“A well-rounded picture of the city that concerns place and displacement; peace and violence; isolation and community…. This one should be proudly displayed on your shelf or coffee table.” A lovely review from Michael Nolledo at Inside Hook.
“Writers like Stuart Dybek, Studs Terkel, Sandra Cisneros, Nelson Algren and Gwendolyn Brooks start to make up the city’s canon. They are required reading for every Chicagoan. But Rust Belt Chicago: An Anthology, the neighborhood cookbook taking the pulse of post-industrial Chicago right now seems like required reading as well.” — Third Coast Review, August 22, 2017 So, … Continued
“One of the best books to come across my desk that I can frankly remember.” On Sunday, August 20, I had the great pleasure of talking with legendary Chicago newsman Rick Kogan at length. I have been known, iin the past, to rail against his oh-so-perfect radio voice, all round tones dripping with gravitas, but I … Continued
Belt’s latest is “Rust Belt Chicago: An Anthology,” a lively grab bag of essays, fiction and poetry that reads at times like who’s who of contemporary Chicago writers/residents. … taking on topics as varied as reparations for police violence, the barflies of Pilsen and the “myth of toughness in Chicago sports.” What emerges is not … Continued
We sang Chicago to each other. We sang its highs and lows. We sang its long, straight streets perfect for getting lost when you’re in the mood to do so. We sang the communities that made us young black girls and the bars that made us wild and wanton gentrifiers. And I even got a … Continued
Many thanks to all who came out to the big Rust Belt Chicago launch party at Chicago’s Hideout! And if you couldn’t make it, no worries: in the coming weeks we have a flurry of additional events and media appearances. Read on for details, and be sure to check back for updates. August 19: Rust Belt Chicago editor Martha … Continued
Rust Belt Chicago, the anthology of essays, poetry, journalism, and short fiction that I’ve been working on for 18 months is now in the world and available for all your summer reading needs. If you’re in Chicago, come celebrate with us on Sunday, August 13 at the Hideout.
The lovely Christine Rice at Hypertext Magazine invited me to be part of their ongoing “One Question” feature. The prompt: “What question do you wish you’d been asked about this anthology and/or your own writing?” I took a stab at an answer here.
UPDATE: We did it! Thanks to all who contributed. Look for the festival at Constellation in Chicago August 4-6, 2017. But before we get to the the haunted house, we — Theater Oobleck — have another massive project on the more immediate horizon. Closed Casket: The Complete, Final and Absolutely Last Baudelaire in a Box is … Continued
We’re bringing back A Memory Palace of Fear this fall — in bigger, better, and spookier form! — and more details on that will be available soon. But in the meantime, we’re dipping into the haunted well with a series of free workshops in West Side parks. I’ll be leading a guided storytelling process (ok, it’s … Continued