Tom Lynch

Standing on a sealed bucket of caulk, peering over the heavily blocked and masked fences, the field can be seen as it displays its new look--desolate and quiet, the resting ground for sleeping yellow bulldozers. White SUVs patrol the parallel street, with drivers lurking mysteriously from behind tinted windows, protecting the remains from further disruption.

As we all now know, Mayor Daley ordered a wrecking crew to tear up Meigs Field late Sunday evening, carving mysterious X's into the runway, causing both stir and confusion amongst Chicago's busy lakefront, and stranding the fifteen or so airplanes that are still grounded at the site. Police officers sit at the gates to prevent George Q. Curious from slinking inside O'Hare's now-deceased kid brother this morning after. "The Park District isn't leasing the field out now," one officer says, moustached and reading the Trib. "It's closed."

Now, the cold air blows off the lake, seemingly penetrating the mashed rubble and continuing directly through it into the city. Doubles for Mulder and Scully, outfitted in suits and sunglasses, make their presence known by consistently asking, "What are you doing here?" or "What are you looking at?" Spectators are scarce, as if they are too ashamed to look at what the middle of the night has delivered. And the field itself stands alone, hobbled, as its bulldozer bullies rest peacefully, satisfied in knowing that their job is done.

(2003-04-02)

Also by Tom Lynch

Tip of the Week
Seattle's Adam Voith, founder of TNI Books, delivers the letters of the eponymous dead guy from beyond the grave in "Stand Up, Ernie Baxter: You're Dead."
(2003-04-01)

Doing the deed
Editor-in- chief Keith Blanchard bragged that "Maxim saves journalism" during his lecture to the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Now that his first novel has been published, he has placed himself into a position in which he believes he can "save literature" too.
(2003-03-26)

Lights, Camera, Hurry
Making a film with a deadline that isn't up for negotiation is difficult; making it in three days or less seems impossible.
(2003-03-19)

Temporary rock stars
While downing a pint of PBR, the young woman looks a bit nervous. She talks with friends and examines the lyrics off of a white sheet of paper.
(2003-03-05)

Time is on his side
(2003-02-26)

Notes from the Madden Underground
(2003-01-29)

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