Every Goddamn Day: A Highly Selective, Definitely Opinionated, and Alternatingly Humorous and Heartbreaking Historical Tour of Chicago

by Neil Steinberg

A daily celebration of Chicago’s history, both known and obscure, and always entertaining.
 
Every day in Chicago is a day to remember. In a city so rich with history, every day is the anniversary of some storied historical or cultural moment, whether it’s the dedication of the Pablo Picasso sculpture downtown on August 15, or the arrest of Rod Blagojevich at his Ravenswood home on December 9, or a fire that possibly involved a cow on October 8.
 
In Every Goddamn Day, acerbic Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg takes the story of the city, pares away the dull, eat-your-peas parts, and provides 366 captivating daily readings in what makes Chicago Chicago and America America. It calls upon a wide cast of characters, from Oscar Wilde to Muhammad Ali, from Emma Goldman to Teddy Roosevelt, and from Richard M. Daley to Fred Hampton, to create a compelling narrative that can be read at a sitting or in a yearlong series of daily doses.
 
From New Year’s Day to New Years’ Eve, Steinberg takes us on a vivid and entertaining tour, illuminating the famous, obscure, tragic, and hilarious elements that make each day in Chicago memorable.
 

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Humor

408 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Neil Steinberg is a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, where he has been on staff since 1987.

Reviews

[Ruth]

Reading this book is the literary equivalent of eating potato chips--the entries are short and tasty and you can't read just one. If you have a Chicago connection, you'll enjoy reading these and considering what other events you might have chosen.

[James]

Day-by-day tidbits about Chicago history from an engaging writer. I read his blog most every day, and this is an offshoot from that – same name, different content. It made for pleasant bed-time reading.

[Chris Jaffe]

It's easy to read and pretty enjoyable as well as informative. You get everything from the Iroquois Theater fire to the creation of Kraft Cheese to the nomination of Abraham Lincoln to The Bean to America's first auto race to whatever. The really important and famous stuff is mentioned (yes, The Fire, the 1893 and 1933 Fairs, the Daleys), and so are many lesser things.

Enjoyable, though it does feel slight at times. I guess that's the nature of a book like this.

If anyone cares, here's how the events break down by decade:

1 - 1670s

1 - 1780s
1 - 1790s

0 - 1800s
1 - 1810s
1 - 1820s
7 - 1830s
2 - 1840s
4 - 1850s
8 - 1860s
13 - 1870s
10 - 1880s
18 - 1890s

28 - 1900s
33 - 1910s
37 - 1920s (the most of any decade)
32 - 1930s
22 - 1940s
29 - 1950s
30 - 1960s
29 - 1970s
25 - 1980s
10 - 1990s

10 - 2000s
12 - 2010s
2 - 2020s (both 2020, both about the pandemic)

By century, it goes: 1-2-64-275-24

From 1886-1992, every year has at least one entry except the following: 1898, 1907, 1922, 1923, 1926, and 1953. So there's a stretch of 66 years when only 1953 isn't represented.

Most entries: 1920 and 1921 are tied with 7 each (then two straight year of none; go figure).

It's especially based on the years 1900-1984 (just nine events in the back half of the 1980s). It's about 3 events per year (256/85) then a little over 1 per year from 1985-2020 (43/36).

This is all assuming I charted it out perfectly.

[Sue Marshall]

I grew up in Chicago and still listen to WGN. Some time ago, I caught John Williams there doing an interview with Mr. S when his book came out and purchased it after the broadcast. If you have a stong Chicago connection, I believe you will enjoy this read. During COVID he began researching things that happened on a specific day in Chicago throughout it's history. He cherry picked the good ones and wrote an essay about the event for each day of the year. Last year I started in on January 1 with a plan to read one every day which I did, more or less. Today I finished! But, I'm going to do it again next year-maybe a few a day. It's available at University of Chicago Press; select the category "Chicago and Illinois". Also on Amazon but am leaning away from Jeff Bazos these daze.

[Scott Eggerding]

A kaleidoscope of Chicago history, people and events, Every Goddamn Day celebrates a city day-by-day but completely out of order. Entries jump from the 1800’s to the 2000’s. Capone era gangsters and Mayor Dailey (both of them) share space with people actually named Kraft and Walgreen. Each vignette has a chip on its shoulder, a spirit of the city that likes a slow reveal and a strong punch line.

[Ann Fisher]

I found myself reading this out loud to anyone around. Just full of fascinating tidbits. I bet he could write another one with another 365 stories and it would be just as good. I'd buy it for sure.

[Mike]

Neil Steinberg works best in the essay vein, and this is a perfect project for him. He is curious and comfortable in and about Chicago, history and people. He covers all these , with wit and amazement and a little world weary cynicism.
I enjoyed it tremendously.

[Nikki]

As much an ode to the style of Royko as to Chicago

[Cate]

cute lil history book of chicago that’s very easy to digest. kinda wish it didnt include anything prior to 1915 bc i don’t care about all that but that’s my personal opinion.

[Andrew Holmes]

A great loo book!