Be A Movie Mogul. Support Michael Caplan's "Algren."

Nelson Algren is a Chicago writer whose work I admire. His Chicago, City On The Make is pretty much the only thing you need read to truly understand the Windy City. His Man With The Golden Arm was the first National Book Award winner. He was part of a romantic triangle with Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. He was a degenerate drinker and gambler. What's not to love?

Michael Caplan is a friend of mine, a Chicago filmmaker who is working on a feature-length Algren documentary. His secret weapon is Art Shay, a Chicago photographer and living legend who was Algren's close friend. Shay took hundreds of photographs of Algren over the years, marvelously capturing Algren's Chicago in the process.

Finally, Kickstarter is a cool web site that helps artists fund artistic projects and makes it easy for people like us to help. Any support level above $10 is gladly accepted.

So check out the sample clip and make a pledge today. Click on the title below the video frame to go to the "Algren" page on the Kickstarter site. You can also watch the clip there.