Author Archives: Laurel DiGangi

A Luxurious Stop on the Press Junket Gravy Train

The old man was sitting at a picnic table alongside a fast food stand on North Lincoln Avenue. His head was down, resting on his forearm, like a grade-schooler taking a nap at his desk. There was no shade, no breeze, just the hot noonday sun beating down on his exposed scalp. A plastic basket […]

Be Careful: This Could Happen to You

Halloween Week on the Competitive Costume Circuit

At a quarter to four in the morning, a small group huddles in front of the North Park Village Nature Center on Chicago’s northwest side. Our guide, naturalist Jerry Garden, questions the young couple walking toward us: “Are you here for the owl prowl?” When they say yes, I ask Jerry jokingly, “Why else?” He […]

Notes on the Evolution of Intimate Apparel

There is a certain type of woman who eats lunch alone at Marshall Field’s. While others her age need walkers, she can still glide gracefully (if slowly) on tasteful Italian pumps. A hat could upset the balance of her expensively arranged coiffure, but she still dons one on special occasions. And she doesn’t wait for […]

Two strangers, a man and a woman, share a bench on the corner of Addison and Halsted. Their parcels lean against their thighs. Hers: bubble wrap squashed into a plastic Jewel sack. His: a filthy blue gym bag with an obscure corporate logo. She gazes eastward, searching for signs of the Addison bus. He squints […]