Lit, Zines

Review: Used Records & Tapes Zine Offers Plenty of Memories and Music

According to both mainstream and social media, Generation X spends half its time being ignored and the other half feeling uncomfortably “seen.” In the most current example of “seen-ness,” Gen […]

Dan Kelly /
Comics and Graphic Novels, Lit, Reviews

Review: Good and Bad Habits—Acid Nun, by Corinne Halbert

We rarely see the bright side of horror. Mostly connected with darkness and gloom, the genre reluctantly explores color and light. Not always. In the hands of a few auteurs, […]

Dan Kelly /
Chicago history, Children's books, Essays, Fiction, Lists, Lit, Nonfiction, Reviews

2022 in Review: A Lit Retrospective

What was 2022 like in the world of Chicago, Illinois, and Midwest letters? I’ve asked the Lit section writers to share their favorite reviews and stories of the past year. […]

Dan Kelly /
Art & Museums, Fiction, Lit, Live lit events

The Illustrative Man: New Exhibit on Local Speculative Fiction Writer Ray Bradbury

  Ray Bradbury’s work and reputation have aged like fine dandelion wine. Unlike many of his fellow 20th century science-fiction and fantasy writers, he’s entered the current millennium fairly woke […]

Dan Kelly /
Comics and Graphic Novels, Fiction, Interviews, Lists, Lit

Featured Creatures: Chicago Horror Writers and Artists Share Their Favorite (or Un-favorite) Scary Stories

Chicago and horror may not seem synonymous, but the city and surrounding area have produced a bevy of creators of chilling art and hair-raising tales. Author Ray Bradbury hailed from […]

Dan Kelly /
Essays, Fiction, Lists, Lit, Uncategorized

Long Reads Are Lonnnnnnnnnnnnng—Extra-Long Books for the Serious Social Isolationist

Third Coast Review writer Patrick T. Reardon recently published a fine piece in praise of tackling extra-long reads during the social isolation era. For those who’ve completed all the popular […]

Dan Kelly /
Essays, Fiction, Lists, Lit, Reviews

The 10 Best Books about Chicago—and One Clunker

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Many very good and even great books have been written about Chicago, and, based on my half century of writing about the city, here are the 10 that, at the […]

Patrick T. Reardon /
Events, Fiction, Interviews, Lit, Live lit events, Poetry, Uncategorized

Book Smarts—An Interview with Pilsen Community Books’ New Owners

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Until recently, Pilsen Community Books was operated by owners Mary Gibbons and Aaron Lippelt. Current part-owner Katharine Solheim shares what’s changing and what will stay the same at the shop. […]

Dan Kelly /
Fiction, Interviews, Lit

Interview: “Education should be the antithesis to genocide:” Gint Aras Reckons with the Burdens of History

Gint Aras (Karolis Gintaras Žukauskas) has been trapped on planet Earth since 1973. He is the author of two novels, Finding the Moon in Sugar (Infinity, 2009) and The Fugue, (Tortoise, 2016), […]

Terry Galvan /
Fiction, Lit

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 […]

Guest Author /
Fiction, Interviews, Lit

From Fangirl to Philosopher: Julia Fine on Exploring Feminist Theory through Fairytales and Fiction

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Interview conducted by contributing writer Terry Galvan Julia Fine is a recent graduate of Columbia College Chicago’s MFA program. She lives in Chicago with her husband and their son. Her […]

Guest Author /
Film, Film & TV, Interviews, Lit, Live lit events, Music, Reviews, Television, Video

Smells Like Heavy Metal Poisoning: An Interview with Cinéaste Mike McPadden

Mike “McBeardo” McPadden is truth in human packaging. A beard is indeed present, bristly, with streaks of grey—suggesting wisdom in matters strange and arcane. I’ve seen McPadden in action as […]

Dan Kelly /