Something about the winter makes looking for parking in Chicago feel even more brutal. Today, we share an account by NWA writer Ilze Vitands, of the Bezazian Branch Library group, of what may happen when there’s no spot to be found. From “I Believed Every Word,” the Journal of Ordinary Thought‘s Winter 2012 issue. A NEW CHICAGO LEGEND (A Work in Progress…) Ilze Vitands The legend’s not spoken, and yet it persists, That a creature [...]
“Sometimes you need a little folklore to enforce the rules” – Barbara Banks, from “Says Who,” published in “I Believed Every Word: JOT Writers on Urban Legends, Rumors, and Tall Tales,” Journal of Ordinary Thought, Winter 2010 Many of us grew up hearing folklore—stories and warnings that cautioned us from staying out too late, eating too much candy, or telling lies. I recently read Barbara’s piece during a presentation on NWA’s work exploring urban legends [...]
Guest post by Emmoretta Jones, NWA Writer It was such a nice way to start the week and end the Monday; on April 23, 2012 at 6pm, Neighborhood Writing Alliance writers, friends, and fans gathered into the cozy upper level of the Goodman Theatre in downtown Chicago for the unveiling of the much anticipated Winter 2012 issue of the Journal of Ordinary Thought: “I Believed Every Word: JOT Writers on Urban Legends, Rumors, and Tall [...]
Joseph Laroche was a real hero a hundred years ago, but surprisingly few people know about him. I first found out about him in 2000, when there was a Titanic exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. The story of Laroche and his family was so touching that I felt I would have to write about it; however, it was more than a decade before I actually did so. When the Neighborhood Writing Alliance [...]
Yesterday was Earth Day! How did you celebrate? Here at the office, we’re also celebrating the release of “I Believed Every Word” with the release reading at the Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn) from 6–8:30 p.m. TONIGHT. All attendees will receive a free copy of the journal and get a chance to hear writers read their work. One of the pieces being published is Helena Marie Carnes-Jeffries “Along the Shores of the Acidic River.” Similar [...]
On Tuesday, we talked about how urban legends can make us laugh or entertain us. But there’s also a much darker side to urban legends. While many “scary” urban legends are supposed to keep kids out of trouble (the boogeyman) others seem to exist to stereotype, shame, intimidate, or exploit certain groups. In the upcoming “I Believed Every Word” issue of JOT, Rochelle George Wooding’s “Mirror, Mirror Approved” and K.C. Hagans’ “Tom’s Not Such A [...]
Today on The Front Porch we’re getting a sneak peak at “I Believed Every Word,” the Winter 2012 issue of the Journal of Ordinary Thought. “Soup Anyone?” by Barbara Banks describes her childhood fascination with a mysterious neighborhood figure, and inspired the title of this issue of JOT. SOUP ANYONE? Barbara Banks Back in the late 1950s, we lived in the Harold Ickes housing projects located on 22nd and State, which are now torn down. [...]
Many urban legends focus on moral lessons and many more on fear (The Wahoo Man, Resurrection Mary) but some are just plain funny. If a story gets a laugh, who cares if it’s not 100% accurate? In “Juan Bobo’s Pig,” published in the upcoming urban legend themed issue of JOT, Norma Mateo describes a popular story from her childhood in Puerto Rico. Juan Bobo is a naïve boy who misunderstands his mother’s request that he [...]
The release reading of “I Believed Every Word,” the Winter 2012 issue of JOT is one week away! We’re counting down to the reading with a week on the blog devoted to urban legends, the issue’s theme. We’ve talked about what urban legends are, why we believe them, how stories become legends and much more on the blog before, but today we’re going to let some of the great stories and poems from the upcoming [...]
For the last several weeks, a group of NWA writers have attended a workshop with local “Discopoet” Khari B, during which they have written and tirelessly edited their pieces for the upcoming If These Blocks Could Talk performance. The themes covered in these pieces span from the hilarious to the scary, and address just about everything from blues legends to food, from family to the Chicago fire. Even with such a range of subject matter, [...]
One Last Thing from the Outgoing Intern: Thank You and Farewell, for Now!
I’ve been the resident Blog and Social Media Intern here for just slightly over six months now. And this week marks the, um, “transfer of power”—there are some ceremonial procedures that go along with it, but that’s proprietary intern information—over to our new intern, Helen, who you’ll be getting to know in short order. But six months is a pretty significant chunk of time, you guys! I don’t really know how to process it, but [...]
In this edition of Meet the Philosophers, we talk to NWA Board Member Michelle Wright about the amazing diversity of Albany Park, the life of the written word as an archive of expression for the future, and the power of philosophical questioning that we all share. What is your name? Michelle M. Wright If you had to give yourself a title, what would it be? Boss of the World. How long have you lived in [...]
As we’ve been exploring this spring with our Neighborhood Rhythms programming, the oral tradition in various cultures lives where community and self-expression meet. The occasions and rituals of communal, oral expression can take the form of storytelling, sharing, music—and in the case of the scene in NWA writer Baba Tony Brown’s piece “Mother Mary Carter Smith’s Circle of Love”—some of all of these. Baba Tony relates working at the heart of a revival of oral [...]
Twisted Roots: Music, Politics, and the American Dream Blues
As part of our Neighborhood Rhythms programming, on Thursday, June 27, NWA will host a special event featuring Dr. John Kimsey and his band, The Twisted Roots Ensemble: Kimsey, vocal and guitar; Lia McCoo, vocal, flutes and percussion; Steve Hashimoto, bass; and Brad Newton, hand drums. The session, “A Walk Through Twisted Roots,” will feature musical performances as well as a talk by John about the writing/composing process out of which he developed his award-winning [...]
Guest post by NWA writer Rochelle George Wooding The Art Institute of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago are two different buildings. I learned that quickly on the night of May 22, 2013. Approaching these buildings was thrilling and scary, due to my unfamiliarity with the latter building. But to my surprise, winding staircases and old friends pleasantly surrounded me. This was my first time attending the annual NWA Every Person [...]