Essay: In Chicago, Banks Street Isn’t Named for Ernie
I drove down Cuyler Avenue the other day, and, as usual, I was reminded of Kiki Cuyler who played outfield for the Cubs from 1928 through 1935 during a 19-year […]
Review: “Louis” and “Dan” to Each Other, Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan, by Trygve Thoreson
Louis Sullivan and Daniel Burnham lived parallel lives. Both were born in the East and came to Chicago in their youth. Both were poor students and relatively aimless until they […]
Commentary: The Hard Knocks School of Reporting, Sirens in the Loop, by Paul Zimbrakos and James Elsener
In the mid-1960s, Anne Keegan wore white gloves to apply for a job as a reporter at City News Bureau of Chicago. She recalled riding the elevator to the wire […]
Feature: Visit the Fair Trade Museum to Fight Against Fast Fashion and Fascism and Make Mutual Aid Donations
Sustainability author and educator Anna Lappe said, “Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want.” Shopping is at the forefront of a […]
Review: Seeing Beauty in the Ordinary, Chicago Homes: A Portrait of the City’s Everyday Architecture
One of the many joys of reading Carla Bruni and Phil Thompson’s Chicago Homes: A Portrait of the City’s Everyday Architecture is the way the book dazzles the reader with […]
Review: Apocalyptic Fears and Apoplectic Rage, Walking Chicago’s Coast: A 63-Mile Journey to the Indiana Dunes, by Michael McColly
Based on its bright, attractive cover of the lakeshore skyline, Walking Chicago’s Coast looks like one of those ain’t-Chicago-great booster books written to promote the city as a world-class metropolis […]
Review: A Chicagoan of Gentleness and Steeliness, Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy, by Christopher White
I don’t think I’m the only Chicagoan who finds it strangely exhilarating to realize that, over the past 60 or so years, I might have ridden in the same el […]
Review: The Patron Saints of Politics, Clout City: The Rise and Fall of the Chicago Political Machine, by Dominic A. Pacyga
Two-thirds of the way through his history of the Democratic political machine in Chicago, Clout City, Dominic A. Pacyga gives a handful of examples of the requests for favors that […]
Interview: Robert Loerzel on The Uptown: Chicago’s Endangered Movie Palace
Sometimes the biggest things go unnoticed. The Uptown Theatre, for example. For a full century it’s stood at 4816 North Broadway, always there but overlooked by passersby since it closed […]
Review: A Unique, Grassroots Biography of Chicago, The Plan of Chicago: A City in Stories by Barry Pearce
One of the many fascinating things about a city like Chicago is how the lives of millions of strangers are unknowingly intertwined. Barry Pearce gets at this in a savvy […]
Interview: Funding the Future and Filling the Gaps—A Conversation with 3Arts Executive Director Cat Tager
3Arts traces its roots back over 100 years to Jane Addams and her work on behalf of women and immigrants. The 3Arts Club was one of eight clubs spanning the […]
Feature: Bob Mould Is Tank Man / Electrical Audio Is Mecca
Bob Mould seems to be comfortable alone. He’s released 15 solo albums since 1989’s Workbook and is currently touring to support his most recent offering, Here We Go Crazy. Even […]