It's not so much of a stretch to say that maybe Nelson Algren defined Chicago the way that Chaucer defined the English language. Panned by many Chicago critics in his lifetime, Algren's Chicago: City on the Make was deemed "a scented object" by the Chicago Tribune at the time of its publication. They now annually grant a Nelson Algren Award with publication in the paper and $5,000. We could tell you about Algren's childhood on... more ›