“Mona Lisa musta had the highway blues, you can tell by the way she smiles.” – Dylan
The Mona Lisa Street Scene series arose on the West Side of Chicago, along Madison Street.
Sketchy people were wafting about there and here, buses were pulling in and out of the hulking garages, the El tracks were shaking with trains, cars going by, seagulls soaring above all in from the lake looking for chicken bones in the gutters, grass blowing in the vacant lots, garbage rotting in the alleyways, food smells floating from nearby hot dog stands (Chicago has more hot dog stands than McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King combined, even though McDonald’s was invented here and has its world headquarters here), leaves fluttering on the trees, weeds coming up from the cracks in the sidewalks, cats climbing on stairways, buildings groaning with ghosts, rats baring their fangs and claws, doves cooing and gently moving their wings without flying, but dreaming of flying, which is, after all, only – another kind of flying.
Because I’m feeling silly and I like to celebrate my city, these are the names of eleven comedians who are from Chicagoland, i.e., Chicago and environs: John Belushi, Jim Belushi, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Betty White, Steve Allen, Jack Benny, Chris Farley, Robin Williams, Redd Foxx, Bob Newhart.
Saragun Springs 
Dr. DWB
Your celebration of the co-capital of Saragun Springs via the Lady who appears to be amused by her portrait maker (I wonder what she felt about the end work) is tremendous.
I’ve always believed that the “Second City” (a fine group of comics of the town) moniker is one that was taken with a sneer more than a willing “kneel” to the sometimes rotten apple. Media size is not everything. Chicago also produced Eddie Gadell (sp) the World’s Smallest Baseball Player.
Thank you for the tour (One vexation: when I worked at McDonalds our manager went to “Hamburger-U” and returned an asshole.They did something to him.)
Leila
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Hi Leila
Yes, and not only has Mickey D’s turned millions of its employees into irritable and unlikable human beings; it’s also done its share to help in destroying the Planet. Sadly, I do have to admit to a fondness for the bacon, egg and cheese biscuit as well as the Filet o’ Fish sandwich and the fries. And sometimes the Chicken McNuggets. And occasionally the Quarter Pounder when I haven’t eaten in a while and can’t help myself. And I love the smell of their coffee.
Chicago, as I’m sure all cities are, is weird about its nicknames. Many Chicagoans take extreme pride in “Second City,” as in: “We get the Silver Medal!” The fact that Los Angeles is now bigger than we are doesn’t change the fact that we are still second best, in their minds.
And many folks say The Windy City refers to the politics, not the wind, even though it can be a very windy place, especially during storms!
And we have Carl Sandburg, of course (that great forgotten genius who was once so famous that he was giving speeches in front of the U.S. Congress) to thank for The City of Big Shoulders. That’s supposed to mean we are all bad asses, I think. And yet, many of the coolest neighborhoods have now been taken over by Twinkle Toes so-called hipsters who are really well-heeled suburbanites who drove the rest of us out.
Still, I heart the place for some reason (even tho’ I hate it too, like Bill said)!
Dale
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Dale
Mona Lisa’s reflection on the glass is very creative! Street photography is really intriguing. Great descriptions of the city. Strong concrete details. Sketchy characters, the smells of the hot dog vendors, the El shaking, Seagulls soaring, all of this and more engages the reader.
Plus: The Mona Lisa is involved in a new type of exhibition. Her ghostly image draws your eye, but so does the street and the blurred reflection of the photographer. There’s something great about her being on the street, like she is part of it, or looking over it with her famous smile. The quote by Dylan is so fitting.
The list of comedians from Chicago is pretty cool too!
Christopher
PS There is a really cool series on Abe Lincoln on Netflix. He wrote a 2000 word announcement for why he was running for a political office in the newspaper, when most of these notices were only a paragraph. Back to the great writer dealio.
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Hi CJA!
Chicago also has Van Gogh’s “The Bedroom” and Picasso’s “The Old Guitarist”!
Ain’t no doubt about it that Honest Abe was a great writer. His style is like The King James Bible meets Shakespeare meets a Frontier Kid from Indiana and Kentucky.
He tried to give black people the vote and they shot him dead for it.
Chicago also has those two great, great street artists, Henry Darger and Vivian Maier!
Thanks as always for two things: your understanding, and your sympathetic way of expressing it. And three: your prolific, reliable way of expressing it.
DWB
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Dale,
I haven’t commented on any of your photos in the past because I know zilch about photography. But had to post something this time because the photos were so striking and a perfect complement to your single sentence/single paragraph litany of affection for your home town. Ann arresting complement to a great read. bw mick
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Hi Mick, and thank you so much!
This is my technical criteria for judging an image: Does it look cool?
“Cool” as in the Miles Davis sense of cool.
Thanks again!
Dale
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Very nice. Judging by the look on her face, Mona seems to like it too.
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Hi David!
I like the Walter Pater quote about her, where he says, “Like the vampire, she has been dead many times.”
Not sure what he meant by that but it makes sense!
Dale
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