, dryer lint, wires, and anything else disposable (or available?) that can be recycled into art.   Drawings/sketches/paintings, on what appear to be butcher paper, are cut and pasted (the old-fashioned way) onto boarded-up buildings or under an overpass.

While some of this art is flamboyant and demands your attention, there is a fair share that requires more than just a cursory glance to notice.  By letting me in on the secret, she helped create an awareness in me of these more subtle, alternative forms of artistic expression that exist in public space.  She has shown me how to see my neighborhood with new eyes.

Let me show you some examples.  These were all up on Milwaukee Avenue between Western and Damen.

 A wooden collage boarded up among bar advertisements.  Does the collage have meaning independent of its location?  Or is its showcase in public space the art?

This paint, wood and fiber creation is protected under plastic.

On this fence are two works by, I suppose, separate artists. I wonder if they know each other.  Or if this location is, for some reason, significant.

Pasted onto a metal door.  Might be the artist Melt.

*Thank you to the artists who positively contribute to our communal space.*

knitta PLEASE: The Renegade Craft Fair - Chicago 2009

What you won't see:

• sweatshirts embellished with puffy paint
• wreaths or anything with fake flowers, unless they're crocheted
  
• country kitsch (think American flag coat racks)
• handmade advent calendars

What you will see:

• small batch silk-screened clothing
• eco-friendly paper goods
• handmade garments
  
• one-of-a-kind jewelry
• recycled and re-purposed vintage items

The Renegade Craft Fair is not your mother's craft fair.  I know that for sure, because I picked up this awesome postcard from the first table I stopped at and my mom (a very intelligent woman) did not get why it was so funny.  And it simply could not be explained to her.  I tried.  Twice.  First with the PG-13 version and then resorting to Rated R, thinking that might ring a bell.  She. Didn't. Get. It.

Nevertheless, we did enjoy browsing through the clothes and accessories.  We marveled at how so many artists were re-purposing hard cover books (the vintage, almost fabric kind) into journals and purses.  By the time we saw book cover belt buckles, I was baffled.  My mom must have known what I was thinking by the look on my face.  "Didn't you get the memo?"  she mockingly asked as she nudged me on the arm.  No, I didn't.  I thought, great, now I have to keep my eye out for old, colorful children's books at thrift stores too.  What else have I missed since I began my relationship with knitting?  I used to spread myself around a little more, with beading, jewelry, and sewing projects on the side.  And now I'm out of the loop (no pun intended).  Monogomy is overrated.

As a teacher, I should be offended that a book is destroyed in the making of this craft.  As a crafter, I'm disappointed I didn't come up with it first.

What would a hipster craft fair be without limited-edition concert posters?

If you missed the fair in Chicago, you can always check out Renegade Handmade, the retail store that grew out of the Renegade Craft Fair concept. The boutique is a permanent venue for people to sell and shop handmade goods.  Visit online at Renegade Handmade or drop by the store at 1924 W. Division St. in Chicago, you know you want to touch everything anyway.

Not from Chicago? There are also fairs in Brooklyn, LA, and San Francisco (not to mention Holiday sales in December in both Chicago and SF!).  Check out Renegade Craft for details.

Chicago's next great park: The Bloomingdale Trail

Around Chicago abandoned warehouses are refurbished into eclectic lofts, old factories evolve into retail space, and parking lots become the foundation for office buildings.   However, not all development is commercial or residential.  There are urban transformations which benefit the whole community by modifying underutilized land into something beautiful and useful for everyone.  One project with this intention is the The Bloomingdale Trail.  It is a perfect example of how we can improve our city by repurposing neglected urban terrain into public greenspace. 

How could you pass under this and not wonder what's up there?

Living in Bucktown, most of my north/south commuting is done on Damen Avenue. Each time I passed under the Bloomingdale Avenue bridge I wondered when the last time a train had gone down those tracks. From the street, the tracks above looked overgrown with weeds and grass. Realizing it was no longer in use, I daydreamed about climbing up there to get a view of Churchill Park, along which the tracks run.

The trail passes through multiple parks.

One morning, while waiting on an order at The Goddess and Grocer, I rifled through the ubiquitous postcards, advertisements and half-read newspapers that occupied the shelf beneath the sugars and creamers on the condiment station. One of the tri-folds caught my eye. Look up! it said. The Bloomingdale Trail is coming! It was serendipity; The brochure was referring to my bridge!

Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail (FBT) is a non-profit grassroots organization campaigning to convert a part of the unused Bloomingdale railroad into an elevated park and trail spanning 30 bridges over 3 miles. The project proposes extending existing parks and building new ones which would serve as community access points to the trail. Ultimately, the elevated trail will link schools, parks, and business corridors from Humboldt Park and Logan Square through Wicker Park and Bucktown to the Chicago River.

FBT has been working with the City of Chicago, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and the Trust for Public Land to achieve their goal. Visit bloomingdaletrail.org to learn more about the history of the trail, the propsed design or how to support the organization.

limp broccoli, packaged lettuce and green tomatoes (but not the good kind)

I know you've been there and I know what you were thinking as you pushed your cart passed the mist-sprayed displays. Why are these zucchini soft? This selection of cucumbers is pathetic. Are these green tomatoes supposed to be this color?

If your grocery store is anything like the ones near me in Chicago, the produce section is sorely lacking fresh, delicious, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Not only do the foods at these establishments look limp and unappealing, but they're conventionally grown to boot.

Even if you don't care about pesticides, soil erosion and agribusiness (which you should), you ought to consider the nutrient content of what you're eating. There is mounting evidence that organically grown fruits, vegetables, and grains offer more of some nutrients, like Vitamin C and phosphorous, than the same foods conventionally grown.

So, on a recommendation from my friend Margaret, I started an account with Fresh Picks. Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks provides year-round locally grown and organic groceries for the Chicagoland area and even delivers to a group of neighborhoods in the city. For a $5 fee, my orders arrive chilled in an ice-packed, styrofoam cooler, nestled inside a protective, plastic crate. Right now I get a single vegetable box weekly for $18. The beautiful produce is crisp, clean, and mouthwatering.

On delivery days, I'm so excited that I get cooking right away. Finding new, creative ways to make use of all the produce in each shipment is a fun challenge. Email updates detailing the week's selection help me plan meals. And, knowing that the next delivery is imminent (unless I suspend my standing order) also encourages me to use all the foods in a timely manner.

Each week there seems to be an oddball item that I would never have picked up in the grocery store, like pickling cucumbers or anise. These items are not a bother, in fact, they're usually the most exciting part of the delivery! Exposure to new foods develops my culinary knowledge and expands my cooking repertoire. Receiving the same items for a few consecutive weeks, like eggplant, has the same effect because I'm compelled to explore new ways to prepare it. There's only so much baba ghanouj one household can eat...

Last Wednesday, this was what I received:

tomatoes, bell peppers, green beans, chinese eggplant, onions, garlic, corn, broccoli, and lettuce

I started out ordering a fruit box mini which was $25. The amount of fruit that came was unbelievable! I would get: bags of peaches, nectarines, plums, and apples; boxes of blueberries and rasberries; and a cantaloupe. Everything was juicy and flavorful, but I couldn't make use of all of it quickly enough. After making leftover-fruit-jam twice, I decided to suspend the fruit delivery. Maybe they'll come out with an even more mini fruit box...

Proper storage can prolong the life of your produce but it's hard to keep track of what to do. What goes in the fridge? What stays out at room temperature? What gets wrapped up or stored standing in water? Check out Real Simple's article Protect Your Produce for details and keep these tips in mind:

• Don't wash fruits and vegetables before you store them. The dampness can cause the food to rot quickly and/or get moldy.
  
• Store vegetables untrimmed, except for root vegetables like carrots. Trim off all but 2 inches of the leaves, so they don't steal moisture from the roots
• Let fruits ripen at room temperature (out of direct sunlight) and then put them in the refrigerator