Great Chicago Writers to Read During the Lockdown Part 2

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It’s a great time to sit outside in your backyard or balcony and open up a book as we all continue to practice social distancing. This week we continue our look at great writers who have either hailed from the Windy City or set their famous works in the City of Big Shoulders. With its amazing architecture, distinct neighborhoods, and one-of-a-kind skyline, Chicago will always be a favorite setting for writers to explore, but of course, we all already know all that. So let’s move on to the next batch of great scribes who embraced everything there is about Chicago to inspire their celebrated prose. 

Nelson Algren: At the age of three, Algren moved with his family from Detroit to Chicago, settling in the South Side, and the city as a whole is richer thanks to the relocation. While Algren’s first few books showed the development of a promising author, it was 1949’s The Man With the Golden Arm that broke his career wide open. Set on the city’s the Near Northwest Side, the book tells the sad tale of a jazz musician/ illicit card dealer struggling with a morphine addiction and the trials and tribulations he endures. The novel won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1950.

Of course, it is Algren’s 1951 release, Chicago, City on the Make that solidified the author as a real Chicago treasure. Summarizing 120 years of the city’s history, Algren shines a light on the sordid underbelly of Chicago’s past but not without proclaiming his ultimate love for it. The city, with all its faults, still has an essence that one can’t escape as Algren wrote regarding Chicago, ” Like loving a woman with a broken nose, you may find lovelier lovelies. But never a lovely so real.”

Shel Silverstein: Logan Square’s very own, Silverstein’s books have sold millions of copies all over the globe. The local author got his start drawing cartoons for Look, Sports Illustrated, and Playboy during the 1950s and 60s. It wasn’t until his editor encouraged Silverstein to write children’s poetry that his career really flourished. Combining his unique illustrations with his quirky prose, books like Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up gave generations of children (and their parents and teachers) great joy. In addition to his iconic work in children’s literature, Silverstein was also a prolific songwriter, penning the lyrics to many famous songs, including Johnny Cash’s A Boy Named Sue.

Erik Larson: While not born in Chicago, Larson has given us one of the most recent books that highlight the city’s past in a compelling and page-turning fashion with his 2003 historical non-fiction title The Devil in the White City. Larson weaved a historically accurate tale combining the story of Daniel Burnham and the development and success of the 1893 World’s Fair with that of the first modern serial killer, H.H. Holmes. The meticulous devotion to detail and historical fact mixed with Larson’s fantastic grip on vivid storytelling resulted in a book that enthralled readers. Part excellent crime novel and part illuminating history of Chicago’s emergence as a distinguished city that stood apart from New York thanks to the World’s Fair, The Devil in the White City is a must-read for anyone interested in Chicago’s history.

Next time we will finish up with another list of great writers either from Chicago or whose work wouldn’t be what it is without our great city as the backdrop.

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Maximizing Your Outdoor Space

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You’ve found the perfect home and it has everything you’ve ever dreamed of. Spacious, modern kitchen. Gloriously open floor plan. Giant bedrooms. Great location and neighborhood. The only downside is the backyard is slightly smaller than you’d hoped. But no reason to stress. There are many ways you can optimize your outdoor space to make it feel much larger! Check out our favorites below.

Separate Your Space

Breaking up your outdoor area into separate spaces or nooks can help make your backyard feel larger. Place items like planters, small walls, or outdoor light fixtures in between the spaces or separate them by installing different ground surfaces, such as decking, gravel, grass, and concrete.

Use Plants Creatively

Place plants throughout your backyard to help open up the space. Use plants with larger leaves to create depth, place warm-colored plants, such as red, yellow, or orange, near the front or in the center of the yard to catch attention, or install a trellis or plant taller plants to draw the eye upwards.

Incorporate Strategic Decor

Use big structures like pergolas and arbors to frame your outdoor space and give it a grander feel. Add a large sculpture or water fixture in the center or towards the back of the yard as a focal point, then arrange your furniture around it. Finally, hang large mirrors with steel, stone, or wooden frames to reflect light and trick the eye.

By using these techniques and more, you can alter perception and make your small yard feel like the large one of your dreams.

Kathy’s Home & Garden Tips – Plan Your Garden During Quarantine

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So, you’re stuck in the house trying to think of things to do. The house is clean, and you’re getting tired of Netflix and YouTube. With the weather getting better around Chicagoland, why not do some gardening? Maybe you are a first-timer or have gardened for many years, but it’s a great time to plan a garden. You can decide if you want to have a vegetable garden, a flower garden or both! 

The first thing is to check out your space availability. Even the smallest yard should have ten square- feet of space with some decent sunlight to place a few vegetables or flowers. Even if you are living in an apartment or condo, you can garden in containers. There are many resources online to learn about gardening. Chicago Botanic gardens have a great article on small space gardening on their site. It tells about everything from choosing the space to how to prepare the soil to picking seeds or plants. The only things I would recommend growing from seed would be lettuces and spinach or root vegetables like radishes. These vegetables sprout quickly, and the small shoots can be picked for salads. They also love cool weather, and it’s great to be eating salad greens so soon after planting. 

Summer growing vegetables like tomatoes and peppers can’t go into the ground before the frost has passed, usually the end of May around Chicago. You can certainly plan though how you can place your plants and how many you will need. Each tomato plant will need 3 square feet and peppers around 2. Use fences or trellises to train up green beans and cucumbers. 

Take advantage of the few warmer days we’re having to clean up the yard. Rake up all the debris and clean up around bushes and trees. If you already have a garden, till up the soil and add some mushroom compost. This will add nutrients to the soil and loosen it up for better root growth. 

So even in this crazy time, you can take advantage and plan a great garden that will be feeding you through the fall. Or schedule a flower garden to make your landscape beautiful throughout the year, with spring, summer, and fall blooming flowers and shrubs.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO – Fun Home Activities – Part II!

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During these uncertain times while we need to stay indoors, it’s important to implement a routine.  So, this weekend’s entertainment blog will continue with Part II of fun things you can try at home!

Halloween isn’t the only time you could have a Costume Party!  Get the family together for an evening of dress-up or have a themed party such as Mardi Gras and carnival, Hollywood Oscars night, 70’s disco, 80’s retro, 90’s pop, a black & white ball, or a tropical beach.  Have a costume contest with prizes!  There’s no limit to what you can do to have an enjoyable evening with your family!!

Perhaps you can have a Scavenger Treasure Hunt – a fun activity enjoyed by people of all ages!  Now, a treasure hunt is when a series of clues leads to a treasure, whereas a scavenger hunt is a search for a list of items.  So, why not combine the two by choosing a theme, writing out clues and a list of items, choosing a prize, placing clues and items around the house, and having some fun.  For the items part of the hunt, turn it into a photo scavenger hunt where each participant or team snaps a photo of the items on the list.  Make it more fun by dressing up as detectives!!

Children love forts as do some adults like me, so why not Build a Fort or two!  Embrace your inner child, or let your kids show you the way.  Use storage boxes to build a fort-like structure or use a few chairs and blankets to make an awesome wonderland.  You can also decorate your forts inside with lights or sleeping bags for an authentic look and feel.  Click the link above for more ideas and how-to’s!

How about a favorite childhood game of Hide and Seek!  Hide and Seek is a classic children’s game that can be played indoors as well.  In a traditional game, players hide in an area while one person (known as the “it”) counts from one to 100 with their back turned then must find the hidden players.  This is a versatile game that can be adapted to different age groups and varying levels of physical ability.  In fact, this game is enjoyed internationally due to its simple concept and unlimited recreational appeal!

Since we’ve got lots of time on our hands, let’s get them busy by putting together an epic puzzle. It’ll take your mind off boredom and completing a Big Jigsaw Puzzle feels great!  You can even frame it, so you’ll have a souvenir from the 2020 lockdown!!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

Great Chicago Writers to Read During the Lockdown

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So you have binged watched your favorite Chicago films and wore out your best Chicago musician’s playlist. Now you may be asking what is there left to do during the lockdown? Well, it’s time to open a book (or e-reader, of course) and sink down in your favorite spot, break out a favorite beverage, and get lost in the art of storytelling as only a great author can offer. Of course, we aren’t talking about just any book or poem. Below is our list of great authors (some local and some not) whose work has made the city of Chicago one of the great literary settings of all time. So without further ado, let’s get to reading.

Carl Sandburg: No list of great Chicago writers would be complete without the work of Carl Sandburg. Born in Galesburg back in 1878, Sandburg published the poem Chicago in 1914 and introduced the world to Chicago phrases like “big shoulders” and “hog butcher.” His nine-poem collection of the city, Chicago Poems, was published to wide acclaim in 1916. Other notable works include Corn Huskers andhis biography of Abraham Lincoln, both of which won Pulitzer Prizes. Sandburg lived throughout the country during his life, but his many years spent in Chicago will always be strongly associated with this great American writer. 

Upton Sinclair: Not every writer creates a book that literally makes the government adopt new policies for an entire industry. But Upton Sinclair did just that with his 1906 novel, The Jungle. The story tells the tale of a working-class immigrant family struggling to stay afloat while working in the unsafe slaughterhouses and meatpacking district of the Chicago stockyards. Sinclair actually worked incognito in the stockyards while reporting for a newspaper to put help put together his tale of harrowing family miseries that showed the underbelly of the American Dream. While Sinclair hoped the novel would advance his socialist leanings, the book’s portrayal of the inhumane stockyard working conditions and repulsive handling of meat made the most significant impact. The public outcry after The Jungle was released led to the adoption of the Pure Food and Drug Act, which helped in the creation of the Food and Drug Administration.

Gwendolyn Brooks: Born Kansas in 1917, Brooks moved to Chicago at a very early age and used the city as a backdrop for her intense portrayals of urban life throughout her writing career. Publishing her first poem at the young age of 13, Brooks went on to cultivate a mastery of using language and story to depict deeply emotional tales of her character’s lives in her Bronzeville neighborhood. In 1945 she published A Street in Bronzeville. The book of poertyshowed a young author with an uncanny ability to show the reality of the community around her and the struggles everyday people face. Her second collection of poetry, Annie Allen, was released in 1949. The book tells the story of Annie, an African American girl, evolving from youth into womanhood. In 1950 Brooks received the Pulitzer Prize for the collection, making her the first African-American woman to receive the award.

That does it for this week’s list of great Chicago writers. Tune in next week to check out part two of our favorite authors and poets with a Chicago focus. Until then, explore one or all of the writers listed here to see just how important Chicago has become as a setting for major literary works.

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Sweet Home Chicago: The City’s Greatest Musicians Part 2

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This week we conclude our look at great Chicago musicians throughout the years. The city has always been a hotbed for memorable music that has defined generations, and what better time to check out or revisit these amazing artists then while stuck at home. As Nietzsche said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.” So let’s dive into the next batch of bands and artists that call the Windy City home sweet home.

Styx: Formed in 1972, this Chicago band has sold millions of records thanks to their unique blend of melodic rock accented with acoustics and synthesizers. From their prog-rock roots to their arena headlining heyday, the group has toured non-stop and continues to record to this day. Styx has produced numerous hits, including Mr. Roboto, Lady, Come Sail Away, and Too Much Time on My Hands, making them one of the most successful bands to emerge out of the Windy City.

Sam Cooke: Although born in Mississippi, the legendary R&B singer grew up and came into his own as a performer in Chicago. Known as the “King of Soul” thanks to his unforgettable vocals, Cooke arrived on the national scene in 1957 with You Send Me, a massive hit that climbed to No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B and Hot 100 charts. Between 1957 and 1964, Cooke had 30 Top 40 hits, including A Change is Gonna Come, Cupid, and Chain Gang, amongst many others. The smooth and unmistakable tone of his vocals had solidified Cooke as one of the greatest of all time across any genre. 

Wilco: Since 1994, Wilco, led by frontman and musician Jeff Tweedy, has consistently produced some of the best rock music of the last three decades. With influences ranging from The Beatles and Television to alternative country, Wilco creates a unique sound blending rock, pop, and country into a musical buffet that is as unique as it is memorable. Classic albums like A.M., Summerteeth, and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot haveearned the group millions of fans thanks to their mix of experimentation and sharp pop sensibilities. 

Disturbed: Since the dawn of the century, Disturbed have provided the metal genre with a steady diet of heavy riffing and thought-provoking lyrics. The group formed in Chicago in 1994 and has gone on to become one of the most successful bands of the genre. Joining a small group of artists who have had five consecutive No. 1 albums, Disturbed has proven their longevity thanks to hits like Stupify, Down with the Sickness, and their hugely successful cover of Simons and Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence.

Buddy Guy: Another southern bluesman who made his name after relocating to the Windy City, Buddy Guy is who most think of when the subject of Chicago blues comes up. Long considered one of the greatest guitarists ever, Guy cut his teeth as a house musician for legendary Chicago blues label, Chess Records, and played with Muddy Water’s band before going solo. Mixing showmanship, originality, and an attack on the guitar that is uniquely his own, Buddy Guy continues to dazzle audiences around the world and at his Legends blues club on Wabash Avenue. Just one YouTube search of this bluesman and it’s no doubt why Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jimi Hendrix all worshipped Guy’s one of a kind interpretation of the blues. 

That does it for now. By no means is this list complete, and individual taste may vary. Still, these musicians have, without a doubt, left their mark and made Chicago a mecca for unforgettable music. 

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Feng Shui With The Best Of Them

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Feng shui is the Chinese tradition of balancing your home to achieve benefits and advantages associated with your health, finances, career, relationships, and more.

There are many ways to create good feng shui in your home, starting with your bedroom. Open up the room by moving the bed so that both sides are away from the wall and the headboard is against it. Feng shui best practice also suggests placing it where you will have a clear vision of the door, but never directly in line with it. Next, introduce symmetry into the room with artwork, bedside tables, lamps, and pillows to reflect the balance you want in all areas of your life.

Apply feng shui to the entryway of your home to welcome your guests and allow positive energy to flow in. To do this, commit to keeping it clear of shoes, packages, bags, etc. and use a mirror as décor to open the space and indicate you are expanding opportunities in your life. Additionally, consider purchasing and placing a water fountain in the foyer. Flowing water is known to represent wealth flowing in and diffuses negative ions in the air.

Decluttering is key to implementing feng shui in your home and allowing energy to flow freely. Donate clothing that is not often worn and empty drawers and shelves of things you do not need to rid yourself of the old and make mental room for new things in your life.

These steps are just the starting point for bringing good energy into your home and making it evolve as you do. Happy harmonizing!

Kathy’s Home & Garden Tips – Tips for Children Staying at Home

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Last week we gave some guidelines to all of us adults forced to work at home due to the recent pandemic. Many of you are also dealing with one or more young ones at home too. Doing their schoolwork takes up only a portion of the day. With this situation destined to last for weeks, we need to be creative to keep these children occupied while we get our work done. 

As with the adults, it’s a good idea to make a schedule and stick to it. Children do better with structure when they know what will be going on each part of the day. Start with a good breakfast with protein to keep their energy going. Schoolwork is; next, one to two hours depending on age. Preschoolers can color or do simple exercises. Now is an excellent time to make reading a good habit. Children of reading age can read by themselves or read to younger siblings. Even having a preschooler looking through a picture book can keep them occupied for a time. There are so many easy activities for young children to do indoors. Check out busytoddler.com. It is an Amazon site, so all the materials are available. 

Schedule the day like their school day. Have recess time and lunchtime. Schoolwork in small chunks. Playtime is important. Do try to have child-led play. Toys that have children use their imagination are best. Think blocks, kitchens, and dolls or action figures. Flatten out a large box, draw streets and buildings for active car play. Kids love to work in the kitchen. Even the youngest child can add ingredients or decorate cookies, look online for kids cooking activities. 

Outside activities are a must. Children need to run off some of that pent-up energy just like in school. Family hikes are good. Stick to open areas. Best to limit contact with other children right now. Playground equipment can also be problematic, so it’s best to avoid it currently. Get out the bikes as the weather gets better, although kids are used to a little cold and rain at recess. Older kids and teenagers must be made aware of the danger of congregating in groups until the worst of this is over. Many towns’ law enforcement has had to crack down on teenagers gathering in groups. They must understand that while the virus holds a small danger to them, they could transmit it to a more vulnerable person. Unfortunately, many people think some of these rules are just suggestions and don’t apply to them. Be a good example to your children by following the quarantine guidelines. For some indoor exercise, put on some music and dance!

Despite your best intentions, there are going to be times when you simply must get some work done, and movies or screen time is necessary. Make movie time special like they’re at the theater with popcorn and drinks. Use screen time for learning games, not just video games. Do have a scheduled time block daily that they can use screens at their choosing but only for a half-hour or so. 

If we all work together, we can get through this difficult moment. I read something interesting the other day. Ten years from now, when a mother and her teenager are asked about their quarantine experience, the mother would recall how scary and difficult the time was. The teenager, on the other hand, would remember how great the time was spent with their Mom at home. Take this opportunity to make memories with your children.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH AND DEAN’S TEACH CHICAGO

THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO – Fun Home Activities While on Lockdown!

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Another weekend is upon us and we’re still in lockdown. So, until we’re able to get out and socialize again, the entertainment blog will provide you with fun things you can try at home!

One of my favorites is Family Game Time. In fact, my family has game time on holidays and other times throughout the year. Our favorite game is Bingo. Anyone who wishes to play must bring a wrapped gift of $5 or less. Players are allowed a max of two Bingo cards, and when you have a Bingo, you can continue to play but can’t win another prize until everyone else has! We also play classic board games such as Monopoly, Life, Candy Land, and Chutes & Ladders (remember these?). You can even change the rules to make these games harder. You might also try the game Scattergories. 

It’s amazing how many new words our family has created! Remember, you can purchase board games online and have them delivered to your home, or just create one of your own!!

Another favorite of mine is Watching Movies. For me, it’s more fun watching movies with my family rather than alone. Have each family member pick out their favorite movie then select which day the entire family will watch it. Then, set-up your kitchen as a movie theatre lobby with popcorn, drinks, and candy! Bring the movie theatre to the comfort of your own home!!

How about having an Indoor Picnic. It could actually be more fun than a formal dinner and is perfect for feeding a family, or even ideal for a romantic date night option. And kids love it just as much as adults. Plus, there’s an added bonus: no bugs or sunburns to worry about! So, bring out your blankets, choose suitable food like hot dogs for the kids and skewers for the adults, and have yourself a great picnic!!

Whether you have kids or not, everyone loves Disney – right? So, good vocals or not, get those endorphins flowing by belting out your favorite musical hits from Disney movies! Why not turn it into a talent show while you’re at it!!

Be Well Everyone!!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

Sweet Home Chicago: The City’s Greatest Musicians

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When it comes to music, Chicago stands out as one of the breeding grounds for amazing groups and musicians spanning across all genres and tastes. From blues and metal to alternative rock and hip hop, the Windy City has historically provided music that has lasted for decades and continues to be home to acts making their mark across the world. To help get our minds off COVID- 19 and the blues of being stuck at home, let’s take a look at some of the one of a kind music Chicago has given us throughout the years.

Chicago: A bit of a no-brainer, huh? One of the best selling groups of all time, Chicago’s music has entertained fans across the world since their late 60s debut (when they were known as the Chicago Transit Authority). With hits like If You Leave Me Now, Hard To Say I’m Sorry, and 25 or 6 to 4, Chicago has solidified their place as one of the most successful rock bands of all time to emerge from the Windy City. 

Muddy Waters: Considered the godfather of the Chicago blues sound, Muddy Waters was born in Mississippi but moved to Chicago in the 40s, bringing his unique vocals and guitar playing to the South Side blues clubs. Combining the sounds of Mississippi Delta blues with the get-up of Chicago’s street vibe, Muddy Waters defined what we call Chicago Blues thanks to songs like I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man and Rollin’ Stone. Chicago is the undisputed home of the blues, and Muddy Waters stands tall at the top of the list of musicians who made the city the blues mecca it is. 

The Smashing Pumpkins: Led by frontman/guitarist Billy Corgan, The Smashing Pumpkins erupted out of the late 80s/ early 90s alternative scene, putting Chicago on the map next to Seattle as the melting pot of rock music at the time. The group’s sophisticated arrangements and pop sensibilities stood out amongst the wailing guitars and drums on classic albums like Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The recently reunited group has been back on the road as of late, bringing their unique, layered rock stylings to their millions of fans all over the world.

Earth, Wind & Fire: Since forming in Chicago in 1969, Earth, Wind & Fire have blended rock, funk, jazz, soul, and just about any other genre you can think of into music that is loved the world over. One of the best selling groups of all time thanks to songs like Shining Star, Reasons, and September, this Chicago group led by Maurice White has something for every musical taste and has influenced artists ranging from Lenny Kravitz and Justin Timberlake to Amy Winehouse and Erykah Badu.

Kanye West: Love him or loathe him, there’s no doubt that Kanye West has left his mark on the hip hop world and beyond thanks to a mixture of numerous hits and his outlandish personality. While born in Atlanta, West moved to Chicago at a young age and has always called the city home. Groundbreaking hip hop albums like College Dropout, Graduation, and 808s & Heartbreak cemented West as one of the genre’s top artists and producers with artists like Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Ludacris all benefitting from West’s prowess in the recording studio. It would take a whole other blog post to capture West’s idiosyncratic tendencies, so just enjoy the music from one of Chicago’s most celebrated MCs.

Each of these artists has helped put Chicago on the map as one of the meccas of great music, but it’s by no means a complete list. Tune in next week for more Chicago artists who have brought the Windy City to the forefront of modern music. 

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO