Chicago was squeezed into Illinois to make it more Northern. It's now the capital of the Midwest, but culturally, call it a Great Lakes state. Read more
Calls to abolish the police have been renewed with the shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo. But beneath that simple slogan is a lot of nuance. Read more
Encased meat coated in corn marries Chicago with downstate, where a Springfield restaurant claims to have birthed them. But why are they so hard to find in the city? Read more
Bill sponsors are pushing the plan in both houses of the Illinois legislature. But history suggests they should be careful what they wish for. Read more
From Gwendolyn Brooks in Chicago to David Foster Wallace in Normal, Robert Coover in Herrin to Edgar Lee Masters on the Spoon River, the state is a microcosm of America and so is its native literature. Here are 10 of its best works. Read more
