slab city blues the collected stories

I'm not sure exactly as I haven't read it in full, but there might be some characters who are leaders in the Slab City community. They could be the ones who try to bring order or some sense of normalcy.

The main themes could be about the unique lifestyle in Slab City. It might explore the sense of community or lack thereof, the struggles and hopes of the people living there.

In Slab City, there was an account of a group who set up camp near an old, dilapidated building. During the night, they saw shadowy figures moving around outside their tents. They were too scared to go out and investigate. In the morning, they found footprints that didn't look like any normal human or animal prints. This left them with a feeling of unease and made them leave the area sooner than they had planned.

There was a story of a family who decided to camp near Slab City. During the night, their tent was shaken violently. They thought it was the wind at first, but when they looked out, there were no strong winds. And they saw some shadowy figures moving around. They quickly packed up and left in the middle of the night.

One interesting story from Slab City could be about the unique art that has emerged there. Artists have transformed the abandoned slabs into colorful murals and sculptures, giving the place a distinct character.

A hiker once went into Slab City's outskirts. He found a small shack that had a really foul smell. When he peered inside, he saw some old, rusty tools and what looked like bloodstains on the floor. He got a really bad feeling and quickly left. Later, he heard from locals that there were rumors of something bad happening in that shack long ago, and people avoided it ever since. There are also stories of strange lights that appear randomly in the sky over Slab City. Some people think they could be some kind of otherworldly phenomenon, while others believe it's just some pranksters with lights. But the fact that they are so unpredictable and sometimes accompanied by an odd silence in the area makes it quite creepy.

In terms of dealing with the lack of infrastructure, there are tales of how residents work together. For instance, when there are water shortages, they organize to dig wells or collect rainwater. They've also developed a system to deal with waste management on their own, which is no easy feat considering the lack of formal services. This shows the resilience and resourcefulness of the people in Slab City.

I'm not sure who the author of 'Windy City Blues' is. You might want to check a library database or a good book search engine.

There is a story about a journalist who visited Slab City for a story. He was exploring the area and came across an old trailer. When he peeked inside, he saw a woman sitting in a corner. She was very pale and had a strange look in her eyes. He asked if she was okay, but she didn't respond. As he entered the trailer to check on her, the door slammed shut behind him. He tried to open it, but it was locked. The woman then started to laugh in a really creepy way. She stood up and walked towards him slowly. He was so scared that he started to scream for help. After what seemed like hours, he finally managed to break a window and escape. He left Slab City immediately and never wrote the story.

The key elements might include the setting of the Windy City which is likely Chicago. There could be themes related to the character of V I Warshawski, perhaps her detective work, her relationships, and the various mysteries she has to solve within the context of the city.