Sept. 06--Wednesday morning, the Chicago Public Library system and Mayor Rahm Emanuel will make an announcement. But this one, unlike such recent news about property tax hikes, will generate no controversy.
He will name Thomas Dyja's fascinating history, "The Third Coast: When Chicago Built the American Dream," as the One Book One Chicago selection for 2015-16. A beautifully written exploration of the cultural explosion that took place here roughly between the end of World War II into the 1960s, it features a passel of compelling characters, from Playboy's Hugh Hefner to McDonald's Ray Kroc, poet Gwedolyn Brooks to novelist Nelson Algren and, of course, that other mayor, Richard J. Daley.
"Chicago is my home in a way that goes beyond my address. I hope this will be a way for all of us to look at the city together, celebrate it, learn about it, ask questions, and look ahead," said Dyja.
This honor, which began in 2001 with Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," has included such monumental works as "Night" by Elie Wiesel and "The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe and, by local authors, "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros and "The Adventures of Augie March" by Saul Bellow. The 2014-15 selection was "The Adventures of Kavalier Clay" by Michael Chabon.
A third generation Chicagoan, Dyja grew up on the Northwest Side. He attended Columbia University and has lived in New York ever since, writing books, working in the publishing industry and raising two children with his wife, literary agent Suzanne Gluck.
"The Third Coast" was highly acclaimed when published in 2013 and won the Tribune's Heartland Prize for nonfiction. All manner of special Chicago Public Library events attend the OBOC selections so have a look at http://bit.ly/1x5O4QS after the mayor and CPL do their thing.
rkogan@tribpub.com
