Arts & Entertainment
Best of LGBT Chicago
‘Windy City’ anthology of stories, poems a mixed bag
‘Windy City Queer’
By Kathie Bergquist
University of Wisconsin Press
$24.95/246 pages
The beach is sounding pretty good right now.
You’ve survived the holidays, the crush of shopping, the insanity of parties and family get-togethers and a year’s worth of weird weather. You’ve lived through downsizing at work, upsizing at lunch and the changing of the middle class.
This new Chicago-based gay anthology makes an interesting beach read. (Image courtesy University of Wisconsin Press)
Now the New Year is calling, and the beach is beckoning.
Since no sand-sit is satisfying without a book, what to take is the next big question. The answer may be “Windy City Queer,” edited by Kathie Bergquist.
“What distinguishes LGBTQ writing from Chicago from its well-documented counterparts in New York or San Francisco?” asks Columbia College Chicago teacher and editor Kathie Bergquist.
In seven basic sections, Bergquist answers that question by pulling together more than 30 contributors of “national renown and distinction,” winners of awards, and writers for whom Chicago is a “vestige of a past life.”
And that past life might’ve been filled with mistakes. In “Marriage and Commitment” by Owen Keehnen, an off-hand volunteer gig brings a young man face-to-face with painful memories and a horrifying possibility.
Strength arrives in the back of a taxi in “Cold Cab” by Byron Flitsch. When a cabbie spots two men making out in the back of his vehicle, he overreacts and tries to kick them out. The date is quickly over, but the war has just begun.
As the saying goes, if Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. But what if Mama is listed as Daddy? In “I Am My Daughter’s Dad” by Coya Paz, the distinction is both hilarious and irritating.
In “The Mudroom” by Nadine C. Warner, the presence of a toddler enriches his mothers’ lives but causes “lesbian bed death.” Can feng shui, a sense of humor, and paint restore their dance together?
And sometimes, you really have to relax and learn to remain unfazed. That’s especially true when you’re the passenger in a car driven by someone who was born male but is transitioning and dressed to kill, and you’ve just been stopped by a serious-looking state trooper. In “Darla Speeding” by Deb R. Lewis, you’ll see why life is much more interesting when you roll with the flow.
Like so many anthologies, “Windy City Queer” is a mixed bag.
There will be stories in here that you won’t like. There are poems you might not understand. A few of the contributions will seem too long, while others will make you growl in frustration because of their brevity. Some will make you laugh, some will make you hate and some will break your heart.
The good news is that you don’t have to read everything. Editor Kathie Bergquist has pulled together a nice variety of works to fit a variety of readers and moods, which makes this an easy book to browse for five minutes or for five hours.
And there’s the beauty of a book like this: when you’re busy, restless, or you’re packing for vacation, you want a pick-up-and-put-down kind of read. A perfect fit, “Windy City Queer” probably sounds pretty good right now.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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PHOTOS: Equality Prince William Pride
Chilean lawmakers back report that calls for suspension of program for trans children
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Calendar: May 16-22
