In 1952 the New Yorker published a three-part essay by A. J. Liebling in which he dubbed Chicago the "Second City." From garbage collection to the skyline, nothing escaped Liebling's withering gaze. Among the outraged responses from Chicago residents was one that Liebling described as the apotheosis of such criticism: a postcard that read, simply, "You were never in Chicago."
Neil Steinberg has lived in and around Chicago for more than three decades—ever since he left his hometown of Berea, Ohio, to attend Northwestern—yet he remains fascinated by the dynamics captured in Liebling's anecdote. In You Were Never in Chicago Steinberg weaves the story of his own coming-of-age as a young outsider who made his way into the inner circles and upper levels of Chicago journalism with a nuanced portrait of the city that would surprise even lifelong residents.
Steinberg takes readers through Chicago's vanishing industrial past and explores the city from the quaint skybridge between the towers of the Wrigley Building, to the depths of the vast Deep Tunnel system below the streets. He deftly explains the city's complex web of political favoritism and carefully profiles the characters he meets along the way, from greats of jazz and journalism to small-business owners just getting by. Throughout, Steinberg never loses the curiosity and close observation of an outsider, while thoughtfully considering how this perspective has shaped the city, and what it really means to belong. Intimate and layered, You Were Never in Chicago will be a welcome addition to the bookshelves of all Chicagoans, be they born in the city or forever transplanted.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Neil Steinberg is a columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he has been on staff since 1987. He is the author of seven books, including Drunkard: A Hard-Drinking Life and Hatless Jack: The President, the Fedora, and the History of American Style.
"[A] rollicking newspaperman's memoir . . . and a strong case for Second City exceptionalism." (New York Times)
"A triumph." (Patrick Ryan Toronto Star)
"Despite his long residence in the city and its suburbs, Steinberg feels and writes as an outsider, which allows him to see and describe aspects of Chicago from a fresh and enthusiastic perspective....This is a well-done paean to a diverse, vibrant metropolis."
(Booklist)"Steinberg’s greatest gift is his ability to build Chicago in our imaginations as a city that has grown from the efforts of people willing to make it their home, sometimes against unbelievable odds. He weaves wonderful stories of people we now take for granted – Upton Sinclair, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Carl Sandburg, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Theodore Dreiser, Jelly Roll Morton – all who were not born in Chicago, but for whom Chicago became the backdrop onto which they achieved greatness."
(Shyam K. Sriram PopMatters)"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
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