In the mid-70s, the Uptown neighborhood was filled with poor whites, blacks, Hispanics and Asians. It was infected with gang activity, mental illness and a unique architectural style. One man decided to document it all with his camera, and is now sharing the images in his new book, "Uptown: Portrait of a Chicago Neighborhood in the Mid 1970s." We talk with Bob Rehak as he shares his experiences while documenting a diverse Chicago neighborhood.
The show's website has an interview with Rehak and a slideshow of images and captions from the author. I moved from Minnesota to Addison and Pine Grove in the Lakeview neighborhood, which was just a few blocks south of Uptown, in the spring of 1981. It was a culture shock for someone who had grown up in the suburbs, but a welcome one. The show really brought back memories as the neighborhood in the early 1980s still looked a lot like the pictures in Rehak's book.
By the way, if you're tired of all the cable "shouting" shows, as I am, check out Chicago Tonight some time. It's quieter and calmer but often very interesting.
2 comments:
I will give it a try. I wish I could find an audio podcast of it.
Lately, I have been listening to the audio podcast of the Rachel Maddow show while I ride the bus and train to work.
It's funny - I find her to be very even handed and moderate in her tone - while my rightwing relatives say her name the same way they say "Nancy Pelosi" - as if these 2 very bright women were bogey(wo)men.
Even though I agree with most (all?) of what's said on MSNBC, I can definitely understand why conservatives would have trouble with some of the hosts. Chris Matthews, for example, is a blow-hard who won't let anyone else talk, while Ms. Maddow, I think, speaks with a somewhat smart-alecky tone.
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