Nightclub Nostalgia at Mister Kelly’s
A new documentary looks back at the famous Rush Street venue — but you really had to be there.
Custom Placements: Culture Lead
Our Brain Candy Selects from the Chicago Humanities Festival
The intellectual-a-palooza is back this fall, with in-person and virtual conversations designed to blow your mind.
A Hollywood Retelling of the Great Chicago Fire
While the city reflects on the 150th anniversary of the fire, look back on its disaster film portrayal from 1938.
Broadway in Chicago Returns in Paradise
A new musical about a progressive community in Civil War America debuts at the Nederlander this month before heading to Broadway.
Looking Back at 50 Years of the Chicago Reader
The city’s alternative newspaper has outlasted many of its peers — but is it still an indispensable part of Chicago culture?
Preserving What’s Left of Louis Sullivan’s Idea
A new book that builds on a 2010 exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center shows the power of Sullivan’s work and why we need to preserve what remains.
Pitchfork Music Festival 2021: Photos of the Stages and the Scene
After being canceled last year due to the pandemic, the popular music event is back this weekend in Union Park.
Catching Up With Liz Phair
The singer-songwriter, 54, on her sudden fame, using her sexuality, and why she practices saying her own name
Sandra Cisneros Takes an Honest Look at Chicago
The locally-raised author reflects on her roots and her new novella’s not-so-perfect portrayal of the city.
A New Book Redefines the Refugee Experience
Writer Elly Fishman explores the contradictions and nuances of refugee life after a year embedded at Sullivan High School.