Went with Lotti to see 1001 Afternoons in Chicago, a play based on the book of columns by Ben Hecht. Fun stuff -- 1921-22 Chicago, hard-bitten newspapermen, jazz babies, all the rest. I loved The Front Page (and His Girl Friday, which was based on that), which was Hecht's portrait of newsmen and editors, and the things they get up to. That movie was one of the reasons I wanted to be a journalist. It's not like that anymore, of course -- much less drinking on the job, and women are treated a hell of a lot better -- but it's one of those "Ah, the good old days" sort of things. Thing is, if I'd have been there then, I'd have been miserable. I play at being a cynic, but I don't think I'd be able to actually exploit people like they did then. And I really doubt I'd be up for stealing photos off the mantlepiece to illustrate stories about murder victims.

Anyway, good show, but I'm glad I'm living now instead of then.