Eiren Caffall on crossing artificial barriers
In her debut memoir, the author associates denial of disease with denial of climate collapse.
arts & culture
Adrift in recombination
Work by three local artists at Old Friends points to the absurdity of the present.
Making room for wildness
In his paintings, Leasho Johnson investigates Blackness, queerness, and Caribbeanness.
Latest Stories
Portuguese experimentalist Rafael Toral launches an ambitious new phase
Tue 10/22 at Elastic Arts
Adam Schubert of Ulna digs through his past to nourish Chicago’s indie-rock present
Tue 10/22 at Empty Bottle
William Parker, Hamid Drake, and Cooper-Moore court quiet transcendence in the Heart Trio
Sat 10/19 at Hungry Brain
Chicago alt-country eccentrics Souled American play their first shows in 13 years behind two overdue reissues
Fri 10/18 – Sat 10/19 at Judson & Moore
Improvising guitarist and DIY mainstay Erica Dawn Lyle channels emotion through her instrument
Thu 10/17 at Elastic Arts
Olu – Somewhere Anywhere – The Sit Down hosted by Shawnee Dez
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Pat Whalen – "We Got A Lot To Get To" – The Ben Joravsky Show
Looks like it’s down to Texas to hold senate for Dems. Ben riffs. Pat Whalen delivers his theory on their litigation of politics. Has Mayor Johnson lost the north side? One answer—yes. Other answer—can’t lose what you never had. Also, MAGA censors abortion rights group in Florida. Is free speech just for MAGA? Pat is a comedian, podcaster snd impresario. His middle initial is not J. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Enjoy an intimate home-cooked meal with RICE
The new monthly meal series and art collective is creating community through South Asian cuisine.
Influential folk singer Jo Mapes deserved better from the business
After a brilliant but underappreciated album in 1964, she stepped away from a music industry that treated women badly and mothers worse.
Champaign-born phenom Somi brings her African immigrant heritage to her vocal jazz
Fri 10/11 at the Promontory
Mr. Man celebrates ten years of male nudity onscreen
A collection of hot nudity and sex scenes lives forever on the Chicago-born website.
News & INVESTIGATIONS
‘This is what safer communities look like’
Advocates celebrate a year without money bond
The kind of prevention we need
Illinois remains without an overdose prevention center. Advocates have fought for years. What’s the holdup?
New but old again
In Wicker Park, a small community of legacy vintage shops struggle under the pressure of chain stores and a changing neighborhood.
Columns & Opinion
Thrashing around
Did Northwestern bow to congressional pressure in canceling a Medill professor’s classes?
Calling from the Ted Williams Tunnel
A reader responds to Leor Galil’s review of Don’t Let the Riverbeast Get You!
Film
Megalopolis overflows with ambition
Francis Ford Coppola’s newest film is stupid, beautiful, confusing, completely fascinating, and so much more.
Arts & Culture
The play’s the thing
El Piélago de las Calamidades imagines Hamlet from the traveling actors’ perspective.
Bus stop snapshots
Raven’s Ironbound is a portrait of one immigrant woman’s working-class life.
‘A vision of female mercy, resistance, and solidarity’
Colectivo El Pozo brings the story of immigration activist Elvira Arellano to this year’s Destinos festival.
The grotesquerie of medical mistreatment
Cheri Lee Charlton exposes the devastating consequences of patriarchal misdiagnosis.
Awards and divas
The Equity Jeff Awards, the 3Arts Awards, and Meier Foundation grants are announced; Dance Divas take over the Rhapsody for Chicago Dance Health Fund.
Music
Jazz saxophonist Isaiah Collier retires the Chosen Few with a fiery new record
Plus: Pop songwriter Carlile celebrates her debut solo album at Epiphany Center for the Arts, and rapper Kaicrewsade expands his soulful vision with his first full-length mixtape.
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival faces down uncertainty with defiant artistry
Photos from the fest’s 18th year demonstrate the indomitable spirit that’s carried this free celebration of musical community through climbing expenses and declining funding.
The Chicago music-zine revolution wants you!
Thanks to the likes of Hallogallo, Portable Model, and Ignorant People, its numbers are swelling—but there’s always room for more.
CITY LIFE
Gen Z is into typewriters
Lucas Dul’s typewriter repair shop in Downers Grove is a boon for vintage machine enthusiasts.
Art and history in Lawndale and beyond
A tour of the city’s west side highlighted obscured histories and showcased the vibrant culture that currently flourishes.
Food & Drink
Deep Cut Pierogi gets weird at the next Monday Night Foodball
Check out Chelsea Pickard’s otherworldly dumplings at the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Frank and Mary’s Tavern.
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An excerpt from TAXI GIRL, a novel by Maria Schreiber
“All About Yogurt,” a four-minute read.
“All about Yogurt” Four-minute read On Monday, June 3, 1974, Tania and Dan began selling cartons of yogurt…
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Demystifying Acupuncture provides answers for the curious skeptic
Acupuncture is a form of Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM) that involves the placement of hair-thin needles into…
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Help the United Negro College Fund provide scholarships to Illinois students by playing the $200,000! Bingo Tripler!
For nearly two decades, the Illinois Lottery has been a pioneer in creating specialty lottery tickets dedicated to…
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At the California Clipper, everyone is welcome
The newly relaunched Humboldt Park lounge champions community, inclusivity, and fair labor practices Since the 1820s, Chicago’s pubs…
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Bright Endeavors provides a guiding light for young mothers in Chicago
The social enterprise of Chicago nonprofit New Moms empowers local mothers ages 18-24 through their comprehensive job training program
As the proverb goes, it takes a village to raise a child. The folks at Bright Endeavors know…