Helen Finner remembers the autumn day two years ago when she was strolling outside the Ida B. Wells housing project, where she lives. A teenage mother was walking toward her. “One baby in her arms, one baby in the stroller, and one baby dragging behind. I saw the frustration in her face. She was cussing […]
Tag: Vol. 19 No. 3
Issue of Nov. 2 – 8, 1989
Posted inArts & Culture
Intimate Details
WE GOT A DATE Goat Island at Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ October 27 and 28 and November 3 and 4 The Goat Island performance group is one of Chicago’s hidden jewels. Their first piece, the critically acclaimed Soldier, Child, Tortured Man, premiered here in 1987 and then went on to tour 11 American […]
Posted inNews & Politics
Swamp Squad
The Sierra Club’s wetland watchers represent an important new trend in environmental protection: When laws are in place but enforcement is lax, call in the citizen volunteers.
Posted inNews & Politics
Who’ll Tell the Story of School Reform?; That Special Disaster
Who’ll Tell the Story of School Reform? No disrespect whatsoever intended, to the Sun-Times or to the Tribune, but school reform in Chicago has advanced to a point that’s way beyond the dailies’ ability to do it justice. As Roy Larson, acting director of the Community Renewal Society and an old newsman himself, told us […]
Posted inNews & Politics
On TV: Who’s Afraid of Infotainment?
Are we really supposed to believe that news with actors is any more “staged” than news without?
Posted inFilm
Which Way to Freedom Street?
A HUNGARIAN FAIRY TALE *** (A must-see) Directed by Gyula Gazdag Written by Gazdag and Miklos Gyorffy With David Vermes and Eszter Csakanyi. When Soviet armies drove the Nazis from the ruins of Budapest in 1945, the victors demanded that the Hungarians erect a statue to celebrate their liberation, such as it was. A suitable […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Cosmic Comedy
UGLY’S FIRST WORLD Theater Oobleck You can assume that even bad Oobleck’s going to be better–smarter, funnier, stranger, truer–than nine-tenths of whatever else is available. Ugly’s First World is brilliant Oobleck. See it now and often. Honest to God, if this show were running in New York right now, the downtown critics would be falling […]
Posted inNews & Politics
The Rag Man of Lincoln Park
His name was Jim Northcutt. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati with majors in philosophy and economics. He served during the Korean war and worked in the planning department of the CTA. This is his story.
Posted inArts & Culture
Urban Bush Women/Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
URBAN BUSH WOMEN at the Dance Center of Columbia College October 26-28 “Urban bush women”–the name alone is a contradiction in terms, implying a vision both hip and primitive. And contradictions and surprises were what we got last weekend at the Dance Center from this very hot seven-woman troupe from New York. Hearsay–and their name–had […]
Posted inNews & Politics
Wright Out of Vienna
To the editors: I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read the article on the Unity Temple [Neighborhood News, October 13] and the author referred to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “use of Japanese-inspired architecture” in designing the building. Fortunately, it is documented that Wright collaborated on some interior designs with Viennese architects/designers but I would just […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Verlaines
The plaintive, percolating, drawing-room rock of the Verlaines was formed in far-off Dunedin, New Zealand, a remote town in a country whose name is synonymous with remoteness. Strangely enough, Dunedin has produced a refreshingly eccentric alternative rock scene, including the exquisite Chills and a number of other reputedly worthwhile bands. The Verlaines, a three-piece outfit […]
Posted inNews & Politics
More on William Heirens
To the editors: I am addressing this letter to the editors, but, in fact, it is directed to Abner Cunningham, whose most interesting letter appeared in the September 22, 1989 issue of the Reader. Mr. Cunningham obviously put a great deal of thought into his correspondence when he stated the following: “Mr. Heirens has never […]
Posted inNews & Politics
The Straight Dope
So why do we have to sleep, anyway? I hate spending almost a third of my life in a coma. –Bill Toman, Madison, Wisconsin Why? It helps you understand what it’s like being president. Besides, what else are you going to do at 4 AM? The truth is, researchers don’t know why we have to […]
Posted inNews & Politics
More on Disunity Temple
To the editors: Bryan Miller’s Neighborhood News on Unity Temple (October 13) is full of misstatements of fact which could easily have been avoided by consulting actual documents instead of relying on oral reports by those trying to stampede the congregation of the Unitarian-Universalist Church in Oak Park into accepting the demands of the Board […]