Everywhere I go in Chicago, I seem to be greeted by panhandlers. I attract them to such a degree that I’ve kept a journal chronicling our interactions over the years. A few of them have stood out, for their ingenuity, style, or brazenness. Here, I nominate the seven most memorable recurring characters for the inaugural class of The Closer‘s Panhandler Hall of Fame.

 

Illustrations: David Fullarton