More Chicago, Chicago
Call for Submissions for the February issue of Moss Piglet
Does it say something about the City of Chicago that we’re on a single-word name basis with its celebrities?
Oprah, Obama, Hillary, Studs, Siskel & Ebert, Royko, Capone, Dillinger, Belushi, Colbert, Hef, Newhart …
… and Mr. T.
It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we have a full tank of gas, half a packet of cigarettes; it’s dark and we’re wearing sunglasses.
Like other major cities, Chicago has been mythologized in verse, images, and film.
While you don’t need to have lived in or even visited The Windy City to appreciate the 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers, its humor hits harder the closer you are to Michigan Avenue.
In 1984, I attended a screening of The Blues Brothers with a few friends in Bonn, West Germany, where the locals turned out in fedoras, skinny ties, and black suits.
While my pals and I laughed our asses off - while knowing every beat of the picture - our fellow movie-goers were oddly stoic from opening to end credits.
Bueller…Bueller?
If you were around in the ‘70s and ‘80s, you’re probably familiar with film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert from their TV series and their newspaper columns in Chicago.
Siskel struck me as the stick-in-the-mud of this duo.
In 1986, he panned the film, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which is a love letter to Chicago, where its trio of teenage characters take in the Art Institute, Wrigley Field, Sears Tower, Daley Plaza, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Lake Shore Drive, and the Chicago River over the course of a single day.
Fun fact: Ferris Bueller co-star, Mia Sara, played the role of Princess Langwidere in 2011 film, Dorothy and The Witches of Oz. (The March 2026 theme for Moss Piglet is The Wizard of Oz.)
What really matters is what you like, not what you are like... Books, records, films - these things matter.
“Well, that’s a mistake, moving the story’s location.” - Stephen Frears, director of High Fidelity.
Nick Hornby is a London-based author, but the film version’s location of his novel, High Fidelity, was shifted to Chicago. The film’s star, John Cusack, and its screenwriters, grew up in nearby Evanston and felt that Chicago and its music scene would make a great setting for the motion picture.
They were spot on.
High Fidelity takes viewers to the Music Box Theater, the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, and Armitage Station, as well as several eateries. The movie’s record shop doesn’t exist, but its Wicker Park location is only a few blocks from independent seller, Reckless Records.
While I’ve never visited Reckless Records, I’ve been in shops like it. My favorite was a place in Kenosha that hid John Denver records, but had the latest LP by Old & New Dreams (Ornette Coleman’s backing band) right out front.
Jimmy Corrigan in the White City
Here’s two books you won’t see together on a store shelf, but both share stories of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.:
Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City and Chris Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid on Earth
Larson’s nonfiction work tells the story of architect Daniel Burnham, who oversaw the design and construction of the buildings on the Jackson Park fairgrounds for the exposition. Larson’s book also includes the tale of H.H. Holmes, who preyed on Fair visitors, luring them to his hotel for torture and murder.
Larson’s research for his book caused him to fall in love with Chicago. His daughter would later attend the University of Chicago.
Scenes from Chris Ware’s graphic novel, Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid on Earth, take place at this same fair, where Jimmy’s grandfather abandons his son. This son will grow up and become a father who also abandons his child, the title character.
Chris Ware is a Cornhusker by birth, but lives in Chicago. The documentary film company, Art21, featured a segment on him in 2016. I’ve viewed it many times, and had to pause writing this newsletter to watch it again. It’s that good.
To view it yourself, click HERE.
Quimby’s Bookstore in Chicago is named for Ware’s character, Quimby the Mouse, and its logo was designed by the artist. Quimby’s is the only brick-and-mortar shop where you can purchase copies of Moss Piglet.
What Does Chicago Mean To You?
In the last issue (Dec 1, 2025) of this newsletter, the Call for Submissions flyer for the Chicago-themed issue of Moss Piglet contained the wrong deadline date.
Apologies to all who were thrown off by this error. It’s been corrected.
Send your submissions about Chicago to info@krazines.com by Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
Until Next Time
Happy New Year to you. I’m looking forward to 2026 and the many themes to inspire you to pick up a pen, brush, or camera.
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