Far Enough Away - Paperback

FAR ENOUGH AWAY is a collection of stories by Chicago Tribune freelance columnist David McGrath about growing up, coming of age, and navigating life in Chicago and the Midwest.

The majority of first person narrative essays appeared originally in the Chicago Tribune, in which he recounts significant episodes involving his wife, his children, his grandchild, parents, siblings, friends, co-workers, students, or employers. All were featured in the opinion/editorial section not just because they were funny or heartbreaking or relatable, but also because the personal stories have a deeper public context, with insights on the culture, politics, racial attitudes, values, morals, and socio-economic disparities in Chicagoland.

One story, for example, shows how an idyllic summer evening at a south side little league field, turned into a dramatic lesson about race for a thirteen year-old. Another chronicles a young couple's decision to check into a "no tell" motel near Midway Airport, and its surprising consequences for their relationship. A third dramatizes the panicked, humorous reactions of a south side Irish Catholic family after learning from Ancestry.com that they are not Irish, after all.

McGrath's work has been cited in BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS 2022.