The "Street Gypsies" as described by the author, is about the urban underclass of street characters who lived in Chicago's Uptown community during the 1970s. They were a society of free spirits. They were sometimes unsavory but, almost always, colorful characters who were street hustlers surviving on the streets by wit and whim. The culture was probably a manifestation of the times. During those years, there was rampant unemployment and inflation in America. Also, it was a time of social unrest and rebellion that spawned a number of radical groups. There was an anti-establishment climate that was fueled by the drop-out drug culture that carried over with it's hippie influences from the 1960s. Add to that the elements of the sexual revolution, the civil rights and women's movements. It was the glory days of Rock and R&B. All of this was the foundation for the mind-set that prevailed within this Street Gypsy culture. Survival was made an art form by these resourceful and spirited characters.
