Early Royko: Up Against It in Chicago

by Mike Royko, Rick Kogan (Foreword)

Combining the incisive pen of a newspaperman and the compassionate soul of a poet, Mike Royko became a Chicago institution—in Jimmy Breslin’s words, "the best journalist of his time." Early Up Against It in Chicago will restore to print the legendary columnist’s earliest writings, which chronicle 1960s Chicago with the moral vision, ironic sense, and razor-sharp voice that would remain Royko’s trademark.

This collection of early columns from the Chicago Daily News ranges from witty social commentary to politically astute satire. Some of the pieces are falling-down funny and others are tenderly nostalgic, but all display Royko’s unrivaled skill at using humor to tell truth to power. From machine politicians and gangsters to professional athletes, from well-heeled Chicagoans to down-and-out hoodlums, no one escapes Royko’s penetrating gaze—and resounding judgment. Early Royko features a memorable collection of characters, including such well-known figures as Hugh Hefner, Mayor Richard J. Daley, and Dr. Martin Luther King. But these boldfaced names are juxtaposed with Royko’s beloved lesser knowns from the streets of Mrs. Peak, Sylvester "Two-Gun Pete" Washington, and Fats Boylermaker, who gained fame for leaning against a corner light pole from 2 a.m. Saturday until noon Sunday, when his neighborhood tavern reopened for business.

Accompanied by a foreword from Rick Kogan, this new edition will delight Royko’s most ardent fans and capture the hearts of a new generation of readers. As Kogan writes, Early Royko "will remind us how a remarkable relationship began—Chicago and Royko, Royko and Chicago—and how it endures."

Genres: History, Essays

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Pulitzer prize columnist, Mike Royko was nationally known for his caustic sarcasm. Over his 30 year career he wrote for three leading Chicago newspapers, "The Daily News", "The Sun-Times", and "The Chicago Tribune", and was nationally syndicated.

The Polish-Ukranian son of a cab driver, Royko grew up on Chicago's southside and never left the city. At age 64, he died in Chicago of complications arising from a brain aneurysm in the spring of 1997. Royko was survived by his wife, Judy, a 9-year-old son, Sam, and 4-year-old daughter, Kate, as well as two grown children from his first marriage. His first wife, Carol, died in 1979.

Reviews

[Jon-david Mafia Hairdresser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Royko, one of the great theologians and writers of any century. I would read anything Rick Kogan told me to read and he was the dude who turned me on to this Chicago author. Thanks Rick! Rick Kogan

[Killian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid sampling of this fantastic columnist's work and one which covers enough material to appeal to a variety of interests.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newspaper columns as art. The humor here is cutting and timeless.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up from a U of Chicago book sale. I am glad I found it. I enjoyed revisiting some of Royko's early columns and seeing that besides being a good writer he was both funny and a wiseass.

[rob!! · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this obscure book of newspaper columns around four or five times cover-to-cover during a particularly dark time in my life a few years back and it is still the best and funniest writing ever put to print full stop