We recently talked with Chicago-born author Barry Gifford about the omnibus release of The Sailor & Lula Novels, a cycle of seven books which begins with Wild at Heart. We'll be posting the main portion of that interview soon, but an out-of-left-field reminiscence about Gene Siskel deserves its own entry. more ›

We had the good fortune recently to speak with Barry Gifford, one of our favorite contemporary authors. His newest book is Memories from a Sinking Ship, a "fictional memoir" about growing up in mid-fifties Chicago (and Key West and New Orleans). Roy is a youngster shuttled from place to place, alternating between his beautiful, vivacious mother and his estranged, gangster father. For a sizeable chunk of the book he lives at 6312 N. Rockwell, and the story is packed with fascinating details about a vanished Chicago: going to movies at the Nortown Theater on Western or hanging out at Lucky's El Paso pool hall. more ›