Socially Distanced Chicago Christmas Gift Guide 2020
2020 is weird, and there’s no sense not acknowledging the differences between this and most other holiday seasons, if even just because it hasn’t really snowed here yet. But different […]
Report: How Virtual Theater Can Expand the Influence of Local Theaters Post-Pandemic
Virtual theater has come in many forms during the last eight pandemic months. Our most recent theater review was actor/clown Bill Irwin’s new version of his bravura performance of On […]
Fall Museum Guide, Part Two: More on How to Enjoy Chicago’s Museums Safely This Fall
UPDATE: Due to the sharply rising number of COVID-19 cases in Cook County, the city of Chicago is returning to Tier 3 mitigation beginning Friday, November 20th. Details of what […]
Preview: Be a Good Nerd and Nerd Out for Good at the First Ever Digital Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival
Stage 773’s Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival is a staple in Chicago’s nerd/pop culture scene. In fact I’ve been covering it since its inception in one form or another. It’s always […]
Fall Museum Guide: What’s Open, How to Stay Safe, and How to Enjoy Chicago’s Museums From Home
UPDATE: Due to the sharply rising number of COVID-19 cases in Cook County, the city of Chicago is returning to Tier 3 mitigation beginning Friday, November 20th. Details of what […]
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, A Story of Plague and Dissipation for Our Day
In 1842, Edgar Allan Poe published one of his most famous stories, which turns out to be a parable for 2020. The Masque of the Red Death concerns a prince […]
Preview: St. Louis’ PixelPop Festival Features Fantastic Indie Games You Shouldn’t Miss
Summer’s fading, there’s still a pandemic out there, and if you’re like most, you’re probably wondering what you’re going to do with yourself when it’s less warm and sunny and […]
Essay: The Power of Black Chicago’s “Wall”
More than half a century ago, on August 27, 1967, local residents, poets, painters, photographers and gang members gathered to dedicate the “Wall of Respect”—a mural painted on the side […]
Essay: Racial Injustice Themes in Pop Culture Shine a Light on the Change We Must Demand
We’re living in a strange period of horror shows in politics, health and racial injustice. You never know what type of abomination you’ll find when you turn on your phone, […]
Essay: Return to Kenowhere
I had no idea when I wrote about Kenosha just a few weeks ago we’d be where we are today. I had no idea I’d be trolling Twitter and see […]
Essay: The Road to Kenowhere Leads to Me
By now, if you’re on social media, especially Twitter, you may have noticed that Kenosha is trending on Twitter. In fact, Kenosha made the national news–or rather, an author at […]
Choose Your Own Adventure Guide to Comic-Con@Home Day 5: Sunday
Well, we’re here. It might be cooler than it is out in California where one particular convention center would normally be packed to the brim with fans of all number […]