Misty Copeland on Wellness, Authenticity, and of Course, Ballet and Her New Book
It was a regular Thursday. I kept forgetting that I’d get to see someone so inspirational speak later, someone who had become a legend in the world of dance. It was […]
The Cleveland Neighborhood Guidebook Will Make Even Non-Clevelanders Homesick
I’ve loved Cleveland since I went to the Westside Market during a road trip with my parents when I was in middle school. It was the first time I’d been […]
From Dropout to Director: MIT Media Lab’s Joi Ito on Interest-Driven Learning
Joi Ito often hears the same question: How did a two-time college dropout become the director of MIT’s Media Lab, one of the coolest jobs in media? By jumping from […]
George Saunders, Pop Culture Phenom, Comes to Chicago
I’ve liked George Saunders’ since I read his short story collection Pastoralia as a freshman in college. I’d never read anything like it. There was a historical re-enactment theme park, […]
Newberry Consort Celebrates Queen Christina of Sweden in Legend and Music
The Newberry Consort, an early music ensemble, dedicated its current performances to Queen Christina of Sweden in an evening of music and story about the distinctive royal figure. The Queen: […]
Happy Birthday, Chicago!
Today marks Sweet Home Chicago’s 180th birthday. Born as a town in 1833 and becoming a full-grown city in 1837, Chicago is a city that’s always thriving. After being completely burned to […]
Bookclub Pick: 47th Street Black, a Look into Chicago’s Painful Past
Mookie and J.C., two black boys from the South Side of Chicago, find the body of a notorious gangster in an alley. It’s the 1960s, and while heroin hasn’t yet […]
It’s Not All Talk at Chicago Ideas Curiosity Series 2017
Alec Baldwin will take a break from wearing orange this spring to speak at Chicago Ideas’ Curiosity Series. The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor and writer will be talking about […]
Review: Out of the Basement Describes the Birth of the Punk Scene in Rockford
Out of the Basement: From Cheap Trick to DIY Punk in Rockford, Illinois, 1973-2005 is an autobiographical look at how the punk music scene started in David Ensminger’s hometown of Rockford, […]
Review: James Tadd Adcox, Repetition James Tadd Adcox, Repetition
James Tadd Adcox’s new novella is available in paperback and ebook on Cobalt Press. He will be reading at the Sunday Salon at the Riverview Tavern (1958 W Roscoe) on Sunday January […]
Review: Donika Kelly’s Bestiary Confronts Monstrous Humanity
As soon as we enter Donika Kelly’s Bestiary through its first poem, “Out West”, we undergo a transformation. Under Kelly’s invitation to “rely… on the thrumming wilderness of self,” we expand […]
Review: Goat Days Will Leave You in a Daze
Najeeb’s childhood dream was to become a goatherd. His dream comes true, but in the form a nightmare. Benyamin’s Goat Days follows the twisted turns of Najeeb’s life. First published in […]