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So I'm guessing "next month" turned into "next year" for Chapter 5, and I need to content myself with Chapter Notes, TCDs, and Reminiscences of Royko past until it's written?

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Hi Mike--Actually it's mostly written, but the TCD71 and Royko turned out to be more all-consuming than I anticipated. After Chapter 4, in order to stay 50 Years Ago Today, I ended up getting derailed on chapter posting. But I got thrown off the real-time timeline just before Christmas, and then took a holiday break. Now, once I get past the 1972 election, my plan is to go back to posting chapters at least monthly. Thanks for asking! So only a few more weeks to get back to chapters. Thanks also for the reminder that I should edit the early chapters to update the messaging.

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You're welcome! I'm really enjoying the book's main thread, and much of the supporting material.

And I can think of no greater accolade to bestow (which also helps mollify my impatience with some of the digressions, more to come) than that this novel is somewhat Melvillian. Big story about a little guy. I see your chapter notes, reminiscences and Royko reviews somewhat like Melville's maddening dissertation on the color white, or the species of whales. Sure, maybe it's important...what the fuck happens to Ishmael, Hermy?

For me, well, I lived the year 1972. I had a girlfriend, went to senior prom, graduated from HS, worked as a bagboy at the "Jewels" on Main St. in Lombard. Read every Royko column every night when the Daily News came, and was riveted, and thrilled that someone who seemed to speak the language like the typically lunkheaded Chicagoan actually had the conjones to stand up and call Da Mayer what he was - a boss, a bully, and a tinhorn dictator lording over a declining city. So the Royko things, while interesting, are also kinda redundant; I remember being outraged as a teenager, and now that I'm 50 years past that, I'm saddened and bitter that seemingly nothing has gotten much better.

At least now I have money to run away from it all if it gets too horrible.

And the internet so I can keep up with Steve and Roseland even if I decamp to some warm, isolated beach.

Thanks for writing.

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