>>>>>>But, I'm pleased that you've been nourished in the land of Nelson Algren, Carl Sandburg and Studs Terkel.<g>
>>>>>
>>>>>Let's not forget the late, great Mike Royko and one of the best sports columnists (IMO) that ever lived the late Jack Griffin.
>>>>
>>>>For me, Royko was a conversation partner. I eagerly read his column daily and it helped me to see the world through his sometimes caustic, always direct and honest eyes. Few noted people offer that insight into their lives. He was greater than great.
>>>
>>>While I was in Chicago I read him daily as well. Unfortunately, when I moved here in 1981, I couldn't. Let's not forget that he was the author of a couple of books, includng "Boss" on Richard J. Daly.
>>
>>Reading "Boss" reinforced my impression of Royko as the consumate columnist.
>
>Absolutely.
>
>>Didn't he write one also on the Chicago political machine -- "We don't want nobody nobody sent"? I thought that was a great title. Some kid wanted to get involved with the party and went to his local precinct head and volunteered. When he said that he didn't have a sponsor, that was the reply.
>
>If he did, I must've missed it. I'll have to check it out while I'm in "The Big Town". The other book that comes to mind is "Slats Grobnick And Other Friends".
>
>>>>>I've always had a knack for giving things a name. When I lived on the far South side of Chicago (134th St.) I took the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend train home (AKA "The Orange Marauder"). I even do that to myself. There are a number of aliases I go by.:-)
>>>>
>>>>Ohmygoshhhhh. You're not the REAL JOHN PETERSEN are you?
>>>
>>>Ahh, no!:-) I don't use them around here except in passing. For example, I am Lamont Cranston. And Media Jones and Otis L. A. Vator to mention just a few.
>>
>>Now we know who knows what lurks in the minds of men <g>.
>
>< s > And it ain't pretty!
>
>>I like Media Jones -- has promise for the lead character in a serio-sitcom. Maybe an updated Columbo?
>
>Let's not forget about Shaseed Umbata-Barat, now. But I don't want to go there.:-)

Well, one of the interesting things in the past couple months is that we are getting to know our Muslim and Arabic friends better, Shaseed. Although, your name has a tendency towards late-middle Proto-Sloveno-Ugaritic.

>
>>>
>>>I did have on more thought on writing and the picture at RoxWorld. What you see there is me in my James Joyce writing mode....Stream of Un-Consciousness.
>>
>>I did meet one of the 5 people in the world who'd actually finished Ulysees. I asked him how it made him a different person, and he didn't have an answer. I guess most of us undergrads stop at "Portrait". Tried Ulysees, but, you know, puns are really funny when you say them, but, not nearly as funny out of someone else's mouth?
>
>I went to a small, private high school on the south side where I majored in basketball. One of the great things about it was the exposure to great literature. For example, I read Herman Hesse's "Siddhartha" when I was a sophomore, Joyce's "Dubliners" and "Portrait..." by the time I was a junior. Typically (and you probably won't believe this), the senior class tackled "Ulysees". Our senior class, however, was simply too stupid to be allowed to try.:-)

Sometimes, that can be a blessing!

My best lit teacher in grammar and high school was in 7th grade. She was an incredible motivator. She was big on working in groups. In one of her sections, she had us reading 19th and 20th century lit. My group got "existentialism." <g> I made it thru Camus' Plague. One of my friends had Kafka's Castle -- never did finish it, I think he got lost in the labyrinth. We each presented a book report on our assigned book. Of course, our favorite project was doing a newspaper. My team did "The Mafia Informer" and had a lot of fun with that.

>
>>You know, I've heard that stream of unconsciousness of Bill Faulkner, too, so, there you go in that Southern novelist mode. <g>
>>
>Hopefully, not in "As I Lay Dying."< bg >

Sound and Fury?

Jay