The Blue Circus

Here's What They're Saying:
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"The life of Dennis Foley has been, so far, a wild ride. That he is brave enough to put it all on the pages of this book with a palpable honesty and considerable charm not only makes for good reading but should give every reader hope."  --Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune

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"No Ketchup: Chicago’s Top 50 Hot Dogs And The Stories Behind Them is not just a definitive guide to some of the best stands serving one of the city’s most iconic foods, but it also uniquely profiles the hardworking people behind the counters."
​   --Selena Fragassi, Chicago Sun-Times

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BOB SIROTT, WGN- RADIO: "Keep this book in your car and you'll never be more than ten minutes away from finding a great city hot dog joint. How about an all-suburban edition next?"

WGN radio interview with Bob Sirott: 
 https://wgnradio.com/bob-sirott/no-ketchup-on-your-hot-dogs/

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Interview with WGN's RICK KOGAN:
​https://wgnradio.com/after-hours-with-rick-kogan/author-dennis-foley-shares-chicagos-top-50-hot-dogs/

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"The Streets and San Man writes again, and he hasn't lost his snap. It takes a real tube steak to write the definitive book on Chicago's best hot dogs, and Dennis Foley is pure beef with a healthy splash of mustard."  --Mark Brown, Chicago Sun-Times

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​BOB SIROTT, Chicago broadcast legend: ​"If you want to really get to know the unique characters of a unique city—read THE BLUE CIRCUS. It’s based on the real Chicago that only a former city worker like Dennis Foley understands."

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RICK KOGAN, Chicago Tribune: “The Blue Circus . . . has a sure-footed and clear-eyed sense of this city and its unusual ways and power structures. With snappy dialog and compelling characters, it is part family saga and part mystery and wholly satisfying."

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"Chicagoese is such a great language and in THE BLUE CIRCUS, Dennis Foley, a native Southsider, brings that language, the city itself, and its rambunctious characters to life. Neighborhood streets, dive bars, and shady city deals waltz across the page, spread out like a deck of cards. But Foley hold some of the cards back and delivers them in a timely fashion, causing the reader to shake his head and marvel. This is a wonderful story about the City that Works, or doesn't work, and a family trying to push forward to survive, as only an insider can tell."   --Reviewer's Bookwatch

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“Dennis Foley may have outgrown his days as a Chicago alley fighter, but in The Drunkard’s Son he delivers a knockout punch with this moving and thought-provoking look at a sometimes painful period in American history and in a young boy’s life. Foley knows how to tell a story—the highest compliment I can pay.”        
​                                                            --Mark Brown, Chicago Sun-Times

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“…[The Drunkard's Son] is a compelling and surprisingly humorous book.  And Foley has always been one to play around with perceptions. . . . You will be pleasantly surprised by the depth and heart and honesty of his new book.” --Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune

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 THREE STARS  "[Not a Stranger] is the epitome of an  independent film .  .  . The screenplay by Dennis Foley, 
​ who also produced and enlisted the help of just about everyone he knew in order to get the film done, is filled with smart and mostly authentic dialogue."            --Richard Roeper, ​Chicago Sun-Times

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Listen to the Dave Plier interview. Good guy. We talk about different parts of the city and about the works of CHICAGOESE authors, Stuart Dybek, Joe Meno, Carl Sandburg, Sherwood Anderson, John Guzlowski, Patricia Ann McNair and more.  Click HERE​

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"[We Speak CHICAGOESE] is like a talented chorus that sings the song of Chicago in words."                                                              --Rick Kogan, WGN Radio

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​"[We Speak CHICAGOESE] is a must-read for anyone who wants to better understand the city through its literature. In just a couple hundred pages, the reader will taste a vast variety of topics served up by a wonderfully broad range of writers.
​                                               --Greg Borzo, Windy City Reviews

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​Click HERE to listen to WGN Radio's Rick Kogan interview Dennis about THE DRUNKARD'S SON.

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Click HERE to listen to Dennis' interview on the WBEZ Afternoon Show regarding THE DRUNKARD'S SON and the contributions of Chicago author John Powers who died on January 17, 2013.  ​

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THE BLUE CIRCUS   "This is a superb drama pilot. It takes a close look at Chicago labor and politics. . . The dialogue is great. It sounds authentic. It's tough and often profane but there's a great rhythm to it. This is a very exciting project."
   --judge's comment, Beverly Hills Screenplay Contest

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  "The book is based on a simple premise: Who better to advise you on where to grab a tasty, affordable 
  midday meal in Chicago's neighborhoods than people who consider lunch to be the highlight of the work day? You always assumed this was true, but Foley confirms it in enough detail that, tongue-in-cheek or not, you will be more than tempted to take his dining tips."                          --Mark Brown, Chicago Sun-Times

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  "The former electrician for the city's Department of
  Streets and Sanitation has become a local icon since   releasing The Streets and San Man's Guide to Chicago Eats."
​                                      --Robert Elfinger, Chicago Tribune

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