If you grew up in the greater Chicago area, you know WGN. It's the beloved independent TV station which, among other things, broadcast Cubs baseball games for 72 seasons and produced "The Bozo Show" for 40+ years.
I'm from Milwaukee myself, but I regularly watched and was duly freaked out by Bozo the clown and his garish sidekicks Wizzo and Cooky. I doubt that Bozo would pass as high-quality entertainment today, but he absolutely fit the bill back in 1978.
I was very fortunate to visit to WGN over the weekend for an interview with anchor Jewell Hillery about MARVELOUS JACKSON. My husband tagged along because he likes to call himself my handler, but I suspect the real reason he wanted to accompany me had more to do with legendary Cubs announcer Harry Caray. Specifically, my husband wanted to see if he could find any Harry Caray memorabilia in the studio -- which, to his delight, he did.
There was also Bozo memorabilia. And yes, that red-haired fellow is still unnerving.
My chat with Jewell Hillery was lovely, and it was great to spend time in Chicago, where I lived my first two years out of college. The city is home to more than 50 James Beard Award-winners and 22 Michelin-starred restaurants, which meant it was a no-brainer for me to choose it as the headquarters for the big-hearted, world-famous Marvelous Midwest Kids Baking Championship. MMKBC plays a big role in my book, and it incites a ton of growth in my main character of Jack, who desperately wants to snag a coveted audition spot for the show's next season.
Chicago isn't just about WGN and good food, obviously. In addition to world-class museums, a gorgeous lakeshore, and fantastic river cruises, it has a vibrant literary community, and some of my favorite authors live there. For picture books, I love Justin Roberts and Amy Krouse Rosenthal (RIP). For middle grade and YA, Daniel Kraus and James Klise are awesome. And Kathleen Rooney and Rebecca Makkai are two of my favorite writers anywhere of literary fiction for adults. As for bookstores, I adore Women and Children First and Semicolon Books. Check them out!
Thanks, WGN, for a Sunday that goes down as one of the very best.
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