Features

Our Mississippi, by David Zivan
On the western border of Illinois, a mighty river courses through the heart of the Midwest. A guide to some of the undiscovered treasures along the Father of Waters.

The Divine Tragedy, by Shane Tritsch
Four years ago, backed by well-heeled investors and pronouncing the death of companies like GE and Sears, “Flip” Filipowski looked like the dotcom savior Chicago had been waiting for. But now, having burned through $1 billion, his Divine Inc. is bankrupt-and Filipowski’s troubles may not be over.

Victory in Vegas, by Jeff Ruby
Michael Morton and Scott DeGraff, two grade-school pals from Highland Park, are the new nightlife kingpins in Las Vegas. But other Chicago restaurateurs have big plans to cash in on the gold rush.

News from Home, by Steve Rhodes
As Chicago works to reform public housing, the Residents’ Journal tracks the progress. The newspaper, written by residents, provides inside coverage of life in the projects. At the paper’s helm, however, is Ethan Michaeli-a white, middle-class Jewish guy. As publisher, he brings a fresh perspective.

At Home: Wonderland, by Christine Newman
Edgy adventures with restaurant impresario Jerry Kleiner at his house of games on the Near West Side.

Departments

Letters

Contributors

Frontlines
Dining diva Miae Lim; filthy fun with Garrison Keillor; Liz Phair’s mouth-capades; more

Style Sheet, by Stacy Wallace-Albert
Great gifts for guys-high performance power tools of a different sort

Arts Beat
David Schwimmer adapts Studs Terkel’s Race for Lookingglass Theatre’s downtown debut; a new home for the Hyde Park Art Center; the sad state of public funding for the arts

How We Spend | Sweating It, by Clare La Plante
Pound for pound, Chicago is full of heavies. Experts suggest ways to lose weight-that don’t require an extra-large investment.

Real Lives | Painted Ladies, by Marcia Froelke Coburn
Public women, professional dancers-not all the subjects of Richard Gibbons’s new paintings posed nude.

Reporter | Legacy of a Bullet, by Kevin Davis
A bullet to the chest left Aaron Witkowski fighting for his life-but the gravest injury may have been to his psyche.

Schools | Getting Sacked, by James Ylisela Jr.
Lake Forest High School has dumped two football coaches in three years-and in this scrimmage, more than football is at stake.

Dining Out | Latin at Large, by Dennis Ray Wheaton
It’s a party every night at two new Cuban-inspired spots where the dishes keep the conga beat going.

Deal Estate, by Dennis Rodkin
The unlikely origins of a North Shore Tudor, a brawny Flossmoor beauty, a salute to Eliel Saarinen, and other house and condo news.

Nightspotting, by Sarah Preston
SOPO’s upscale ambience seduces late-night hipsters into Lake View; Rockit Live’s new party paradigm.

The Closer, by Jeff Ruby
Churchill knew it as well as anyone: The naming of military operations is a delicate matter. Here are some clunkers from the past.