The Salon: Shout Out to...

In honor of my currently being in Chicago, I thought I'd highlight some famous faces from the area in a little special I'm going to call:

Shout Out to... Chicago!

So here are some Chicagoans that you ought to appreciate:

Ray Bradbury: Made anti-book-burning-propaganda by writing about burning books.

Philip K. Dick: practically unknown writer who inspired a few pretty well known sci-fi movies. Blade Runner, anyone?

Michael Crichton: The reason I still have nightmares about velociraptors.

Carl Sandburg: His poem "Fog" is second only to "Red Wheelbarrow" in succint awesomeness.

Shel Silverstein: The giving tree. Where the sidewalk ends. Falling Up. A light in the Attic...Runny Babbitt!!! He is a poet who is second to none.

Frank Lloyd Wright: the only architect who's name I'll ever remember.

Ernest Hemingway: man's man, ladies man, ruffian.

Al Capone: Wall art for many a local pizza joint, and Italian restaurant.

Robert Zemeckis: Directed Wilson and Roger Rabbit in their most trying roles.

Oprah Winfrey: Owner of famous Tom-Cruise-trampoline couch

Robin Williams: Ms. Euphagenia Doubtfire

Billy Zane: Zoolander guest star

Mr. T: Bling-Blingiest Fool-Pitier

Bill Murray: Ghostbuster extraordinaire. If we could have a surrogate father, World, it would have to be Bill Murray. He'd never put up with those monsters under the bed... or wiley groundhogs.