Nelson Algren

PHOTOS: Happy Birthday, Nelson Algren!

Posted 03.28.2012

Award-winning writer Nelson Algren may not have been born in Chicago, but he spent most of his life in the Windy City, and the ways it shaped him are ...

Behind the Scenes at the Chicago Literary Awards

Elysabeth Alfano | Posted 01.01.2012

Elysabeth Alfano

It is wonderful to live in a city so rich of history, so rich of character, so rich of talent and art. But do we celebrate it enough?

What's the Catch?

Jan Herman | Posted 09.24.2011

Jan Herman

Just read the excerpt in Vanity Fair of the new Joseph Heller biography, and there's no mention of Nelson Algren.

A "John" Named Nelson Algren

Jan Herman | Posted 09.13.2011

Jan Herman

Annie Sprinkle led off her review of Chester Brown's Paying For It: A Comic-Strip Memoir About Being a John by pointing out that in her "nearly 40 yea...

Because You Never Heard of Him...

Jan Herman | Posted 05.25.2011

Jan Herman

Straight Up features Stephen Deutch (1908-1997). A longtime friend of Nelson Algren's, Deutch was born in Budapest, Hungary. He studied sculpture there at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

The Beats Left Nelson Algren Cold, Jack Kerouac Especially

Jan Herman | Posted 05.25.2011

Jan Herman

I once asked Nelson Algren what he thought of Naked Lunch. I knew he had no love for any of the Beats. So his answer surprised me, because he meant it as praise.

How to Go From Jamoke to Chicagoan in Under 40 Minutes

David Murray | Posted 05.25.2011

David Murray

I've got this intern from San Francisco working for me. How'm I ever gonna explain to this kid what makes Chicago different, different from anywhere else? I'm gonna start with these six short videos.

Why you Might Want to Attend Saturday's 'Nelson-Tennial'

David Murray | Posted 05.25.2011

David Murray

As Chicago's memory of Nelson Algren dims, he and his vision of this place seem to be taking over my mind. I'm not entirely pleased about this development.

Nelson Algren, Most Quotable of Writers

Jan Herman | Posted 05.25.2011

Jan Herman

Henry Kisor has posted on his news blog an item called The 'Inept Blob' vs. the 'Inhuman Turd,' about the nasty friction between the novelist Nelson A...

Obama and "The Chicago Way"

Martin Nolan | Posted 05.25.2011

Martin Nolan

How does Barack Obama fit into political Chicago? I found out at another convention, Boston's in 2004.