Synopses & Reviews
A hilarious and entertaining home-improvement memoir about rebuildingaand rewiringathe American Dream. From the longtime editor of the aStraight Dope.a
In 1993, after a record number of people fled Chicago for the suburbs, Ed Zotti and his wife, Mary, chose not only to stay but to gamble their future fixing up a dilapidated Victorian home in a dicey neighborhood on Chicagoas North Side.
Two doors up from a murder/arson scene and across the alley from a former drive-up drug mart, the Barn House (as the Zottisa unimpressed daughter dubbed it) was a rehabberas nightmare. A ceiling had collapsed, the upstairs wiring had shorted out, and the oak floors were painted red, white, and blue. Not to mention that the house itself was built on sand. But Ed, an unapologetic acity guy, a saw promise behind the shabby faAade. Then the renovations began, draining every resource, financial and otherwise, that he and Mary had.
Alternately harrowing and hilarious, this is a classic account of one familyas private urban renewal projectafrom its grim beginning to its unexpected and inspiring outcome. It is also the story of how this project coincided with the resurgence of American cities across the country that began in the 1990s and continues to this day.
Review
"If you are a do-it-yourselfer with a compulsion to fix up a house, this will be a fun read."
-Chicago Sun-Times
"It's the perfect book for armchair or would-be renovators."
-Booklist
"Enlightening. And entertaining. [Zotti's] humor brings to mind Dave Barry."
-St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Synopsis
A harrowing, hilarious memoir about fixing up an old house in the city and pursuing the urban version of the American Dream. From the longtime editor of the Straight Dope. In 1993, after more people had fled Chicago for the suburbs than in any other city in America, Ed Zotti and his wife, Mary, chose not only to stay but to gamble their future fixing up a dilapidated Victorian home in a dicey neighborhood on Chicagos North Side.
Two doors up from a murder/arson scene and across the alley from a former drive- up drug mart, the Barn House (as the Zottis unimpressed daughter dubbed it) was a rehabbers nightmare. Ed and his family had to contend not just with collapsed ceilings and shorted-out wiring but burglars, gunshots, and the trumpet-playing homeless guy in the basement.
But THE BARN HOUSE is more than just the story of a home-renovation project from hell. Ultimately it's a celebration of cities, chronicling not just a house but a decaying town come back to life. Along the way Ed offers some shrewd observations about gentrification, urban decline and revival, and what it means to be a city guy. His book is timely and a great read and will appeal to anyone with a soft spot for old houses or old towns.
Synopsis
A rollicking yarn about a home-improvement project that took a man and his family to hell and back.In 1993, after Chicago lost many of its residents to the suburbs, Ed Zotti and his family gambled their future by fixing up a dilapidated Victorian home in a dicey neighborhood. Where most saw a shabby façade, the Zottis saw promise?even when it dragged and drained every resource. ?The Barn House? had a collapsed ceiling, wiring that shorted, and oak floors painted red, white, and blue. Unsettling discoveries included a box of .38 caliber bullets?with five missing?and the mere fact that the house was built on a bed of sand.
Alternately harrowing and hilarious, this is a classic account of one family?s private urban renewal project, featuring burglars, irate neighbors, and a lively cast of workers. From its grim beginning to its unexpected outcome, The Barn House is the inspiring story of what it means to live (and totally rewire) the American Dream.
About the Author
Ed Zotti is a veteran journalist and editor of the syndicated Straight Dope newspaper column by Cecil Adams. His articles and book reviews have appeared in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Chicago Reader.