The 36th film of Japanese filmmaker Kihachi Okamoto, based on a story by Japanese black humorist Yasutaka Tsutsui, stages a weird and anachronistic encounter between three ex-slaves, who are all jazz musicians, en route to Africa just after the Civil War. They are shipwrecked in 19th-century Japan during a country-wide conflict between the Tokugawa shogun […]
Tag: Vol. 17 No. 42
Issue of Aug. 4 – 10, 1988
Posted inNews & Politics
The City File
“Green Chicago teaches people how to make gardens on rubble-filled vacant lots,” according to the Chicago Horticultural Society’s Garden Talk (July 1988). “Since the program began in 1982, Green Chicago coordinator Becky Severson has directly helped 19 groups start their own community gardens.” The groups are chosen “on the basis of need and ability.” GC […]
Posted inArts & Culture
On Air: Joe Frank’s radio makes waves
On one program. Joe Frank played a recording of actual emergency-room incidents. “Were going to insert a catheter in your penis,” stated a doctor to a moaning gunshot victim. Another time he called up three of his ex-girlfriends and toyed with them emotionally. On another program he asked, “How do you reconcile the Holocaust . […]
Posted inNews & Politics
End of Page?; Writers in the Sky; Arts Smarts
End of Page? In the summer of 1986, soon after a management group led by Robert Page bought the Sun-Times from Rupert Murdoch with $145 million borrowed from New York lenders, Page brought in a couple of Canadian newspaper consultants to help chart the paper’s course. This was a business-school sort of move, no doubt […]
Posted inNews & Politics
The Sports Section
There was no batting practice before last Friday night’s White Sox game. Instead, there was a softball-hitting contest. So while the softball players gathered in the outfield in their patchwork uniforms, before the doors were opened to the small crowd gathering outside, an occasional member or two of the White Sox strolled out onto the […]
Posted inNews & Politics
Competing Together
Small manufacturers in Chicago are learing that rugged individualism has outlived its usefulness. Cooperation, even among competitors, is the way of the future.
Posted inNews & Politics
More on Mark Twain
To the editors. I’ve enjoyed very much Mr. Robert Hurwitt’s critique on Mark Twain’s Letters, Volume 1: 1853-1866, in fact, on Mark Twain, Reader [“Reading: Semisincerely, Mark Twain,” July 8]. As I’ve taken graduate college courses on Mark Twain and read all his works, except his lectures (shows that were on the regular billboard of […]
Posted inNews & Politics
CTA People
To the editors: Tell Ron Weslow I’ll buy him a super transfer any time [“The Happiest Guy in the Whole CTA,” July 29]. Chicago has at least two people who really like the CTA! Maybe more, as one third of the households in this city do not have a car. I haven’t owned a car […]
Posted inNews & Politics
Lish Fulfillment
To the editors. Sharon Solwitz, in the 10 June issue of the Reader, wrote an interesting article, “The Gospel According to Gordon Lish.” Gospel is something that doesn’t change. Those of us who work with Gordon know that he is always changing, that he respects most what is unique and different. Sharon Solwitz refers to […]
Posted inNews & Politics
Rainbow’s End: Mission Accomplished
To the editors. I didn’t know that the Rainbow Grocery had closed until I read about it in the July 15 Reader. It’s been some months since I last stopped in there, maybe even a year. Partly because it’s out of my way to travel there, but mostly because, as Pamela Jameson’s excellent article points […]
Posted inNews & Politics
Reading: What Makes America Sick?
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is the government’s official rundown of scourges abroad in the land. From food poisoning to AIDS, it tells the strange, grim tales of who got what and what it did to them.
Posted inNews & Politics
Nasty boys: Clifton-Belmont neighbors want their block back
Night after night, week after week, voices tore the thick summer air and crashed through bedroom windows all along the block. “Hey motherfucker gimme that you dumb motherfucker.” ‘Who you be callin’ a motherfucker?” “You you motherfuckin’ motherfucker.” And then, together, “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.” The voices, most deep, a few still cracking, belonged to teenage boys. They […]
Posted inNews & Politics
Torture
A center for the treatment of torture victims has opened in Uptown. Business is brisk.