Chicago Works: A New Collection of Chicago Authors' Best Stories

"Composed of great stories by top Chicago authors, this anthology contains 21 short stories, each originally published in an internationally famous literary market. The themes of the stories cover everything Chicago—from its history and politics to its social structure—in a way that brings to life a vibrant and diverse city. The stories are set against backdrops as various as the local addresses of Lake Shore Drive, a city tenenment basement, and an affluent suburb, as well as national locales such as Iowa and Oklahoma City and international locales such as the Middle East and Europe. But whatever the stories’ settings, the writers have one thing in common: they all live and work in the Chicago area. With a foreword by Chicago’s mayor, Richard M. Daley, this collection demonstrates the extraordinary literary talent of Chicago. The 21 authors are: Aleksandar Hemon, Phyllis Moore, George Bailey, Patricia Lear, Jack Fuller, S. L. Wisenberg, Lowell B. Komie, Lois Hauselman, John Blades, Rosellen Brown, Marvin Green, Pat Rahmann, Richard Stern, Laurie Levy, David Michael Kaplan, Fran Podulka, Asa Baber, Katherine Shonk, James McManus, Achy Obejas, and Herb Jackson."

Laurie Levy is a freelance writer, columnist, and critic whose work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Magazine. She has written brochures for the Chicago Office of Tourism and produced the shopping section of The Unofficial Guide to Chicago. Her short stories have been published in Mississippi Review, Ohio Review, Ascent, and Story Quarterly. She has been a judge for the Nelson Algren Awards. She lives in Chicago.