The city of Chicago has had a rough time of it in the year or so since it stood at the centre of the world, under the spotlight with Barack Obama. From the downfall of the hyper-corrupt, high-haired former governor Rod Blagojevich, to the city’s rejection for the 2016 Olympics, Chicago seems to be on something of a desperate losing streak.
It is a welcome victory, then, that
Granta
magazine has devoted its latest issue entirely to the City of Broad Shoulders. Literary giant Don DeLillo contributes a piece on the late Nelson Algren, which is followed by an archive piece by Algren. The fantastic George Saunders writes about growing up on Chicago’s notorious South Side. More than anything, though, there is a distinctly international feel to the selection of writers, due no doubt both to the influence of Granta’s acting editor, John Freeman (American, but not from Chicago), and to Chicago’s role as a magnet for people from every corner of the globe. The featured piece is Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka on (Nobel Prize winner) Barack Obama – who’d have guessed? And to top it all off, the issue is graced with a gorgeous cover by Chicagoan Chris Ware, best known for his New Yorker illustrations.
Obama should be proud.
Grantamagazine is available from bookshops at €12; for subscriptions, see www.granta.com.
NEIL BURKEY
