Monday, November 7, 2022
by Brian Clancy
Chicago is a city rich with identity, stemming from its long and complicated history and the multitudinous people who have populated it. In Wherever I’m At: An Anthology of Chicago Poetry, various poets from different backgrounds and literary styles ruminate on the Windy City, often mingling their own individual identity with that of Chicago.
Poet Mark Turcotte (author of “Hawk Hour,”…
Thursday, October 13, 2022
Rick and I meet—where else?—in the Billy Goat Tavern. Rick’s choice. And appropriate—not only because for decades it has been a home away from home for newspaper people before they drag off to their real homes after a long day, nerves still buzzing despite the shots and beers. And not only because Rick has frequently been among them—at least until corporate “progress” resulted in closing the…
Thursday, October 13, 2022
by Floyd Sullivan
The publication of the Chicago International Film Festival schedule each fall was one of the most anticipated events of the year for me, kind of like when the Sears Christmas Catalog arrived in the mail when I was a kid. I would pore over each film's listing, black marker in hand, and circle those I wanted to see, much as I would page…
Friday, September 30, 2022
by Dan Burns
I became a writer because of Ray Bradbury.
Over thirty years ago, I first dreamed of becoming a writer. As often happens, life got in the way for so many years.
But on Thursday, May 6, 2004, I was struck by lightning, my brain seared, my heart jolted, and life changed forever.
On that fateful day, I had the opportunity to…
Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Chicago is a city tied with identity, its eight million residents hailing from all different backgrounds, cultures, and countries. Wherever I’m At: An Anthology of Chicago Poetry is the cross-section of that city-wide identity, exposing slices of life from a variety of angles.
I reached out to Marianne Boruch, who contributed her poem Once at Berghoff’s (115) to the anthology. Boruch was born and raised in…
Thursday, August 11, 2022
By Dan Baron
During a career as a journalist who covered major social movements, a teacher, and a nonprofit executive dedicated to telling the story of grassroots groups, Henry W. DeZutter was also a creative soul who wrote a children’s book. Mr. DeZutter passed away in Chicago on July 14. He was 80 years old.
Oh, to hell with it. I can’t do this. Henry…
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
by Vincent Francone
1.
I once told a pro-lifer that if anyone opposes abortion they should adopt a kid or shut up. They said, “Why should I be forced to raise a kid I don’t want.”
2.
Talking to a libertarian friend the other day, he makes a comment regarding the gender
nonconforming and pontificates about the impossibility of their…
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
By Donald G. Evans
From the Logan Center’s 9th floor, you can look out across Hyde Park all the way to the skyline, watch the horizon twinkle and roar and blush. But I wasn’t looking. I stationed myself in the small room outside the penthouse—a kind of vestibule with no windows—to greet guests as they arrived for the launch of Wherever I’m At: An Anthology of…
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
This conversation is clarified from the discussion that took place at the Fuller Award ceremony to Reginald Gibbons, which took place September 21, 2021 via Zoom.
Alex Kotlowitz: I wish I was seeing you in person—I miss our Furama days! I loved your talk. Everybody talks about your generosity—it was so "Reg"—and here we are to celebrate your writing and you spend fifteen minutes celebrating all…
Thursday, April 28, 2022
By TBD
Mike Royko died 25 years ago, on April 29, 1997.
It’s only right to start a remembrance of Mike Royko with a quick one-sentence lede. The swift jab of his lede was a hallmark we all appreciated, straight through to the knockout punch of his snappy conclusion.
Here’s an iconic example from October 19, 1971, on the imminent destruction of Adler &…
Chicago Literary Hall of Fame
Email: Don Evans
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