Victoria Lautman & Frank McCourt, Magnificent Mile, Chicago
Writers on the Record is a monthly literary series cosponsored by Chicago Magazine and 98.7WFMT and is hosted by the Looking Glass Theatre in the Water Tower Water Works. Victoria Lautman interviews authors before a live audience and it’s simultaneously broadcast on the radio. I noticed about a month ago that Frank McCourt was going to be the guest this month so I asked Kristin M. if she’d like to go with me.
I’ve been a fan of Frank McCourt’s since I read “Angela Ashes” a few years ago. The book tells of McCourt’s poverish upbringing in Limerick, Ireland and ends with him coming to America. After reading it I immediately went out and got the book “‘Tis,” which tells of his adventures after coming to America. McCourt was here promoting his latest book, his final memoir, “Teacher Man.” It’s the story of his adventures in teaching English in New York public schools.
McCourt is quite the character. Lautman, the interviewer, really only had to ask him like 3 questions for the whole hour interview. McCourt mostly talked story the entire time. He had the audience laughing with him all the while.
» Frank’s first teaching job in a kitchen (pt1) (.mov, 59 sec, 1mb)
» Frank’s first teaching job in a kitchen (pt2) (.mov, 59 sec, 1mb )
» Frank’s troubles trying to do his dissertation (.mov, 39 sec, 1.2mb)
Rachelle & Frank McCourt, Magnificent Mile, Chicago
Afterwards there were books for sale (I’d already bought mine at Border’s last week for 30% off, score!) and Frank was available to sign them. I also asked if I could take a photo with him, which he said was fine. I mentioned that when I read “‘Tis” that I was living on Bedford at Downing in New York at the time. And of course, he said “I lived at 46 Downing” which was my point exactly. I remember freaking out when I read the address he lived at because I passed by his former apartment every day. I sent the photo to my dad, who’d read “Angela’s Ashes,” but I didn’t post the story or photo because the building was literally around the corner from my apartment and I didn’t want stalkers, but since I don’t live there now, here it is:
46 Downing, West Village, Manhattan (taken 08.2003)
One more thing: I’ve seen the old historic water tower and the building across the street many times, but I never realized until today that they still are functioning and have water pipes and stuff in there.
Water Tower Water Works, Magnificent Mile, Chicago
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