Essay: The Sights and Sounds of Baseball, Fans Optional
Some guy on ESPN the other day was complaining again about men who bring a mitt to Major League Baseball games, and I just don’t get it. Maybe that’s because […]
Essay: Streaming Theater in the Age of Covid — and Beyond
By guest author W.C. Turck On Sunday, February 21, from 1-3pm CST, Kerri Kendall and Bill Turck will hold a radio roundtable on streaming theater one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
Essay: The Rise (and Fall) of a Charismatic Leader in a Post-Truth Era
Post-truth is pre-fascism, and Trump has been our post-truth president. Historian Timothy Snyder characterizes our past president and describes his followers vividly in his essay, “The American Abyss: Trump, the […]
Socially Distanced Chicago Christmas Gift Guide 2020
2020 is weird, and there’s no sense not acknowledging the differences between this and most other holiday seasons, if even just because it hasn’t really snowed here yet. But different […]
Report: How Virtual Theater Can Expand the Influence of Local Theaters Post-Pandemic
Virtual theater has come in many forms during the last eight pandemic months. Our most recent theater review was actor/clown Bill Irwin’s new version of his bravura performance of On […]
Fall Museum Guide, Part Two: More on How to Enjoy Chicago’s Museums Safely This Fall
UPDATE: Due to the sharply rising number of COVID-19 cases in Cook County, the city of Chicago is returning to Tier 3 mitigation beginning Friday, November 20th. Details of what […]
Preview: Be a Good Nerd and Nerd Out for Good at the First Ever Digital Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival
Stage 773’s Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival is a staple in Chicago’s nerd/pop culture scene. In fact I’ve been covering it since its inception in one form or another. It’s always […]
Fall Museum Guide: What’s Open, How to Stay Safe, and How to Enjoy Chicago’s Museums From Home
UPDATE: Due to the sharply rising number of COVID-19 cases in Cook County, the city of Chicago is returning to Tier 3 mitigation beginning Friday, November 20th. Details of what […]
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, A Story of Plague and Dissipation for Our Day
In 1842, Edgar Allan Poe published one of his most famous stories, which turns out to be a parable for 2020. The Masque of the Red Death concerns a prince […]
Preview: St. Louis’ PixelPop Festival Features Fantastic Indie Games You Shouldn’t Miss
Summer’s fading, there’s still a pandemic out there, and if you’re like most, you’re probably wondering what you’re going to do with yourself when it’s less warm and sunny and […]
Essay: The Power of Black Chicago’s “Wall”
More than half a century ago, on August 27, 1967, local residents, poets, painters, photographers and gang members gathered to dedicate the “Wall of Respect”—a mural painted on the side […]
Essay: Racial Injustice Themes in Pop Culture Shine a Light on the Change We Must Demand
We’re living in a strange period of horror shows in politics, health and racial injustice. You never know what type of abomination you’ll find when you turn on your phone, […]