Excerpts from the Chicago Tribune Online:
Matthew Drew works at a fire station located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. As a firefighter, he’s part of a dedicated team of over 4,800 professionals in the city. “I absolutely love my job,†he says. “There’s nothing better out there.â€
Based in the Beverly area on Chicago’s South Side with his wife and three young children, Drew enjoys playing softball and other sports. Writing is another passion of his. Since becoming a firefighter in 2002, he’s earned a master’s degree in writing from DePaul University and has taught English composition at various local schools. He’s also taught firefighting tactics at the University of Illinois at Chicago and has been a member of the Chicago Fire Department's Hazardous Incident Team.
His first book, which he spent five years researching and writing in his spare time, was published in 2013. Titled "Shadows of Chicago: The True Story of Three Men and the Crimes That Shocked America," it’s a meticulously researched, gripping account. Drew initially set out to write about James “Big Jim†Horan, a notable yet underappreciated Chicago Fire Marshal. “I couldn’t get enough of his story,†Drew recalls. “It was fascinating.â€
However, fate intervened in February 2010 during a routine fire call at 46th Street and Ellis Avenue. While breaking through a wooden wall with an ax, Drew struck concrete, injuring his back severely. The diagnosis was grim—shattered disks and a severed spinal cord left him paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors told him, “You’ll never walk again.â€
Against the odds, Drew made a remarkable recovery. But the accident wasn’t the only setback. A flood destroyed his home and all his research materials, temporarily derailing the project. Undeterred, he rebuilt his notes and decided to broaden the narrative to include two additional central figures: Charles Comiskey, a baseball player who founded the White Sox and helped establish the American League, and Fred Busse, a later mayor of Chicago known for his controversial lifestyle and connections to organized crime.
These three men met tragic ends, and their stories reflect Chicago’s rich and often tumultuous history, from the notorious Levee District to the infamous Black Sox scandal and the rise of figures like Al Capone. The book opens with vivid imagery of a young trio of boys playing ball on October 8, 1871. That evening, as they slept, the Great Chicago Fire erupted, setting the stage for their intertwined destinies.
“It’s rewarding to hear feedback from firefighters who’ve enjoyed the book,†Drew says. Despite his academic background, his writing style is straightforward and engaging, emphasizing storytelling over abstraction. His deep dive into history continues to inspire admiration among peers.
Drew plans to continue exploring themes related to firefighting and emergency response, both locally and globally. A portion of the proceeds from his first book has already been donated to the fire department’s widows and orphans fund. For now, he’s focused on his recovery and the next chapter of his literary journey.
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