Riverview Park bloomed on the shore of the Chicago River from 1904-1967, and inspired many an aspiring writer with its strange and wonderful sights. Perhaps Ray Bradbury walked its odd paths and saw freaks and geeks for the first time there. I love the above photo because it shows the magic — in this case, Aladdin’s Castle — in the midst of typical North Side Chicago residences. It’s possible that Bradbury and the other visionaries — Philip K. Dick and L. Frank Baum — who spent time in the Windy City felt their imaginations soar because they lived in a place that welcomed weirdness.
Silver Birch Press 