FILMING ON CHICAGO FIRE

 Last Thursday, I was in a diner scene for the television show CHICAGO FIRE. It was an interesting time. I might be on screen in a booth across from three of the actors. Since they filmed at the Bridgeport Diner, on the corner of 35th & Halsted, there were also cameras rolling as we walked back and forth on either side of the street. Windiest day of the month, so I looked a bit like Nosferatu in my black trench coat.

COVER COURTESY MARK K. BRAUN

A few days back I spent most of the day going to and from the doctor's office and didn't even see what Mark posted on my Facebook page until the post already had 37 likes. There I was, MIA. The book is finally going to be a reality.Crossroad Press, at a date to be determined soon.

BAD GRAMMAR THEATER: FEBRUARY 2016

I thought I would post a bit about the new place BGT is happening, and that would be courtesy of Jude Mire at Forte Framing & Gallery, just off of North Avenue and Western. It just took me a little longer than expected to find time to write up the post.

The many, many seascape paintings are by Jude's wife Jill Cooper. The artwork with the skulls is courtesy Eric Lower. Sculptures in the front window are by Brian Sperry, but the photos I took did not come out well, because there was reflections from the streetlights.

Big crowds, lots of readers, good stories to be heard. If you are in Chicago on Friday 18 March, the readings are from 7-10PM. If you are interested in buying some great art or getting something framed, you can reach Jude or Jill. I'm not writing any phone numbers down because I don't trust the NSA anymore.

SCENES FROM CHICAGO PD

FILM LOCATION FOR MY NEXT APPEARANCE ON CHICAGO P. D.

St.Ignatius is next to a Jesuit prep school with the same name. Located at the corner of Racine and Roosevelt, I'll be reporting on site at either 6AM or 7AM Wednesday. It will be a military funeral I am attending. More on this in the next few days.

THE PILLS AND THE PAIN GRIN

Harry Fassl died in October of 2008. For years he worked with me on stories and chapbooks. I particularly thought he did a great job on this illustration from PAIN GRIN. Looking at some of the labels, I forgot Flexeril ever existed. And I would kill to have a metal tube of Ben-Gay.

MY OTHER JOB

I visited a friend of mine, Karolina Stepek, Polish writer and lady copper, at Prentiss Womens Hospital a few days back. As of right now as I type this, she is getting a bone marrow transplant thanks to a DNA match from a guy in Paris. But I have to chronicle the city when I can, whether or not I ever use the scenes in a story.

And Abe Vigoda died yesterday.