Book Review: In Tied with Twine, Pam Records Tells Stories of Polish Hegewisch
Tied with Twine, by Pam Records, Indigo River Publishing Reviewed by M.D. Walters The residents of Hegewisch harbor painful secrets, perplexing little mysteries, and big ambitions – all tangled up […]
Review: Hail, Hail, The Gang’s All Here—Compliments of Chicagohoodz
Compliments of Chicagohoodz: Chicago Street Gang Art and Culture James “Jinx” O’Connor & Damen “Mr. C” Corrado Feral House Al Capone’s Chicago Outfit gets most of the attention, but the […]
Book Review—Trust Exercise by Susan Choi
Trust Exercise Susan Choi Henry Holt and Co. If high school didn’t exist, writers would have to invent it. A writer’s job is to articulate what others feel; and what […]
Review: Ohio by Stephen Markley Doesn’t Quite Reach Its Destination
Ohio Stephen Markley Simon & Schuster Reviewed by Carr Harkrader Ohio, the debut novel by Stephen Markley, is a bumpy journey that doesn’t quite reach its destination. It starts with […]
How Do You Smoke a Weed?—Graphic Novel Review
I have a secret, neither dark nor deep. Never have I ever smoked pot. You kids still call it pot, right? Marijuana is pejorative. Grass, Mary Jane, and reefer seem […]
Certain American States Has Captivating Writing Wrapped In Ennui—Book Review
Certain American States is peculiar. Catherine Lacey’s first short story collection has a similar feel to her last published book, the understated satire The Answers. With a subtle flair for […]
Fooditor 99 Perfect for Hungry Chicago Stomachs and Adventurous Spirits
Michael Gebert doesn’t write about food. He writes about the people behind it as the editor-in-chief and main contributor of Fooditor, a tribute to those starry-eyed entrepreneurs who smile through […]
Commune With the City’s Dead In New Book About Chicago Cemeteries, Chicago Eternal
Cemeteries remind us this is a city of change in multiple ways. Not just the impermanence and fragility of life, but in the ways the landscape of the city shifts […]
Title 13: Good Game Plan, Faulty Execution
Title 13, the debut novel of Michael A. Ferro, has all the trappings of an engaging conspiracy thriller. There are secret internal documents regarding the personal information of US citizens, […]
The Chicago Food Encyclopedia: The Best Gift for the Food Obsessed
The gift-giving season is upon us. And if you are like me, you struggle to find the perfect gift for the person who seems to have everything. Happily, I have […]
Review: Windy City Blues Layers Love and Politics Over the Early Days of Chicago Electric Blues
Note: Windy City Blues has been selected by Spertus Institute for its One Book One Community book of the year. Spertus has several events planned around Rosen’s book. If you […]
Book Review: Mycology and its Mighty Ending
Joan Wilking’s prose is breezy even though the material is heavy. Her first book Mycology is the winner of the 2016 Wild Onion Novella Prize bestowed by Chicago publisher Curbside Splendor. […]