Raging Mouth | Chapter 1 | The Beginning

Mike North was born on Chicago's north side in 1952. This formative chapter in Mike's upbringing reveals that he had a number of challenges growing up. 

The apartment buildings he lived in provided little of the comforts most of us grew up with. His father, a heavy drinker, drove him hard and the two had a complex relationship. Both his parents put pressure on him to do well in school, but the classroom was a battle Mike could not win.

As a teen he worked multiple jobs and developed a competitive fire on the sports field - and in life - that still blazes today.

Mike shares intimate stories here that are Chicagoan, working-class, and at times heart-breaking.