Granta 108: Chicago

Granta: The Magazine of New Writing #108

by John Freeman (Editor)

Saul Bellow and Ernest Hemingway grew up there. The eight-hour work day, the Ponzi scheme and the rhythm and blues have risen from its streets. But Chicago is not just a city of the past. In this dynamic issue, GRANTA brings the one-time industrial hub to life through the eyes of exciting new writers, from home grown stars like George Saunders and Dave Eggers, to immigrants who have come to the city from Bosnia, China and Ethiopia.

In this issue, Aleksandar Hemon plays football with Italians and Tibetans along Lake Shore Drive. Chicago born MacArthur 'genius' grant-winning photographer Camilo José Vegara captures the demolition of the city's massive public housing estates. Richard Powers recollects the flood of 1992. Don DeLillo remembers Nelson Algren. Alex Kotlowitz explores the cost of urban violence and Dinaw Mengestu describes moving back home to run his dying father’s messenger business. Plus a sneak preview of Peter Carey's new novel.

Finally, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka meditates on the meaning of the city's most visible son, Barack Obama. Out of these stories, which will be wrapped in a beautiful cover by Chris Ware, will arise a vivid portrait of a city remaking itself: a city shredded by violence but poised for a new future; a city that once again has a legitimate claim to being the home of the world's best writers.

Genres: Essays, Literature, Literary Fiction, Photography, Anthologies, Nonfiction, Short Stories

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2009

About the author

Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John Freeman is an award-winning writer and book critic who has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal. Freeman won the 2007 James Patterson Pageturner Award for his work as the president of the National Book Critics Circle, and was the editor of Granta from 2009 to 2013. He lives in New York City, where he teaches at NYU and edits a new literary biannual called Freeman's.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of Chicago-centric writing (complete with a killer Chris Ware-designed cover), Granta 108 examines the different facets of the City That Works, moving from the hopelessness of the Henry Horner Homes to the joys of soccer in the park and the grease the keeps the political machine running.

Aleksander Hemon, Alek Kotlowitz and Tony D’Souza turn in first-rate work, and collection only misses its stride with a ponderous over-examination of Barack Obama by Wole Soyinka. (The closing selection, "Parrot," by Peter Carey, doesn't have anything to do with Chicago, but it's not bad, so what the heck?)

Chicagoans will enjoy the diverse views of the city they live in while non-natives will get a crash course in Chicago neighborhoods and contradictions. While the collection can be accused of turning its attention more to the city's grit than its comforts, well, dramatic license must be served, and conflict is good grist for the mill.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I am a long time subscriber to Granta, I have not in recent years, read an issue cover to cover, and never have I progressed through an issue page by page. I accomplished both feats (such as they are) with Granta 108.
Knowing little about Chicago, I was interested in each story, each providing insight into some facet of Chicago life, politics, infrastructure.
I once sent a copy of Granta 48, an issue focussing on Africa, to a friend then living in Cote d'Ivoire. She was dismayed at the stories of poverty and environmental and human degradation. Though she was working for a human rights NGO, she thought Granta had sensationalized the issues Africa faces.
I kept her comment in mind as I read this issue about Chicago. The City is probably something like what's described in these pages, but probably not so bad.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Chicago themed issue is overall very good, although I didn’t care for the two poems. Of the 20 essays and stories, I liked all but two and I thought the photo essay on the slums of Chicago was especially interesting. The final piece, “Parrot,” an excerpt from a soon-to-be published book, was a bit hard to follow but left me wanting to read more. For a theme issue, the editor did a very good job covering the many intricacies of Chicago from the imaginary viewpoint of the city from a restaurant on the south side, to gang violence, to an expected tidal wave in Lake Michigan to early feminist Jane Adams who founded Hull House. And, of course, there was an essay on Barack Obama, although it was one of my least favorite pieces—too academic. The author could take a lesson from Obama on making his writing more accessible.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this edition of Granta. I know that it is only because I am from Chicago and therefore I get it. I know who and where they are talking about. I can imagine the street intersections and know all the politicians on a first name basis. As a product of the Chicago Public School Systems, it's a necessity to graduate. It just irks me a bit that I know Granta doesn't get it. There is so much more than what's between these covers. Chicago is much more than poverty, housing projects, drunken irish people, corruption and crime. It touches on the huge diversity we maintain but only touches. It says there's more behind a city than it's city center. Maybe that's the point. But Chicago is more than it's crime. That's all.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

"He swam through autumn as the temperature fell and leaves rusted and windy days honed the waves to a metallic glint."
- Stuart Dybek
Seiche

"PARK AS LONG AS YOU LIKE IN A LOT OF YOUR OWN. I had never thought of it that way before, and surely it was the very thing I'd been wantin all my days and yet not knowin, peace and quiet and a place all my own where I could just lay on my back all the day doin nothin just so long as I liked, and not a scoldin holy voice anywhere near. More than havin a system on the dice or the horses and being married to a wife not named Marge."
- Nelson Algren
The Lightless Room

"Corn Flakes could break the human spirit."
- Thom Jones
Easter Island Noodles Almondine

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific issue featuring stories about Chicago and/or by Chicago authors. "Driving with Ed McElroy" gives you a flavor of how strong and enduring, although slowing dying, the connections/favors/paybacks culture of old time Chicago is, the city's own version of what it means to have "enchufee" as the Spaniards say. The photo essay on the changes in the neighborhoods around the CHA housing projects offers a glimpse of urban "renewal" at work. Since I lived for so long in the city, the issue was had some special significance for me. I am still very attached to Chicago, although I can't say it miss the winters all that much.

[David]

First of all the cover by Chris Ware is such a succinct and stylish vision of Chicago- highlighting a lot of the little details that really strike a Chicago chord, the el, Modernist architecture, the lake, neighborhood two flats (on the back cover), and the Willis Tower ever present in the background.

This collection does similar justice demonstrating the little microcosms of existence that hop around the city. Stories about Chicago Housing Projects, an Eastern European immigrant finding a soccer team, local buddy-buddy political corruption, Bo Diddley and the Electric Blues, impressions from a Chicago winter, and more. It was such fun to see Chicago from so many new angles.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remember that photo mosaic poster of Abraham Lincoln that from close up you could see was just a bunch of small individual pictures? The “tiles” were arranged by shades of sepia that from further away you could see traced out Abe’s features. Well, the same effect was not achieved by the stories and essays in this Granta special edition. There were too many dark pieces – gunshots and poverty – and those that did offer contrast were like neon in their quirkiness. It wasn’t an image of the Chicago I know and I’ve been here 20 years now. It had some interesting work, and an impressive line-up of authors, but it was pretty uneven. I never felt like it built any momentum.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Says I: 'Bonjour'
Says he: 'Parles-tu Francais, Monsieur?'
Says I: 'Parles-tu Francais, Monsieur?'
He has a face like a stone. I squeezed a grin out of it. 'Vous,' said he.
'Ah, vous?' said I.
I wish you could hear me now because you would understand the unholy jumble - that rough little English boy falling over his vouss and tus in the perfect accent of the Faubourg Saint-Germain."
Parrot by Peter Carey

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I left it almost ten years to read this, but timed it well after having returned home from a trip to the US (albeit not Chicago). All the items in this issue are centred on or around life in Chicago. Some excellent writing throughout, as well as an excellent photo feature tracking the demise of the city's social housing projects. The piece on Obama was especially interesting to read, written just as he took up the office of President, but now read some years after he left.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t understand the last story or why it’s in this collection.

Overall, though, I loved this.

[Alejandro Calvo Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read 2 poems and two stories, my favorite one is reviewed below

If God Existed He'd be a Solid Midfielder | Aleksandar Hemon

A quaint story about not only the struggle to find a community as an immigrant in Chicago, but the simplistic attraction and easy global comradery of soccer. It reminded me of my dad, who I have to thank for teaching me the skill and importance of a reliable midfielder, for life and the most beautful game

[Deb Oestreicher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good, Chicagocentric read. My favorite pieces were by Alexander Hemon, about community soccer, and Neil Steinberg, about how politics works in Chicago ("We don't want nobody nobody sent"). Coincidentally, these are the first two pieces in the volume. Bonus: nothing to do with Chicago, but an excerpt from Peter Carey's forthcoming novel, Parrot & Olivier in America, which absorbed me in spite of myself.

[Powerock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new find - British literary review which, in this edition, contains essays about Chicago from Chicago writers - Stuart Dybeck, Aleksandar Hemon, etc. I have only read the first four but, so far, a great impression of life as Chicagoans know it.

[Lera · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked 'Parrot' by Peter Carey, a historical fantasy about a kid working for forgers.

I wasn't as wowed by this as most issues of Granta. Most stories/essays were mildly interesting. Perhaps Chicago wouldn't wow me either?

[Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this collection of Chicago authors writing about Chicago things to be a tad depressing. Corrupt government, poverty, racism, housing projects. It was a bit much for me to handle while riding a bus through the grey January mornings on my way to work.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Lots of good stuff in this one, including a Thom Jones piece about working at a General Mills plant in Aurora. So bizarre to see British spellings ("neighbourhood," etc.) in Chicago writers' work, though.

[Karyn]

Catching up on some history of soon-to-be-our new city. Fun to see here a chapter of a book I liked last year in its first published version from 5 years earlier! Maria Venegas's "Bulletproof Vest" is so compelling.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much of this Chicago-focused issue really feels like the city, all gray and concrete and rusty. I liked it very much.

[Janet S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read 90%. I liked it. I think the theme was to show the gritty side of Chicago. Better to home in on one sub-theme than to try & fail to portray all of the city's aspects.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to get me acquainted with my new city!

[Pamela]

A very nice variety of essays--a few of them excellent--that explore different aspects of the city.