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Dan Kelly

ARTICLES: 87
Fiction, Interviews, Lit, Nonfiction

Interview: Willa, Ernest, William, and Scott—A Talk with Dr. Michelle Moore about Chicago and American Modernism

Dr. Michelle Moore is a professor of English at the College of DuPage whose most recent book is Chicago and the Making of American Modernism: Cather, Hemingway, Faulkner and Fitzgerald […]

Dan Kelly /
Beyond, Blues, Chicago history, Lit, Music, Travel feature

On the Road: Drizzle and Blues in Grafton, Wisconsin

Is Wisconsin the furthest state from the Mississippi Delta? Culturally, perhaps. Yet the land of butter burgers and cheese curds played a big role in preserving the blues. While 78 […]

Dan Kelly /
Lit, Nonfiction

Review: On Beyond Lincoln: Exploring the Land of Lincoln: The Essential Guide to Illinois Historic Sites

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Exploring the Land of Lincoln: The Essential Guide to Illinois Historic Sites By Charles Titus 3 Fields Books I asked my non-Illinoisan Twitter followers to tell me three things they […]

Dan Kelly /
Art & Museums, Fiction, Lit, Live lit events

The Illustrative Man: New Exhibit on Local Speculative Fiction Writer Ray Bradbury

  Ray Bradbury’s work and reputation have aged like fine dandelion wine. Unlike many of his fellow 20th century science-fiction and fantasy writers, he’s entered the current millennium fairly woke […]

Dan Kelly /
Lit, Nonfiction

Review: Private Arts, The People’s Porn: A History of Handmade Pornography in America, by Lisa Z Sigel

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The People’s Porn: A History of Handmade Pornography in America By Lisa Z Sigel Reaktion Books Masturbation is the only sex act that’s both universal and forbidden. Universal in that […]

Dan Kelly /
Events, Fiction, Interviews, Lit, Live lit events, Nonfiction, Poetry

Interview: Don Evans, Sandra Cisneros, and the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame

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Even via Zoom, Don Evans is passionate about Chicago’s relationship with the written word. A writer, editor, and teacher, Evans is also the executive director of the Chicago Literary Hall […]

Dan Kelly /
Design, Lit, Nonfiction, Photography

Book Review: Push Butt, Receive Bacon, Hand Dryers, by Samuel Ryde

Hand Dryers By Samuel Ryde Unicorn Publishing Group Distributed by the University of Chicago Press Books In the appropriately senseless year of 2020, Hand Dryers, by Samuel Ryde, was published. […]

Dan Kelly /
Lit, Nonfiction

The Sefaria App Has the Whole Megillah (and More)

From the Torah to the Talmud to a plenitude of rabbinic commentary on theology, scripture, and law, Judaism is built on words—hundreds upon thousands upon millions of words. Despite such […]

Dan Kelly /
Events, Interviews, Lit, Live lit events, Nonfiction

Interview: Third Coast Review Writer Patrick T. Reardon Keeps Us in the Loop with New Book

Patrick T. Reardon, a regular contributor to Third Coast Review, recently released his new book, The Loop: The “L” Tracks That Shaped and Saved Chicago (SIU Press). More than a […]

Dan Kelly /
Comics and Graphic Novels, Fiction, Interviews, Lists, Lit

Featured Creatures: Chicago Horror Writers and Artists Share Their Favorite (or Un-favorite) Scary Stories

Chicago and horror may not seem synonymous, but the city and surrounding area have produced a bevy of creators of chilling art and hair-raising tales. Author Ray Bradbury hailed from […]

Dan Kelly /
Fiction, Interviews, Lit

Interview: “His Darkest Shadow Self”—A Talk with Horror/Romance Author Rick R. Reed

Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing career.  It’s hard for me to believe my writing “career” has been going on now for more than three decades. My […]

Dan Kelly /
Essays, Film, Interviews, Lit, Nonfiction

Interview: Bringing Background Characters to the Fore: A Talk with Author David Lazar

Sidekicks, comic foils, and other stock and background characters: cinephile and essayist David Lazar loves watching old movie character actors more than the leads. In his latest book, Celeste Holm […]

Dan Kelly /