SCHNELLVERKEHR

Blitz Verlag has just sent me a contract to for reprint rights of RAPID TRANSIT: VOLUME ONE. Crossroad Press & Digital Media will still be doing Volumes 2 and 3, but we'll see how it goes once the next book comes out over here. I'm hopeful Blitz Verlag will publish the next two collections.

THE HOLY TERROR was released as THE REDEEMER OF CHICAGO because holy terror was a term commonly used and heard in Humboldt Park, the Polish neighborhood I was born in. A holy terror was a kid who wouldn't sit still and usually kept breaking things. Translating the phrase to German made little sense. The bottom image is the cover we went with, but there were three versions I was able to choose from. I've never posted all three, so here you go.

FIFTY YEARS SINCE THE HUMBOLDT PARK RIOTS: THE INTERSECTION WHERE I GREW UP

Crystal Street, where I lived as a kid, would be behind the smoke in the first photo. I'm including the Wikipedia article.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_Park_riot

https://youtu.be/lmo7MP7fUxo

SITTING UNDER A PAINTING OF ME AT THE NOW GONE BOP SHOP: DIVISION & HERMITAGE, HUMBOLDT PARK

Painted by Rick Therrio.

2724 WEST CRYSTAL: MY CHILDHOOD

I was born in Humboldt Park and lived in the top floor of a three-flat. I think my novella "Lover Doll" in Ellen Datlow's anthology LITTLE DEATHS has the most description of the time frame circa 1959.  I went back a few weeks ago and took photos, ignoring the hipster hangouts as much as possible. One shot here is of the Humboldt Park lagoon. Enjoy.