Chicago and Me in the Time of a Pandemic by Jack Gregus

Chicago and Me In the Time of a Pandemic

Jack Gregus
Art book with poetry, paintings, and photography
October, 2020, 175 pp
 
Buy on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KRHYQPJ
Ebook, $9.99
Print, $14.95
 
About the Book
A work of poetry, paintings, short stories, and photographs made in the time of a pandemic whilst living in Chicago. It holds a light for the lonely. It asks you to think and feel. It wants to be a friend of your heart. Breathe in original passion and invigorating truth. You matter and so does knowledge. The days have been long with doubt and fear, rinse yourself with these written words and feel something more. Feel the independence of love and its many forms. What is presented is for pleasure and guided action so life may continue. A sensual creation awaits your gaze.
 
My Review
Gregus has put together a series of heartfelt, sometimes gut-wrenching queries in reflection of our times. I admit, there is some aspects of the work that I find disturbing, but just because I'm a little old Quaker grandma, I'm not going to decline to share the book. The author approached me for a potential review.
 
“Used patience lulls submission, Is Nobody capable of impossible truth?” he writes in between photos of fanned book pages and the quietude of a lit, peaceful living room with sofa.
 
“Of Slices” and “Of Remnants” show what’s there, and what’s left behind.
 
“I need new plans” and “Please God help me not overreact when things go array” are certainly pleas everyone experiences now more than ever. Gregus shares images of nature and man in poses of praise and repentance, essays with graphic language and adult situations common, I suppose, with the frustrated generation of today. It’s not a book for those looking for clean spiritually-themed stories or reflections.
 
“I need to challenge myself, I need to go past what I know,” he writes. A brutal but thought-provoking story of murder follows. “I have often thought very little about death,” the story concludes in his character Casey’s voice, “the hunger of a man to kill. The unwant to be killed.”
 
Chicago and Me is a collection of Gregus navigating his way through the confusing and frustrating current times, and sharing these observances and reflections through poetry, prose, and visual art. The book is adult-themed and contains profanity and graphic written material.
 
About the Author
When not creating art I tend to ease back and eat delish sustenance in my home of Chicago. I love to listen to music on extreme levels that I can feel the music pass from one ear to the other. I am a movie fan as well. The movies that really touch me are those which involve great feats of emotion. The reason that I write, take photographs, and paint is because the expression is everything. I really respect Basquiat and his constant promotion of the audience to think. Expression is universal and it can tell cliche stories or something more interesting. For me, it's the something more. I dig into euphoria when I can speak for the voiceless and include my faith.