“Good things come to those who wait,” the adage goes. Back in the summer of 2009, I found myself in Chicago as an alternative journalism fellow at Medill, and I quickly fell in love with the city, its people, culture, and greasy spoons (if I close my eyes and concentrate hard enough, I can still […]
Category: Staff notes
Posted inStaff notes
A fall edition
These preview issues always remind me that things are happening in our city. … creating this jam-packed issue, which teases film screenings, book releases, art exhibitions, and more, I’m in no hurry to hunker down indoors and wait for winter—Chicago is calling.
Posted inStaff notes
Close to the end of ’Vol. 51’
We’re close to the end of “Volume 51” in a few issues. Yes, that means that we have survived nearly 51 years of publication, a feat that perhaps no one imagined might happen when we first started in 1971. For someone like me, a native Chicagoan who is themselves headed to just shy of 50 […]
Posted inColumns & Opinion
A note on this week’s cover story
I wouldn’t remember this incident except for that it’s on film, one that my brothers have watched repeatedly, the punch growing stronger, more violent in their mind.
Posted inStaff notes
Editor’s note: on feeling “safe”
The Chicago comedian and writer Dwayne Kennedy has a pretty raw joke about summer being “shooting season” in Chicago that I’ve heard him perform a few times on stage. Kennedy says, “I don’t know what it is about the warm weather in Chicago that just brings everyone out. ‘Hey, it’s 79 degrees!’” and then makes […]
Posted inStaff notes
A note from an editor 2022
This is the first time we’ve done a summer theater and arts issue, and judging by the full-to-bursting content, that’s surprising—especially given how much Chicagoans love getting outdoors in the summer. You can read about some theater and dance programs that specialize in bringing performances to public parks, or, if you prefer indoor immersive experiences, […]
Posted inStaff notes
This cover is for you
In this issue, you’ll find stories about trans creatives, LGBTQ+ community spaces, and drag performers; but you’ll also find an investigation and interview about electronic monitoring in policing. (Remember, the first Pride marches celebrated the Stonewall riots, a response to a violent police raid.) I want the colors on the cover of this Pride Issue to inspire people as they move through this month of June and promote true liberation.
Posted inAnnouncements
The Chicago Reader will be fully nonprofit
It is with excitement that we are able to (finally) announce that the Chicago Reader is transitioning fully to its nonprofit status under the Reader Institute for Community Journalism!
Posted inStaff notes
A note from the writer of this week’s cover story
The battle is only a fraction of the art—to experience breaking is also to experience a dance and a community which exists to itself and for itself, yet which holds hope and promise for anyone willing to watch, learn, and practice.
Posted inStaff notes
A note on this week’s cover story about chef Amanda Barnes
A few weeks ago there were ten raw half chickens “dry-aging” at the Kedzie Inn in Irving Park, their skins exposed to the ambient cold of the cooler. Those scare quotes are a tell that this isn’t quite the same lengthy process as the one used to concentrate beefy flavor in fine steaks, but it’s […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Winter Arts Preview
When we first started planning this special winter arts issue, there was reason for cautious optimism about live performances. But as December turned to January and the Omicron surge hit, several companies did what they’ve been doing for almost two years: they made new plans. Bridgette M. Redman profiles playwright Cat McKay, whose show Plaid […]
Posted inStaff notes
A note on this week’s cover
Our cover this week was born out of a sense of uncertainty, something most of us have been feeling for about 22 months now.
Posted inColumns & Opinion
A note on this week’s cover story
Lincoln Park nightclub Neo closed for good in the middle of the summer six years ago. So why write about it now?
![[Chicago Reader Nonprofit Guide cover detail]](https://i0.wp.com/chicagoreader.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/nonprofit-guide-cover-teaser.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&quality=89&ssl=1)
Posted inStaff notes
Changing Directions
Thanks to a tremendous staff, support from our owners and donors, and generous readers and foundations, we were able to make it to our 50th anniversary this year. But the future for all media is still tenuous. Our pivots have worked, but we need to continue to be nimble, and responsive to changes.