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Southwest Side Stories: Crazy Jimmy

From: Jillian Staranowicz
Length: 00:02:19

The crazy neighbor that everyone has. Read the full description.

Italianice_small Everyone has that crazy neighbor, and for the people in Bridgeport, on the Southwest Side of Chicago, it's Crazy Jimmy. He roams around the neighborhood, eating his favorite lemon Italian ice, alone with his hopeless thoughts. This youth producer watches Crazy Jimmy.

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Piece Description

Everyone has that crazy neighbor, and for the people in Bridgeport, on the Southwest Side of Chicago, it's Crazy Jimmy. He roams around the neighborhood, eating his favorite lemon Italian ice, alone with his hopeless thoughts. This youth producer watches Crazy Jimmy.

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Review of Southwest Side Stories: Crazy Jimmy

This is a short essay scored with music and sound effects about a local street character in this youth reporter's neighborhood. The story is short and would work well as a companion piece or coda to a longer feature about people living on the street, about loneliness or about death and loss. Jillian's writing is very descriptive and she does a good job painting a picture of what life must be like for Crazy Jimmy. Her read is good and the piece moves along at a fine clip.

However, after hearing this piece, I'm confused as to why the reporter didn't interview Jimmy himself. This is an essay full of speculation about a particular person when, in fact, the person is clearly available for comment. While listening, I kept expecting the reporter to go to tape and I was disappointed when the piece ended without even a clip from Crazy Jimmy.

That said, I think this piece would be hard pressed to stand on its own but would really shine when played in conjunction with a related feature.

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Review of Southwest Side Stories: Crazy Jimmy

Good story! Good sounds! Good narration! Excellent description! I think there is a ?Crazy Jimmy? in all of our neighborhoods. But you did something different, something ?youth radio? is all about, you stopped and noticed and brung us into a world we commonly over look. I applaud you for that (Yaa!!!). But your own doubt of your mother makes me question how much of Jimmy?s life is true. A journalist never says ?well that?s what my mom said?, me hearing that was a let down. You should have interviewed Jimmy, and found out FOR SURE what happened. Is Jimmy homeless? What ?routine? did Jimmy start? Where does Jimmy sleep? These important question remain unanswered in your piece. And also collecting sound is very important, you have good traffic sound but I could hear that when I walk outside, it would have been nice to hear those sounds you said Jimmy always makes. Lastly, your story was good, it takes allot of courage to face people like that and approach it with respect! YOU ROCK! Keep the stories coming! Can't wait to hear the next one!!!

Related Website

http://curiehs.org/curie_youth_radio