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In forty-fve years as one of Chicago's liveliest journalists for Time, Life, and the Chicago Tribune, Jon Anderson has established a reputation for picking up on what someone once called "the beauty of the specific fact." Part "Talk of the Town," part On the Road with Charles Kuralt, Anderson's twice-a-week "City Watch" columns in the Chicago Tribune seek out interesting and unexpected people and places from the everyday life of what the author calls the "most typical American big city." In the process he discovers the joys and triumphs of ordinary people.

Anderson writes with wit and insight about those who find themselves inspired or obsessed with alternative ways of viewing life or getting through the day. Like the man who started with one light pole, then painted all the poles in his southside neighborhood. Or the founder of Cats-Are-Purrsons-Too, a nun who lives with sixty-seven cats. Or the philosopher who, with no financial success, still publishes a newsletter called "The Meaning of Life." After years of hunting down moments of everyday life that have drama and meaning, Anderson offers a book that has curious power, because all of its stories are true.

Drawn from the best of Anderson's columns, City Watch introduces readers to an eclectic mix of social clubs, subcultures, and minor celebrities. From Foraging Friends, a group of penniless ecologists who forage for wild foods in a county forest preserve, to the annual Dumpster Diver fashion show, from the Oakton Elementary School chess team to a group that calls itself Some Chicago Anarchists, readers will discover the characters and events that define Chicago's local color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Looking for a 'feel good' read?
Jon Anderson is a national treasure. His insights are wise, his words, witty and his take on his city and its people, delightful.

Anderson Renders Chicago Life a Page Turner
Exceptionally well written, the book is both funny and compassionate, astute and compelling as it profiles some of the the people and institutions that call the third coast home.Anderson's vignettes challenge those who believe that New York City is the only REAL city in America with anyone/anything worth watching. The book will appeal to those wtih a taste for things cultural and intellectual, as it includes an interview with the late poet John Nims, as well as writing on such plances Hemingway's childhood home and the "Book Orphanage," and well as those readers drawn to the more material practices of a city, for example: "Clothes found in the Rubbish don't have to look trashy" (a Dumpster-Diving Fashion show) and "Finding the Humor in Haggis" (the dinner of the Illinois St. Andrew Society). Anderson's book provides the reader with a kind of "back-stage pass" to the city, as well as serving as a primer for how to write non-fiction that is as riveting as any novel.His strong voice and intellegence unites the peices and makes the reader want to get to know Anderson himself.I haven't enjoyed a work of non-fiction this much since "naked" by David Sedaris. ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

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This history tells the relatively unknown story of how the Detroit automobile industry played a major role in the 1933 banking crisis and the subsequent New Deal reforms that drastically changed the financial industry. Spurred by failed decision making by automobile industry leaders, Detroit banks experienced a critical emergency, precipitating the federal closure of banks on March 4, 1933, the first in a series of actions by which the federal government acquired power over economics previously held by states and private industrial and financial interests. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent explaination of 1933 bank holiday
Extremely readable, has all the characters involved and the roles they played.Includes observations on the individual's conflicts of interest. ... Read more

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Faith in the City


As most African Americans lived in disproportionately and economically marginalized South, most migrated north where they found greater political, social, and economic opportunities.However, the North did not become the "promised land" they had in mind.This is because they were the last to be hired and the first to be fired. Racism was also not absent in the north as they have perceived.Detroit was not an exception to this rule.As a northern, urbanized center, it had seen most of these migrant Southerners who came to enjoy the $5 a day pay-check offered by the Ford Motor Company.The rural-urban migration came with its own problems that besieged the Motor City. Against this background, Angela Dillard's Faith in the City tells a story of how religion became a force to reckon with in bringing about social change in Detroit between the 1930s and 60s.
Dillard in this work shows that religion and organized grassroots organizations including GOAL and UHURU among others, played pivotal roles in changing the social justice in Detroit and thus challenges writers who have failed to see the challenging roles of religion.These religious activities were mainly led by two people: the Reverends Charles A. Hill and Albert B. Cleage, Jr. The former's activities were in the 1930s and the latter in the 1960s.The two clergymen saw religion not as only a spiritual tool, but also as political machinery that could be used in castigating a system that was oppressing the downtrodden and the "outcasts."The African American church was what really rallied blacks together.It was the base for all meetings and thus it was easy for the two ministers to use the pulpit for social change that African Americans and other minorities, especially immigrants, needed in Detroit. Dillard categorically writes in the introduction that "men of cloth...remained ever mindful of their duty to minister to the spiritual needs of their flocks and the communities of protest in which they lived and worked and struggled and prayed... while this is surely true...it was (and is) particularly so among African American clergy and within the Black freedom struggle" (p.4).
The Rev. Hill, whose ideals were initially grounded in social gospel, shifts from that idealism to showed greater concern not only for African Americans, but also for labor politics.Labor activities, therefore, get a lot of precedent in Faith in the City. Rev. Hill's understood the need for the union to help foster social change at the workplace.For that reason, his chapel became the meeting ground for union activities, especially the Local 600 of the UAW.This is because `the powers that be" never suspected that the church ground could be opened for such `secular" activities.He was always at the forefront of union activities in Detroit.Dillard states that "the labor movement provided Detroit's Black activists, both inside and outside the unions, with organizational power and experience that was virtually unmatched by any other African American urban community" (2).Although many Blacks were placed in working for the Ford Company by the Detroit Urban League, for example, most of them (Blacks) worked in the dirtiest and meanest part of the company.This therefore alarmed Rev. Hill (and others) to fight for them and will not kowtow to the wishes of Ford Motor Company to make him an Uncle Tom.
The Rev. Albert B. Cleage, Jr., who held the Apostle Paul responsible for whatever had gone wrong with the religion of Jesus and Blacks, was probably the most radical minister of the gospel at his time. In fact, his activities were a built-up of what Rev. Hill had set up.As a founder of Black theology (using the Black Christ as a revolutionary) and expounding on the ideas of liberation theology that came to the fore in the 1960s by Father Gutierrez, he combined the two to initiate social justice.His church, the Shrine of the Black Madonna, became the symbol of his new found philosophy.He aligned himself with grassroots organizations including Group of Advanced Leadership (GOAL), UHURU and the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) among others and the younger generations in the fight for equality.Later Cleage (in the 1960s) changed his idea of integrationist aim, which Hill favored, to talk about everything Black.This was a shift by the urbanite Blacks to move toward Black nationalists and Black Power movements.He thus refused a donation from the Black Manifesto which called for reparation from Whites and Jews.
Interestingly, the communist party played pivotal roles in the social change.Most of the Black radicals had one way or the other being involved in the Communist Party.In fact, they may have gained organizational skills from the communist activities that were mainly done underground.This was prevalent especially during the Great Depression when Blacks felt marginalized. The Communist Party was weakened by the witch hunt of McCarthyism.However, the SWP supported and gave its weight behind the Black struggle.
In Faith in the City, Dillard shows the connection between the Second World War and the struggle for civil rights in America.Americans went to war seeking to force the ideals of Equality, Liberty, and Democracy, the basic egalitarianism that Americans thrived on elsewhere.How would Blacks who fought in other parts of the world have felt?Fighting in the war, as well as the Soviet Union capitalizing on it, motivated Blacks the more to ask for equal justice. Before then, the First World War has sparked the New Negro already in Blacks in the early 1920s.
Although Dillard found it compelling telling the story of the two ministers, one should not lose sight on the other people mentioned in Faith in the City, who also helped in other ways in the fight for social change.Snow Grisby, for example, spearheaded attacks on the racist hiring practices of the Board of Education, the Postal Service, Detroit Edison and the Fire Department. Also, although Reverends Hill and Cleage emerged at different eras in history, they had a common goal of social justice in Detroit.These leaders became militants with overwhelming support because the long established Black organizations like the NAACP failed Blacks because it was a weak organization with petty squabbles. It was a house divided and therefore could not stand on its feet.The AFL-CIO did not do much either because most of what they did or promised were rhetorical without deeds.
Dillard's work in the book is based on biographical narratives with superb analysis of activities that took shape in Detroit. While concentration on Detroit, a northern urban center, she does not fail to link activities of the South and its effects on Detroiters thus showing that the activities of the clergy sat within the Black freedom struggle. An example could be seen in the activities of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dillard makes a useful suggestion that her book should be read alongside works of Martha Brondi, Robert O. Self, Jeanne Theoharis, Komozi Woodard and Beth Bates who have all written on pre-civil rights movements..The use of primary sources from the Detroit area including newspapers, writingsby the various people involved in social change, pictures or art works , interviews conducted and other secondary sources as well as the simple English format gives the book a pleasurable read. It can be read for scholarship at all university levels. Emphasis on the activities of first ladies (ministers' wives) was great although she could have written more about their activities.The much background information given, if studied carefully, would show the influence that the ministers' wives had in their works. For example, Rev. Hill was an integrationist because he was from a bi-racial family (although Cleage also was, he had a different approach).In the end, Dillard shows how labor radicalism, Black religion, civil rights movements and race are all interrelated in a northern urban center, Detroit.Her addition to this historiography with a new twist focusing on religion is welcome.
... Read more

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America's urbanites have engaged in many tumultuous struggles for civil and worker rights since the Second World War. Heather Ann Thompson focuses in detail on the struggles of Motor City residents during the 1960s and early 1970s and finds that conflict continued to plague the inner city and its workplaces even after Great Society liberals committed themselves to improving conditions.

Using the contested urban center of Detroit as a model, Thompson assesses the role of such upheaval in shaping the future of America's cities. She argues that the glaring persistence of injustice and inequality led directly to explosions of unrest in this period. Thompson finds that unrest as dramatic as that witnessed during Detroit's infamous riot of 1967 by no means doomed the inner city, nor in any way sealed its fate. The politics of liberalism continued to serve as a catalyst for both polarization and radical new possibilities and Detroit remained a contested, and thus politically vibrant, urban center.

Thompson's account of the post-World War II fate of Detroit casts new light on contemporary urban issues, including white flight, police brutality, civic and shop floor rebellion, labor decline, and the dramatic reshaping of the American political order. Throughout, the author tells the stories of real events and individuals, including James Johnson, Jr., who, after years of suffering racial discrimination in Detroit's auto industry, went on trial in 1971 for the shooting deaths of two foremen and another worker at a Chrysler plant.

Whose Detroit? brings the labor movement into the context of the literature of Sixties radicalism and integrates the history of the 1960s into the broader political history of the postwar period. Urban, labor, political, and African-American history are blended into Thompson’s comprehensive portrayal of Detroit's reaction to pressures felt throughout the nation. With deft attention to the historical background and preoccupations of Detroit's residents, Thompson has written a biography of an entire city at a time of crisis. ... Read more

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"African Americans in the Furniture City" is unique not only in terms of its subject, but also for its framing of the African American struggle for survival, civil rights, and community inside a discussion of the larger white community. Examining the African-American community of Grand Rapids, Michigan between 1850 and 1954, Randal Maurice Jelks uncovers the ways in which its members faced urbanization, responded to structural racism, developed in terms of occupations, and shaped their communal identities.Focusing on the intersection of African Americans' nineteenth-century cultural values and the changing social and political conditions in the first half of the twentieth century, Jelks pays particularly close attention to the religious community's influence during their struggle toward a respectable social identity and fair treatment under the law. He explores how these competing values defined the community's politics as it struggled to expand its freedoms and change its status as a subjugated racial minority. ... Read more

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A lively, campy guide presents nine walking tours that celebrate gay culture, history, and gossip, each taking in twenty to thirty locations, including rallying sites like Stonewall, bars and clubs, and the haunts of famous homosexuals. Original. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Exquisite
I'm not even through the first tour of Stepping Out, and I'm already addicted. From page one, I was hooked. Daniel writes with a humor and an appreciation for Gay History that we can all appreciate and love. The information is detailed, without being boring or stuffy. The descriptions make you feel like you're there, even if you're just loungeing in bed scanning through it. From the riots at Stonewall Inn, to strolling down Christopher Street, it's like you're there. He includes the details that matter, such as witty quotes out of some of our favorite, and even a few unknown, GLBT historical figures. I can't wait to go to New York and actually visit the places he speaks about! This is a must for anyone who is interested in GLBT history and culture.

Mr. Hurewitz's New York is the place to stay.
With Disney changing the face of Midtown Manhattan, "Stepping Out" is a wonderful look back at a rich and compelling history of New York City. Mr. Hurewitz's observations will appeal to any lover of New York- straight or gay.His witty prose, unique sense of humor, and detailedmaps and photographs will force you to don a pair of comfortable shoes,"grab a cheese sandwich" and take to the streets.If only alltravel books could be this good. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Jet, published by Thomson Gale on December 10, 2007. The length of the article is 474 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Detroit tops controversial list as most dangerous city.(NATIONAL REPORT)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Jet (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 10, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 112Issue: 23Page: 16(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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Reimagining All Our Cities
Though the book focuses on Detroit, the challenges outlined here are readily applicable to other, post-industrial cities that are struggling to reimagine themselves in the 21st century.

Most think that Detroit is vacant/empty because of the loss of population over the past generation.Certainly that is part of it, but Gallagher points out that the size of Detroit was immense from the beginning.With enough land to encompass all of San Francisco, Boston and Manhattan, Detroit was spread out to begin with. This has now come back to be a serious challenge for the city.

Urban farming is an often noted solution to these empty spaces and Gallagher takes a serious look at the pros and cons of the popular idea.He accurately points out that urban farming alone is not a panacea for the city and at best, would be a part of any overall solution to the problem.He estimates that currently there are approximately 500+ acres of community gardens in the area or roughly one square mile of urban farms.Detroit has over 40 square miles of vacant land which makes you understand the challenge of what to do with all that space.

In order to make urban farming an economic possibility there needs to be a fundamental shift in the way we think about locally grown foods.Gallagher points out that only about 2% of Detroit's food could be considered locally grown.If that were boosted to 5-10% then the economics starts to become possible.

One missing conversation in the book is the possibility of medical marijuana farms. Michigan approved med marijuanain 2008 but large scale growth and distribution has yet to be implemented.Marijuana being a high value to acreage product might change some of the economics.

In other areas, Gallagher notes that Detroit has a large number of wide, multi-lane roads.With fewer cars on them, they seem overkill for the current and projected future population of the city.He suggests a "road diet" that would re-engineer some of these boulevards and make them narrower with more pedestrian and bike friendly features.He notes that adding environmental restraints such as roundabouts, trees, bike lanes, etc, actually has the counter-intuitive effect of making for safer streets.Turns out we pay more attention when the environment is more multiuse and dense.

One of his more pragmatic ideas is to allow some parts of the city to return to a more natural state, or so-called "wildlife corridors."Natural green spaces benefit the community and unlike parks, he notes that citizens don't expect you to keep up a natural area the way you would a public park!

One of the books highlights is the chapter called "The Best Idea Detroit's Never Tried" which discusses the success that the Flint Land Bank has had in acquiring and amalgamating vacant and blighted land in that city.The program has become a national model for land banking in part because of their innovative approach of bundling and selling off land to developers and then in turn using those proceeds to fix up blighted properties, essentially making them more valuable for future sale.Sadly Gallagher points out that for seemingly political reasons, the Detroit City Council has prevented this idea from being implemented in the city where it could have an immediate and perhaps profound impact on the area.

For those interested in cities, particularly in how to turn them around and re-imagine them, there is no better lab than Detroit and Gallagher captures the complexities and challenges of changing the course of a mammoth entity like the City of Detroit.And he does so in a refreshingly readable manner.

Also, here is an excellent interview with the author: [...] ... Read more

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Black Eden chronicles the history of Idlewild, a Michigan black community founded during the aftermath of the Civil War. As one of the nation’s most popular black resorts, Idlewild functioned as a gathering place for African Americans, and more importantly as a touchstone of black identity and culture. Benjamin C. Wilson and Lewis Walker examine Idlewild’s significance within a historical context, as well as the town’s revitalization efforts and the need for comprehensive planning in future development.In a segregated America, Idlewild became a place where black audiences could see rising black entertainers. Profusely illustrated with photos from the authors’ personal collections, Black Eden provides a lengthy discussion about the crucial role that Idlewildplayed in the careers of artists such as Louis Armstrong, B. B. King, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Wilson, Aretha Franklin, and Della Reese.Fundamentally, the book explores issues involved in living in a segregated society, the consequences of the civil rights movement, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and subsequent integration, and the consequences of integration vs. racial solidarity. The authors ask: "Did integration kill Idlewild?" suggesting rather that other factors contributed to its decline. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Piece of Michigan Black Gold
This book brings forth information on another aspect of African American history that has been overlooked. When most people talk about Blacks and Michigan, they automatically think of Detroit.This is a very narrow view.Drs. Walker and Wilson have written other books on the Black presence in the Great Lakes State and "Black Eden" is another chapter in the ever-evolving story.Besides some technical information that many people might find useless, the story of Idlewild involves many famous African Americans.W.E.B. Du Bois, Daniel Hale Williams, and Madam C. J. Walker all vacationed at this resort; some even owned land there.Often referred to as the Apollo of Michigan, Idlewild showcased the best in Black talent.Segregation allowed the venue to be a staple on the now renowned "chitlin curcuit". Integration took some, if not all, of that away.
"Black Eden" is also the story of regular, hardworking Black folk who would pack up the car and take the family on a weekend of fun and relaxation at the beach. Part of it is a people's history. Part of it is the rise of the Black celebrity. I believe that this book has a place on any bookshelf. ... Read more