Darden Dodge is my pen name, also a fictional character in my yet-to-be-published Riverfront Mystery book, set in both current and 1950’s Chicago 60614. There are 1950’s scenes at the Holly Theater at Fullerton-Greenview as well as climactic 2019 scenes at the LSD pedestrian overpass at North Ave Beach.
He and I both can be playful and enigmatic, with a childhood centered around the gritty industrial area near the old C&E Railroad (Chicago-Evanston) which ran down the center of Lakewood Ave in many places. My friends and I played around or on the tracks, occasionally hopping a freight to the threshold of Wrigley Field.
We learned to play baseball in our alley / made us good fielders and up-the-middle hitters. After high-school, some of us played baseball in what I call the Latin Leagues at Humboldt Park. I learned how it felt to be a minority.
I wasn’t raised in Chicago, I was raised by Chicago
Once in a while, inspiration will strike and you’ll see a quote or photo I’m anxious to share. If you like any of these, feel free to give Dodge the credit. Otherwise, I’ll take the blame.
In the early 21st century, mostly-good fortune beckoned me to another Midwestern state, later as far away as Reno and Las Vegas, NV. I lived the kind of life my friends and neighborhood prepared me for.
When times got tough, I let my memories and the friendships we forged decades ago pull me through. Life presented a new set of opportunities. I jumped at the chance to move back to the “home” I’d never really left.
My oldest and newest friends inspire me daily. With their help I’ll try to introduce the beautiful things I’ve seen, courageous people I love. Check out the projects page and galleries to see how things have gone so far!
