Laura Roberts's Blog, page 40

Pen a poem at the Poetry Foundation #AtoZChallenge

As in years past, this month I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 2016 marks my fifth anniversary, so to celebrate, I’m hosting Friday Blog-Ins here in San Diego; you can find out more info about where we’re meeting each week on my A to Z Challenge page.

My monthly theme is Chicago From A to Z, so stay tuned from Monday to Saturday for new posts on the Windy City. Or sign up for my mailing list (delivered weekly, on Fridays) so you don’t miss a thing!

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Did you know that in addition to being A to Z Challenge month, April is also National Poetry Month?

In light of this fact – as well as the news that April 21 is “Poem in Your Pocket Day” – it seems fitting that in Chicago, P is for Poetry Foundation.

Poetry Foundation image by Alanscottwalker, via Wikipedia

Located at 61 W. Superior Street, the Poetry Foundation is open to the public – whether you’re a poet (and you know it) or not – from 11 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday.

The Foundation’s library also has extended hours before their Open Door Readings on Tuesdays, from 4 to 7 PM. The library houses nearly 30,000 books of poetry, as well as a selection of both local and national literary magazines. Perfect for browsing new places to submit your poems, or gleaning inspiration from published poets.

“Poetry Foundation Library” image by Flickr user Steven Vance

Each Open Door Reading features new and emerging poets from Chicago area writing programs, with readings from both poetry instructors and students. This week’s reading (tonight!) features Northwestern University’s Katie Hartsock and her student Megan Pan, along with the University of Chicago’s Rosanna Warren and her student Tim DeMay.

In addition to the Open Door Readings, the Foundation hosts many other events, including the Harriet Reading Series, panel discussions, performances, Wednesday Poemtime for children (ages 2 to 5), poetry-themed gallery exhibits, more readings, and workshops. Be sure to check out their Events page to see what’s coming up.

And in addition to all of that, the Foundation also publishes Poetry magazine – which has been in publication since 1912.

As you can see, the Poetry Foundation is extremely busy with anything and everything to do with the creation, presentation and preservation of poetry.

In honor of National Poetry Month’s 20th anniversary this year, I wrote a haiku for the occasion:

ink-stained poets trace

shadows on paper, words flow

like mighty rivers

And if you prefer to read poems by poets much more talented than I am, I highly recommend signing up for Poets.org’s Poem-A-Day service. You’ll receive one unpublished poem, every day, in your inbox.

Additional Resources


Chicago Poetry Tour
Poets.org: National Poetry Month
Poetry Foundation
Poetry magazine

Your turn!

Who’s your favorite poet, and what’s your favorite poem?

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Obsessions, originals and oddities #AtoZChallenge

As in years past, this month I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 2016 marks my fifth anniversary, so to celebrate, I’m hosting Friday Blog-Ins here in San Diego; you can find out more info about where we’re meeting each week on my A to Z Challenge page.

My monthly theme is Chicago From A to Z, so stay tuned from Monday to Saturday for new posts on the Windy City. Or sign up for my mailing list (delivered weekly, on Fridays) so you don’t miss a thing!

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Obsessions

I must admit, I’m slightly obsessed with Chicago’s Art Deco style. Although it’s something I probably wouldn’t use to decorate my own home, there’s something so stunning about the gilded, over-the-top age of decorative bits and pieces at every turn.

For instance…

“Macy’s many stories” image by Flickr user Jacob Surland

“Harris Trust & Savings Bank ~ Chicago IL ~ Elevator Locator/Mail Box” image by Flickr user Onasill ~ Bill Badzo

“33 North LaSalle St ~ Chicago IL ~ Lobby” image by Flickr user Onasill ~ Bill Badzo

The ornate embellishments of the Art Deco style are really intriguing, for some reason, even though my own style preferences tend to be more minimalist.

Originals

Some of Chicago’s many original inventions include:

Ferris wheel
The word “asswipe” (courtesy of novelist Saul Bellow, 1953)
The phrase “on fleek” (courtesy of Chicago teen Kayla Newman, 2015)
Deep dish pizza
Kielbasa
LSD (to refer to Lake Shore Drive, not acid itself)
Doo-wop
Meatpacking
Birth control pills (you’re welcome!)
Playboy (sorry, ladies…)
Televised political debates (sorry, world…)
Pullman sleeping cars on trains
Skyscrapers
Nuclear reactions

Oddities

In 1900, the flow of the Chicago River was reversed by the city. Instead of flowing into Lake Michigan, as it naturally did, the river’s flow was reversed for sanitary reasons: namely, preventing sewage from polluting the lake (the city’s main source of drinking water), which in turn worked to curb infectious water-borne diseases like cholera and typhoid.

But, oddly enough, scientists are currently pondering the possibility that the flow of the river should be reversed again – allowing it to flow back into Lake Michigan – due to concerns related to climate change.

“Gotham River Front” image by Flickr user CEBImagery

Your turn!

What’s your favorite Chicago obsession, original or oddity?

Additional Resources


Art Deco World: Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Architecture Foundation: Art Deco Skyscrapers tour
Chicago Art Deco Society: Walking tour
Chicago Magazine: Top 40 Chicago Words–Our Contributions to the English Language
Chicago Slanguage
Chicago Tribune: Reversing the river and Top Chicago innovations
Helix Magazine: Reversing the Chicago River, Again
Mental Floss: 15 Foods Invented (or Perfected) in Chicago Besides Deep Dish Pizza
WBEZ: 13 Chicago inventions and firsts

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Presentation Sensation: 365K Club, week 15

It’s that time of the week again: time for another 365K Club word count check-in! Numbers, please…

April 9, Day 100: 205 words

April 10, Day 101: 458 words

April 11, Day 102: 1,209 words

April 12, Day 103: 586 words

April 13, Day 104: 323 words

April 14, Day 105: 796 words

April 15, Day 106: 1,344 words

That’s a grand total of 4,921 words for the week, 8,464 for the month, and a total of 60,544 words this year!

Did I beat last week’s total?

Last week I wrote 3,109 words, so this week’s total crushed it by 1,812 words. Woohoo!

Badges!

I think I won a badge this week, but darned if I can find it, now that I’m typing up this post. Therefore, I am going to make up my own badge for the week, the “Presentation Sensation” badge:

This badge is for the presentation I made at Friday’s San Diego chapter meeting of the Nonfiction Authors Association, on the subject of Writing Challenges. And yes, I did mention the 365K Club as one of the challenges I’m participating in, so it actually makes sense, and I’m not just being a totally self-indulgent jerk. Right? (Okay, maybe a little. But if I don’t pat myself on the back sometimes, who the heck will?)

AHA! I found it, after searching through some of the events. This week I earned the “Following the Yellow Brick Road” badge for hitting the halfway point to 100K:

Pretty sweet, especially since I’m not in Kansas anymore (which is the 1/4-way badge).

Goals for next week?

My main goals for next week are to keep writing my A to Z Challenge posts (trying to stay at least a day ahead), and to start working on a top secret project that one of my new accountability group partners recommended. Stay tuned for details as events progress!

Want to track YOUR words?

In an effort to spread the helpful message of 365K Club’s daily word tracking, I’ve created my own Buttontapper Word Tracker. Want a free copy? Just sign up for my newsletter and you’ll receive a link to download it ASAP.

Related PostsBadges and Blog-Ins: 365K Club, week 11Good luck charms: 365K Club, week 12Halfway to 100K: 365K Club, week 13Zemanta

Navy Pier nonsense #AtoZChallenge

As in years past, this month I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 2016 marks my fifth anniversary, so to celebrate, I’m hosting Friday Blog-Ins here in San Diego; you can find out more info about where we’re meeting each week on my A to Z Challenge page.

My monthly theme is Chicago From A to Z, so stay tuned from Monday to Saturday for new posts on the Windy City. Or sign up for my mailing list (delivered weekly, on Fridays) so you don’t miss a thing!

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Navy Pier is the ultimate tourist trap.

And since I tend to avoid touristy stuff like the plague, you’re probably asking why on earth I’m covering this in my A to Z journey at all. And rightly so!

Here’s the thing:

Navy Pier has an enormous Ferris wheel. And the Ferris wheel is actually a Chicago invention, first created for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.

So, there is always some spark of hometown pride whenever I spot one of these otherwise fairly banal, obligatory contraptions. The London Eye. The Roue de Paris. And, yes, the Navy Pier Ferris wheel.

“Ferris Wheel” image by Flickr user vonderauvisuals

“The Wheel” image by Flickr user Shutter Runner

“Navy Pier Ferris Wheel” image by Flickr user vonderauvisuals

The Ferris wheel is the most common ride at state fairs throughout the U.S. So if you’ve been on one, you probably assume you’ve experienced them all.

But you know what? Ferris wheels are all different.

For one thing, they come in many different sizes. The larger the wheel, obviously, the higher you get up into the air. The higher up, the better your view, right?

Well, that also depends. Because sometimes Ferris wheel operators just want to crank the wheel as fast as possible, to bring on more passengers and thus make more money. If you’re only guaranteed one spin around the dial, you won’t get such a great view, and will likely feel ripped off the smaller the wheel is.

Add to that the fact that smaller wheels usually have different types of viewing stations: the seated Ferris wheel, that can only accommodate two people on a swing-like contraption, versus the more elaborate and larger wheels that have a more funicular-like platform that can accommodate, say, four or six people per compartment. Are you looking for alone-time with a sweetheart, or a group chance to ooh and ahh over the city?

Famous Ferris wheels

The original Ferris wheel was nothing like the rinky-dink so-called Ferris wheels found at most county fairs. It was 264 feet tall, and intended to directly rival the 1,063-foot Eiffel Tower – another World’s Fair creation.

As per Wikipedia’s description:

“There were 36 cars, each fitted with 40 revolving chairs and able to accommodate up to 60 people, giving a total capacity of 2,160. The wheel carried some 38,000 passengers daily and took 20 minutes to complete two revolutions, the first involving six stops to allow passengers to exit and enter and the second a nine-minute non-stop rotation, for which the ticket holder paid 50 cents.”

A 50-cent ride on a Ferris wheel sounds incredibly cheap these days, doesn’t it? A ride on Navy Pier’s Ferris wheel most recently cost $8 for a 7-minute ride – although the Ferris wheel is currently out of commission, ’til summer 2016 May 27, according to Chicago Magazine (it’s being remodeled with climate control, and will be 33% taller than before at 200 feet; you’ll also be able to ride for three full go ’rounds, rather than just a single trip around the dial).

For film buffs, there’s also the matter of the Vienna Ferris wheel, or Wiener Riesenrad, which figures prominently in the Orson Welles flick, The Third Man. Yes, it is the oldest currently in existence (originally built in 1897). And it was also the tallest until 1985, when Technocosmos wheel was built in Japan. But the Technocosmos isn’t featured in a movie as cool as The Third Man, is it?

But back to Chicago…

Ferris wheels strike me as something similar to that famous Greek quote about not being able to enter the same river twice.

As Heraclitus once said:

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

Is the view from even the same Ferris wheel ever, truly, the same? I would argue no. For it may be the same Ferris wheel, but you will never be the same woman or man who rode the wheel before.

Maybe if we all adopted this “circle of life” approach, we’d be a bit better off? For though we may return and return to the same people, places and events again and again, we are never the same as we were the last go-round. And if we are, may the gods help us, for clearly we haven’t learned a damn thing!

Big wheel keep on turnin’

What’s your favorite Ferris wheel?

Additional Resources


Daily Mail: Definitely NSFW – “Single mother arrested for having sex on a Las Vegas Ferris wheel with since-murdered stranger on her 21st birthday agrees to a plea deal“
Eater: Watch a clip from Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown [featuring a human-powered Ferris wheel in Myanmar!]
Japan Today: Japan’s tallest Ferris wheel to open in Osaka in July
San Diego Union-Tribune: Giant Ferris wheels proposed on bay
Smithsonian: The Brief History of the Ferris Wheel
Wikipedia: Ferris wheel and List of Ferris wheels

Giveaway: San Diego from A to Z

Want to read the book I wrote last April, based on my A to Z posts about San Diego? I’m giving away two paperback copies of San Diego From A to Z over at Goodreads, so click here and enter to win! AND I’m giving away one free ebook copy every day until the end of April to a random commenter here on the blog. Leave a comment every day for another chance to win!

Goodreads Book Giveaway


San Diego from A to Z
by Laura Roberts

Giveaway ends April 30, 2016.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

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Magnificent Michigan #AtoZChallenge

As in years past, this month I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 2016 marks my fifth anniversary, so to celebrate, I’m hosting Friday Blog-Ins here in San Diego; you can find out more info about where we’re meeting each week on my A to Z Challenge page.

My monthly theme is Chicago From A to Z, so stay tuned from Monday to Saturday for new posts on the Windy City. Or sign up for my mailing list (delivered weekly, on Fridays) so you don’t miss a thing!

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If you’ve ever lived in or around Chicago, you already know the importance of Michigan in its myriad forms.

Let’s start with the most obvious: Lake Michigan!

“Juneway Beach Park” image by Flickr user Ann Fisher

“Chicago Harbor Light” image by Flickr user Tom Gill

“Splash” image by Flickr user Shutter Runner

“Chicago, 2014” image by Flickr user Greg Wass

Yep, it’s true: Chicago is the city on the lake (not to be confused with “the mistake on the lake,” i.e. Cleveland, Ohio), and residents are well aware of its looming presence.

Due to the “lake effect,” (helpfully included in Chicago-area weather forecasts, particularly if you follow local meteorologist Tom Skilling) you’ll frequently find temperatures are several degrees cooler the closer you get to Lake Michigan. This can be gratifying in the summer months, and bone-chilling in the winter.

While the city of Chicago has forbidden lakefront development, allowing the adjacent areas to remain open to the public as parks and beaches, 12 million people do live along the lake shore – mostly in the wider Chicagoland and Milwaukee areas – and millions of residents get their drinking water from the lake, too. This can definitely be dangerous when BP is spilling oil there! (And you thought the Flint Water Crisis was bad…)

More Lake Michigan factoids to confound and amaze your friends:


The word “Michigan” is believed to hail from the Ojibwa language, based on the word mishigami meaning “great water.”
Lake Michigan is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume, but only the third-largest in terms of surface area. How do you like that? It’s also been described as “slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia.”
It’s the only Great Lake entirely located within the U.S.; the other four share a border with Canada.
Lake Michigan is sometimes called the “Third Coast” of the U.S., because of its many beaches – many featuring “singing sands” that squeak when you walk on them, due to their high quartz content.
The lake supposedly even has its own version of the Bermuda Triangle, in which ships and airplanes have gone missing under unusual circumstances; it’s aptly named the “Michigan Triangle.” (Don’t worry; the “triangle zone is closer to Michigan and Wisconsin than Illinois, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally wandering into it.)

Michigan Avenue

In addition to Michigan the Lake, there’s also Michigan the street: Michigan Avenue, aka The Magnificent Mile.

The Magnificent Mile is a 13-block stretch of the avenue that runs from the Chicago River north to Oak Street. It does, indeed, measure almost exactly one mile, so if you’re looking to log some time on ye olde Fitbit, this would be a good place to do it.

Additionally, the Magnificent Mile is so-called because it’s located on Chicago’s Gold Coast – the second most affluent neighborhood in the U.S. (behind Manhattan’s Upper East Side), and where all the fancy-ass shopping takes place downtown.

“Chicago Gold Coast: When the Morning Breaks” image by Flickr user Roman Boed

Coincidentally, Michigan Avenue runs parallel to Lake Michigan. (The only street closer to the lake is the aptly named Lake Shore Drive.) So I think you can probably agree that the people who named this street weren’t feeling particularly adventurous that day. Nevertheless, it does have a certain ring to it, doesn’t it? It’s a far cry from the bland numerical moniker of New York’s Fifth Avenue, anyway…

Additional Resources


Atlas Obscura: Lake Michigan Triangle: Paranormal activity on the Great Lakes
Chicago Traveler: Magnificent Mile
Michigan Ave Magazine
The Magnificent Mile
New York Times: For Skilling, There Is No Such Thing as Bad Weather
WGN, Chicago Weather Center: Does Chicago ever get a major lake-effect snow like they do in Michigan and Indiana?
Wikipedia: Lake-effect snow, Lake Michigan, Michigan Avenue (Chicago) and Magnificent Mile

What say you?

Which Michigan moniker gets your motor running?

Giveaway: San Diego from A to Z

Want to read the book I wrote last April, based on my A to Z posts about San Diego? I’m giving away two paperback copies of San Diego From A to Z over at Goodreads, so click here and enter to win! AND I’m giving away one free ebook copy every day until the end of April to a random commenter here on the blog. Leave a comment every day for another chance to win!

Goodreads Book Giveaway


San Diego from A to Z
by Laura Roberts

Giveaway ends April 30, 2016.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Related PostsLSD in Chicago #AtoZChallengeJazz vs. Blues: Chicago’s music #AtoZChallengeHype, hope, haters & honorary Chicagoans #AtoZChallengeZemanta

LSD in Chicago #AtoZChallenge

As in years past, this month I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 2016 marks my fifth anniversary, so to celebrate, I’m hosting Friday Blog-Ins here in San Diego; you can find out more info about where we’re meeting each week on my A to Z Challenge page.

My monthly theme is Chicago From A to Z, so stay tuned from Monday to Saturday for new posts on the Windy City. Or sign up for my mailing list (delivered weekly, on Fridays) so you don’t miss a thing!

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Not that kind of LSD, you skeevy stoners!

Chicago has a very special brand of LSD:

Lake

Shore

Drive.

“The Great Snake” image by Flickr user Justin Kern

“Lake Shore Drive During Snowmageddon” image by Flickr user Shutter Runner

I think we can agree, this lake-adjacent motorway is much more far-out than tripping on acid – although if you did LSD on LSD, well… that’s probably the trippiest of all (but for legal reasons I must advise against it).

If you’ve seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, you’ve seen Lake Shore Drive when Ferris and his friends are driving downtown. It’s a montage sequence, where Ferris is turning around to talk to Cameron, who yells at him to put his hands back on the wheel.

Lake Shore Drive is a great way to cruise the lakefront, snap some cool pix, and get a feel for the sheer size of the city.

Driving notes

It is, however, not a great choice when it’s storming, because the drive is so close to the lake that it can (and does) experience flooding. So, fair warning, don’t try to cruise LSD when there’s a thunderstorm or winter snowstorm approaching.

Also, please note that Lake Shore Drive has two strands: the outer and inner drives. The inner drive hooks up with the downtown street grid, so it’s best for local traffic, whereas the outer drive is basically a bypass that’ll let you shoot from the south end of the city to the north (or vice versa).

Another quirk of LSD is that it runs both north/south and east/west, at different points. Confused? Just think about the geography: this street hugs the lake, which means it curves around a bit.

Musical interlude!

Finally, LSD is so famous, it’s even got its own song:

Additional Resources


IDOT & CDOT: North Lake Shore Drive
Travel Channel: What to do on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive
Wikipedia: Lake Shore Drive

What do you think?

Like the lake? If so, stay tuned for tomorrow’s post with plenty more shore action!

Giveaway: San Diego from A to Z

Want to read the book I wrote last April, based on my A to Z posts about San Diego? I’m giving away two paperback copies of San Diego From A to Z over at Goodreads, so click here and enter to win! AND I’m giving away one free ebook copy every day until the end of April to a random commenter here on the blog. Leave a comment every day for another chance to win!

Goodreads Book Giveaway


San Diego from A to Z
by Laura Roberts

Giveaway ends April 30, 2016.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

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Kielbasa & more Polish foods of Chicago #AtoZChallenge

As in years past, this month I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 2016 marks my fifth anniversary, so to celebrate, I’m hosting Friday Blog-Ins here in San Diego; you can find out more info about where we’re meeting each week on my A to Z Challenge page.

My monthly theme is Chicago From A to Z, so stay tuned from Monday to Saturday for new posts on the Windy City. Or sign up for my mailing list (delivered weekly, on Fridays) so you don’t miss a thing!

__

Kielbasa is a delicious Polish-style sausage that I grew up eating on most major holidays (Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving). Why? Because it’s delicious. Also, because my family is half Polish. (I dare you to guess the other half!)

Chicago claims about 6.7% of its population – or approximately 1.5 million people – are of Polish ancestry. Indeed, Polish is the third most spoken language in the city, behind English and Spanish. So put that in your rura (pipe) and palić (smoke it)!

Or, better yet, smoke this:

“Pork, Kielbasa and Kraut layers” by Flickr user Colin Tomele

But definitely DON’T smoke this:

“Vegan kielbasa sausages from Tofurky” image by Flickr user Josefine Stenudd

Vegan kielbasa? How is this even a thing? You can’t eat sausages if you’re vegan, guys. Sorry, but sausages are MEAT in tube form, not tofu or seitan or whatnot. The sausage is traditionally encased in ANIMAL INTESTINES, too, so what are you even thinking trying to un-meat this meat?!

Furthermore, I must inquire: if you don’t eat or approve of meat, why are you so fixated on eating meat REPLICA products like this, you silly vegans? Just stick with the plants and grains and you’ll be fine. And if you get a hankering for kielbasa, go for the real thing. It’s way less GMO, for one…

BUT I DIGRESS.

Pass the pierogi

If you are a Polish food fanatic, pierogi are another tasty item you’re likely to be familiar with:

“pierogies” image by Flickr user di.wineanddine

These little dumplings could contain any number of fillings, but typically involve potatoes, cheese, more meat, sauerkraut, or even fruit like blueberries (although, frankly, I consider the “dessert” pierogi to be weird).

The savory pierogi should be topped with fried onions, sour cream and/or butter. I have also been known to use the rather unorthodox topping of dijon or spicy brown mustard, or even Dijonaise! Because I’m a risk-taker, and I am willing to experiment.

Another stuffed food you should try when experimenting with Polish food is gołąbki, which are cabbage rolls:

“Golumpki (cabbage rolls)” image by Flickr user Hannah Donovan

My part-Hungarian husband loves cabbage rolls, too, so it’s obviously one of those Eastern European foods that many cultures have passed around and embraced.

Polish foods I would NOT eat

My mom repeatedly told us about Polish foods she did NOT enjoy eating as a child, and usually included a gross story about a duck’s blood soup called czernina. This is a food I would not really be into trying, either, as she mentions it was typically served cold. Yum, cold, congealed duck’s blood in a bowl! Waiter, may I have another? Barf bag, that is…

I would also likely run from syrop z cebuli, which is supposedly a cough syrup made of onions and sugar. WOW. Two great tastes that undoubtedly taste HORRIBLE together. Dude, this sounds worse than Chinese food and chocolate pudding, or cocaine and waffles.

I am, however, up for trying pretty much any Polish desserts. Especially this sernik cheesecake:

“Good, creamy Polish desserts” image by Flickr user Douglas LeMoine

Cheesecake is, let’s face it, the unifying force in most cultures.

Additional Resources


Food Network: Grilled Pierogies and Kielbasa
Migrationology: 10 of the Best Polish Foods
Tasting Poland: 100 Best Foods From Poland
Thrillist: The Ditka Awards: Chicago’s 10 Best Polish Spots
Wikipedia: Kielbasa, Pierogi, Poles in Chicago

What say you?

Would you give any of these Polish foods a try? Or have you already got a favorite Polish restaurant in Chicago?

Giveaway: San Diego from A to Z

Want to read the book I wrote last April, based on my A to Z posts about San Diego? I’m giving away two paperback copies of San Diego From A to Z over at Goodreads, so click here and enter to win! AND I’m giving away one free ebook copy every day until the end of April to a random commenter here on the blog. Leave a comment every day for another chance to win!

Goodreads Book Giveaway


San Diego from A to Z
by Laura Roberts

Giveaway ends April 30, 2016.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

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Jazz vs. Blues: Chicago’s music #AtoZChallenge

As in years past, this month I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 2016 marks my fifth anniversary, so to celebrate, I’m hosting Friday Blog-Ins here in San Diego; you can find out more info about where we’re meeting each week on my A to Z Challenge page.

My monthly theme is Chicago From A to Z, so stay tuned from Monday to Saturday for new posts on the Windy City. Or sign up for my mailing list (delivered weekly, on Fridays) so you don’t miss a thing!

__

Is Chicago a jazz town or a blues town?

This is one of those rhetorical questions with no real answer, before you start to argue one way or another. Indeed, it’s just a simple fact that Chicago’s been at the heart of it all when it comes to music in general. But two of the city’s most strongly associated forms, historically speaking, are jazz and blues.

What’s the difference between jazz and blues?

Diffen.com offers a joke to help you differentiate:

“A blues guitarist plays 3 chords in front of thousands of people, and a jazz guitarist plays thousands of chords in front of 3 people.”

But to be serious, blues came first, and while jazz could be considered an offshoot of the blues, it clearly developed into its very own style over the years.

To further simplify, blues songs always have lyrics and are meant to be sung, whereas jazz is much more often purely instrumental – and great for writers who don’t want to get hung up on the lyrics of a song they’re listening to while they’re writing something of their own!

While the blues eventually spun off into bluegrass, jazz, R&B, and even rock ‘n’ roll, jazz remains its own genre, and can be “hot” or “cool.”

Much more than the blues, jazz is about improvisation and group collaborations to give a well known song a unique twist, and every performance is completely different than the last. I think perhaps this emphasis on “different every time” can be a barrier to some people’s appreciation of the genre, since jazz doesn’t offer the same kind of easy rewards as, say, memorizing the words to your favorite pop song and being able to sing along. Instead, the joy comes from the fact that the song will never be the same, no matter how many times you listen to the album, and that chaotic feeling of “change is good” seems to influence both the musicians and their audience.

Here’s a strange juxtaposition of jazz, blues, rock and metal from guitarist Jonas Tamas to give you some musical comparisons:

And check out “History of the Blues in 50 Guitar Riffs” for a crash course in blues styling:

But don’t miss this guitar lesson from BB King, King of the Blues:

Chicago musicians

Some Chicago blues musicians you may already be familiar with include Muddy Waters:

And Howlin’ Wolf:

Chicago jazz musicians include Nat King Cole:

Jelly Roll Morton:

Bud Freeman:

Benny Goodman:

And Louis Armstrong – who was originally from New Orleans, but became noted for his Chicago-based Hot Five and Hot Seven bands):

And you might recognize this jazz-inspired tune from the musical Chicago, the second-longest running Broadway show (behind The Phantom of the Opera):

One of my fellow A to Z Challengers, Sarah Zama, is exploring Jazz in its entirety over at The Old Shelter, so if you’re looking for some well-researched material on the subject, I highly recommend popping over for a read! Be sure to check out B for Blues and I for Improvisation.

Additional Resources


Chicago Jazz Festival (September 1-4, 2016): Free admission, held annually in Millennium Park
Diffen.com: Blues vs. Jazz
JazzCity 2016 Schedule: Free concert series now in its 19th season
Jazz Institute of Chicago
Wikipedia: Music of Chicago

What do you think?

Which is your favorite Chicago musical style: jazz, blues – or something else entirely?

Giveaway: San Diego from A to Z

Want to read the book I wrote last April, based on my A to Z posts about San Diego? I’m giving away two paperback copies of San Diego From A to Z over at Goodreads, so click here and enter to win! AND I’m giving away one free ebook copy every day until the end of April to a random commenter here on the blog. Leave a comment every day for another chance to win!

Goodreads Book Giveaway


San Diego from A to Z
by Laura Roberts

Giveaway ends April 30, 2016.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Related PostsFamous Fields #AtoZChallengeDelicious! Celebrate Deep Dish Pizza Day #AtoZChallengeHype, hope, haters & honorary Chicagoans #AtoZChallengeZemanta

Italian beef in Illinois #AtoZChallenge

As in years past, this month I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 2016 marks my fifth anniversary, so to celebrate, I’m hosting Friday Blog-Ins here in San Diego; you can find out more info about where we’re meeting each week on my A to Z Challenge page.

My monthly theme is Chicago From A to Z, so stay tuned from Monday to Saturday for new posts on the Windy City. Or sign up for my mailing list (delivered weekly, on Fridays) so you don’t miss a thing!

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WARNING: If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, or have strong anti-meat feelings, you’re probably going to want to skip this post. Because today, it’s all about the meat. Specifically, the ITALIAN BEEF.

“Al’s Italian Beef Blvd” image by Flickr user Thomas Hawk

 

If you’ve never had an Italian beef sandwich, you’ve clearly never experienced the real Chicago.

Here’s Wikipedia’s thorough yet succinct explanation of what this sandwich is all about:

An Italian beef is a sandwich of thin slices of seasoned roast beef, dripping with meat juices, on a dense, long Italian-style roll, which originated in Chicago where its history dates back at least to the 1930s. The bread itself is often dipped (or double-dipped) into the juices the meat is cooked in, and the sandwich is typically topped off with Chicago-style giardiniera (called “hot”) or sauteed, green Italian sweet peppers (called “sweet”).

If your mouth is not watering, at this point, I suspect your taste buds may be broken.

You see, the first rule of eating in Chicago is:

Meat is king

And of the many meaty sandwiches you can choose from, the Italian beef is the meatiest of them all.

Now, I must admit that the Italian beef is not exactly a beautiful sight to behold. Not unless you’ve been starved in a desert for a week and a half, and would eat anything remotely resembling food. In fact, the Italian beef truly looks like little more than a pile of meat and peppers dumped unceremoniously onto a bun. And then, depending on whether you want it “wet” or “dry,” dunked straight into a vat of meat juice.

But sometimes deliciousness comes in even the most unexpected (or even downright unattractive) of packages.

Here’s a typical Italian beef sandwich (“dry”), so you can see what I mean:

“an italian beef” image by Flickr user jslander

I mean, even the Philly cheese steak looks more appetizing than this, no? (Not to start a war here…)

So where can one ingest a tasty, meaty, artery-clogging Italian beef? I shall now defer to the experts with the following listicles:

Serious Eats: The 10 Best Italian Beef Sandwiches in Chicago You’ve Probably Never Tried
Steve Dolinsky: The 31 Essential Italian Beef Joints in Chicago(land)
Thrillist: The top 10 Italian beef sandwiches in Chicago

“I love italian beef” image by Flickr user Cher

Additional Resources


AmazingRibs.com: Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich Outdoors Or In
Chicago Tribune: Hunting the best Italian beef in Chicago
Food Network: Chicago Italian Beef (Pot Roast Style)
GreaseFreak: Images of Chicago-style food, edible and not
Steve Dolinsky: What’s an Italian Beef?

Chicago food face-off!

Which would you rather try: an Italian beef or a deep dish pizza?

Giveaway: San Diego from A to Z

Want to read the book I wrote last April, based on my A to Z posts about San Diego? I’m giving away two paperback copies of San Diego From A to Z over at Goodreads, so click here and enter to win! AND I’m giving away one free ebook copy every day until the end of April to a random commenter here on the blog. Leave a comment every day for another chance to win!

Goodreads Book Giveaway


San Diego from A to Z
by Laura Roberts

Giveaway ends April 30, 2016.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Related PostsChicago Manual of Style #AtoZChallengeHype, hope, haters & honorary Chicagoans #AtoZChallengeDelicious! Celebrate Deep Dish Pizza Day #AtoZChallengeZemanta

Hype, hope, haters & honorary Chicagoans #AtoZChallenge

As in years past, this month I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 2016 marks my fifth anniversary, so to celebrate, I’m hosting Friday Blog-Ins here in San Diego; you can find out more info about where we’re meeting each week on my A to Z Challenge page.

My monthly theme is Chicago From A to Z, so stay tuned from Monday to Saturday for new posts on the Windy City. Or sign up for my mailing list (delivered weekly, on Fridays) so you don’t miss a thing!

__

I recently read an article in Chicago Magazine that offered a few tips to people looking to promote Chicago, rather than dwelling on some of its negative images. One of the suggestions was to tap famous Chicagoans to produce some “Go Chicago” commercials, in the vein of California’s “Visit California” commercials.

Their main point was that Chicagoans are a little tired of hearing about Oprah and Michael Jordan again and again. Don’t people know that John Cusack, Vince Vaughn and Harrison Ford are from (and currently live in) Chicago, too?

And, um, hello… OUR PRESIDENT, BARACK OBAMA?!

Anyway, that got me thinking…

Honorary Chicagoans

What about making a list of Honorary Chicagoans? I mean, if universities offer honorary degrees, and cities are tired of handing out giant ceremonial keys, I think a nice “Honorary Chicagoan” plaque or button or statuette would be a cool way to get people fired up about visiting the city.

Here are some folks I’d nominate for the honor:

Grumpy Cat – because inside every “Midwest nice” person is one very Grumpy Cat
Justin Trudeau – hey, if the Queen of England can buy a condo in Chicago, why not the Prime Minister of Canada? Besides, now that he and Obama are BFFs, they’re clearly going to be spending a lot of time hanging in Chicago once the POTUS has finished his second term, right?
Ani Difranco – because while she may not be a Pretty Girl, she certainly ain’t Shy; in fact, she’s 32 Flavors (a reference that Ferris Bueller fans are sure to understand) and Chicago could use more folk singers that kick as much ass as this Righteous Babe
Christian Bale – because Gotham is obviously Chicago, so the Batman should get honorary status (and show up occasionally to dissuade people from engaging in gun violence by bending their firearms…)
Tim Curry – because if we’re going to nominate superheroes, then we should also nominate the ultimate film villain (and, c’mon, Dr. Frank-N-Furter alone earns the man mad props)
Roxane Gay – because this Bad Feminist lives in Illinois and is both bookish and badass

And one posthumous honoree: Salvador Dalí – because we can all use a little more surrealism in our lives.

A Salvador Dalí postcard I recently received from a friend visiting Spain

Chicago celeb short list

Not that Chicago doesn’t already have plenty of celebrities to boast about!

Here are a few more celebs who were born in Chicago and/or currently call the city home:

Gillian Anderson
Jennifer Beals
James Belushi
Hannibal Buress
Sandra Cisneros
Diablo Cody
Common
Billy Corgan
Joan Cusack
Dave Eggers
The dudes in Fall Out Boy
Lupe Fiasco
Hugh Hefner
Jennifer Hudson
Kim Novak
Dan Savage
Mr. T
Kanye West
Billy Zane

That ought to keep you occupied for a while, right?

Additional Resources


AniDifranco.com
Curbed Chicago: Chicago Celebrity Homes
Daily Mail: Tim Curry is returning to Rocky Horror Picture Show as Criminologist Narrator for Fox’s reimagining
Salvador Dalí: Theatre-Museum
GrumpyCats.com
The Guardian: Roxane Gay: meet the bad feminist
Ranker: 75+ Celebrities Who Live in Chicago
Wikipedia: List of people from Chicago

Name your noms!

Who’s a hero or cool cat you’d nominate as an Honorary Chicagoan?

Giveaway: San Diego from A to Z

Want to read the book I wrote last April, based on my A to Z posts about San Diego? I’m giving away two paperback copies of San Diego From A to Z over at Goodreads, so click here and enter to win! AND I’m giving away one free ebook copy every day until the end of April to a random commenter here on the blog. Leave a comment every day for another chance to win!

Goodreads Book Giveaway


San Diego from A to Z
by Laura Roberts

Giveaway ends April 30, 2016.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Related PostsDelicious! Celebrate Deep Dish Pizza Day #AtoZChallengeFamous Fields #AtoZChallengeChicago Manual of Style #AtoZChallengeZemanta