Review: Decent People Facing Strangeness, Dark Black, by Sam Weller
Dark Black by Sam Weller Hat & Beard Press One of the opening paragraphs of Sam Weller’s short story “All the Summer Before Us” is this: “We were eighteen, me […]
Review: Per Aspera Offers a Rich Escape to the Stars Through Its Hardships
There are certain things I aspire to like–cultural experiences I feel robbed of based on my tastes. Sushi. Baseball. Any sort of video game requiring me to actually think and […]
3CR’s Guide to Record Store Day Black Friday 2020 in Chicago and Beyond
Hey folks, before we jump into the Record Store Day Black Friday details, I should warn you that there are an annoying amount of COVID-19 reminders throughout the post. We […]
Your #StaytheFHome Chicago Curated Weekend: 11/19 and Beyond
Things still aren’t fully ok in the world and with Chicago tightening their rules more and more with travel restrictions, a stay-at-home advisory, and rolling back to tier 3 mitigations; […]
Viewpoint: The Joy of Protest—Chicago Protests: A Joyful Revolution by Vashon Jordan Jr.
Chicago Protests: A Joyful Revolution by Vashon Jordan Jr. Self-published Joy is being free to say: “Look at me! Listen to me!” Joy is being free to join with others […]
Q&A: Letting Events Talk — Carl Smith and the Great Chicago Fire, Part 1
Part 1 of Two Parts. Carl Smith’s Chicago’s Great Fire, published in August by Atlantic Monthly Press, is an important book of Chicago history, and a rousing crackerjack work that’s […]
Review: Adapted From an Oscar-Nominated Short Film, Madre Uniquely Explores Grief and Coping
It’s not uncommon for promising short films to be developed into feature-length productions, the extended runtime giving the filmmaker the chance to really explore the narrative that began in the […]
Review: A Long-Ago Blaze That Echoes the Pandemic, Chicago’s Great Fire, by Carl Smith
Chicago’s Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City by Carl Smith Atlantic Monthly Press Devastation is devastation, whether brought about by fire or pandemic. The Great […]
Review: Cedille Records Continues Excellence With New Releases
Update: Since this review was published in September 2020, Pacfica Quartet’s Contemporary Voices CD won the Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance. Congratulations to Pacifica Quartet and everyone […]
Review: “They Saved My Life”—Taught by Women: Poems as Resistance Language, New and Selected, by Haki R. Madhubuti
Taught by Women: Poems as Resistance Language, New and Selected by Haki R. Madhubuti Third World Press One of my favorite poems in Haki R. Madhubuti’s new, career-spanning collection Taught […]
Preview: Chicago Philharmonic Chamber Quartet and Music of the Baroque to Perform In-Person Concerts in Skokie
As part of its Out Back Summer Sessions, the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts will be hosting the Chicago Philharmonic Chamber String Quartet and Music of the Baroque […]
Review: Recounting a Story of Faith and Skepticism, Fatima Looks Beautiful, Lacks Substance
In 1917, as the world was at war and facing a once-in-a-century pandemic, a story emerged out of a rural town in Portugal that would have the faithful calling for […]