A bit more windy memories

I still have a little art commentary to give on the Chicago trip, but before I do that I'd like to mention my recreational reading from my time at home.

I went looking for The Devil in the White City before I left Eugene, but all 7 copies were out of the library. I've been wanting to read this for a while, inspired initially by two ladies who came to the library looking for maps of Chicago from the period (and were thrilled to find a commemorative atlas from the Fair). I picked one up in Chicago and loved it. The simultaneous story of the 1893 World's Fair and a serial killer, this book is a must-read for those who wonder what Chicago, Hyde Park, and the original trolley suburbs were like in the post-Fire boom. It covers a lot of biography of Daniel Burnham too. I devoured this book, finishing it up in a coffee shop in Wicker Park on my way out of town.

Two nights previous, I was handed a copy of Crossing California, a novel about growing up Jewish in West Rogers Park in the late 70's and early 80's. I can't vouch for the cultural and religious aspects, but it captures the time. I am almost exactly contemporary with a couple of the characters, and my memories of bafflement at some of the events of 1979 (hostage crisis, Reagan getting elected, Jane Byrne as mayor) described are perfectly reflected in Muley and Jill. Thank you Julie for the loan, and thank you Adam Langer.

Adding to the effect was the fact that the best meal I had during the visit was cooked in West Rogers Park by my friend Kevin. Kale with ground pork and mushrooms over polenta. Green tea and romano (if memory serves) put the polenta over the top. I have an official request in for the recipe. While leaving, I noticed the Fondu Stube, and thought: 'This is kind of a strange neighborhood for a nostalgia restaurant.' Well, it's not a throwback: it's been there since the first fondue craze, as it features in the book.