The birth of V.I. Warshawski, as told by Sara Paretsky to Maggie Garb in In These Times (Oct. 24-30): “I was sitting in this meeting with my boss [at CNB Insurance Corporation], and you know how big corporations work–when you’re in middle management, you’re kind of the baloney in the sandwich. My boss was saying something asinine, and I was sitting there nodding and saying, ‘Great idea, go for it.’ And in my head, I was thinking, ‘What a stupid jackass.’ That’s when V.I. came to me. You know those thought bubbles that hang over cartoon characters. She’s the one who gets to say what’s in the bubble.” No wonder she’s always getting into fights.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Still crazy after all these years. Ed Zotti promotes the nearly laughed-to-death idea of a new ornamental canal from the Chicago River at 19th Street (about 400 West) to Lake Michigan in Chicago Enterprise (November 1990): “There’s no question that at a time when Chicago has as many problems as it does, it’s a little crazy to talk about investing in a canal. But lots of things are crazy. Investing in swamp land by the shore of Lake Michigan 160 years ago was crazy. Why should we start being sensible now?”
At last, a worthy hero for political consultants. University of Chicago humanities professor J. Paul Hunter retells the story of an exchange between guitarist Pete Townshend and a BBC interviewer (University of Chicago Record, October 25): Townshend said, “‘I don’t think it matters whether people in your own time follow you or not. It’s the long run, you know. I mean, look at Jesus. He didn’t have any followers in his own time, and look at him now!’ There was a pause. ‘Now wait a minute,’ said the interviewer. ‘What do you mean he had no followers in his own time. There was the Apostle Paul, Mary Magdalene, the twelve disciples, lots and lots of people.’ Another pause, and then Townshend replied disdainfully, ‘I’m not into facts, man.’”
Who–told–you–that–you–could–play–this–game? Hammacher Schlemmer now offers the ultimate masochistic nerd toy, a computer that both plays chess “with more skill than 95% of the world’s population” and makes “humorous remarks about your moves.”
