Under the L

Growing Up In The Near North Side Of Chicago is an oral history, turned into a chronicle, obtained by personal interviews with my childhood friends recorded on audiotape. This book is not a scientific social document. It is not a confession, nor does it try to achieve catharsis.This book was written out of awe. I hold my childhood in awe. Awe that so much of the human condition can flow from such meager beginnings. I have been in touch with all those I interviewed and many others from the old neighborhood for many years, and when we get together at parties, weddings and funerals, one comment that runs through our conversations is, &quote;How did we survive?&quote; Behind this question is the realization that some did not survive; many brothers and friends fell by the wayside from drugs and crime.