Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
A while back I posted on the passing of Pehr Bolling, a Swedish immigrant and local resident who (among many remarkable things) after retiring built a functional replica of a viking ship. The obit is unfortunately deep in the Trib archives now, but the family was kind enough to send me a video of the ship’s launch. It’s particularly moving to me since my own grandfather has been building and restoring boats as a serious hobby/part-time job for most of his adult life*, mostly gorgeous mid-century power boats but also James River bateau, an old, distinctively Virginia shallow-water boat that was used for shipping on the James River.
PS: The Craftsman, a new book by Richard Sennett, looks awfully interesting. Haven’t read it yet but it’s on my list. Here’s a good rundown, and a review. Sennett, FYI, is a Chicago native and U. of C. grad.
