Just back from a few days in Boston, city of beans, which were mostly spent indoors, alas. When out and about, however, I admired the architecture, which seemed to give a better sense of preserved history than we usually see in the Midwest. Riding around in a taxi, it occurred to me that I probably know more about Boston, historically speaking, than I do about Chicago. Seriously, how much history do you know about your city? ("Well, let's see. There were the Indians, and then there was a fire, and then...oh! meatpacking! and Daley, and the '68 convention, and the blizzard and...um...Jesse Jackson?"...sad, really.) So this summer I'll be trying to get better informed about the city I live in. See my stack of books above.

It's fitting, because in August it will be 10 years since I drove into Chicago to stay, with the kitties in the back seat. Send book suggestions to keep me occupied until 2015!