South Siders

South Siders, a collection of favorite columns that individually appeared in papers all across the country, is a guided tour of McGrath's Midwest, where 16 inch softball played barehanded by men past their prime, is more popular than the Superbowl; where funeral luncheons are indistinguishable from wedding receptions; where marriage is still till death do us part (with Illinois boasting the country's lowest divorce rate); where parents still discipline children, sometimes with the aid of a stern, hard drinking Santa Claus; where dogs are kindred spirits in the tradition of the Ojibwa; and where values and independence lead many to eschew psychotherapy, rehab, divorce, and even, sometimes, education. ********************************************************************************************************************************************** "Over the last 20 years, Chicago writer David McGrath's personal essays about childhood, parenthood, teaching, marriage, friendship, and other topics, have appeared in dozens of papers across the U.S. Whether you first read his work in the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Washington Post or Minneapolis Star Tribune, you did not likely forget his poignant and funny reflections, nor his inviting narrative voice. From fishing on the Kankakee River, to first dates in Evergreen Park, to teaching English to Bernie Mac at Chicago Vocational High School, McGrath always entertains readers, and somehow enables them to find their story in his. Aside from this very personal angle, and the emotionally acute framed moments that drive the book, a wider historical perspective also evolves. The personal stories are deepened by the public context, by McGrath's insights on racism and segregation, on union organizing and political corruption, and on the socio-economic disparities that have always plagued Chicago. McGrath captures not only the nuances of his own life in these stories, but the life of a city." Tom Fate, author of BEYOND THE WHITE NOISE and CABIN FEVER