Chicago is a representation of everything that makes the United States the awesome and challenging country that it is. There’s a tradition there of firsts — the skyscraper, the telegraph, the Twinkie — and a commitment to industry with railroads and shipping and meatpacking and teamsters.
There’s also a sobering history of race riots and gangsters. Daring muckrakers and corrupt politicians. Life-affirming jazz and blues musicians and baseball. Hot dogs, deep-dish pizza, and Italian beef sandwiches. And a population made up of immigrants from all over Europe that’s spawned high-spirited, tough-minded native Chicagoans.
our podcast
In this episode, we talk about Chicago’s colorful history and world-class cuisine. Then we discuss six books we love that explore Chicago’s culture, food, and background of rabble-rousers and heroes — including a classic of muckraking journalism, a hardboiled detective novel, a poignant graphic novel, a family saga disguised as a whimsical sci-fi romp, Roger Ebert’s moving autobiography, and a page-turning account of the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. (show notes / transcript)
recommended books
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Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community.
buy | read review
Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community.
buy | read review
Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community.
buy | read review
Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community.
buy | read review
Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community.
buy | read review
Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community.
buy | read review
Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community.
featured posts
We visit the Windy City for a deep-dive into what makes Chicago different from every other city in America. We discuss books we love that explore Chicago's culture, food, and history of rabble-rousers and heroes.
If you're looking for a zine about awesome pizza, indie magazines, or a Q&A with your favorite graphic novelist, Quimby's Bookstore in Chicago is your kind of place. Fulfilling all your weird book needs since 1991.
Treat yourself to a recipe for homemade Chicago-style hot dogs! It's an all-beef dog 'dragged through the garden' with colorful toppings for a taste explosion, inspired by Erik Larson's brilliant romp through history.
This story begins as a playful, almost-sci-fi romp, then becomes the heart-warming (and riotously funny) family saga you didn't know you needed — all while transporting you to the Chicago of the 1960s and 1990s.
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Top image courtesy of Stephan Cassara/Unsplash.
