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January 2009
Ill Bills
By Emily Kaiser
Lack of health insurance isn’t a problem just for the uninsured Read more
Rebel with a Clause
By Bridget Maiellaro
Sufficiency of the Actual (U. of I. Press; $16.95), the fifth book of poems from the Illinois poet laureate, Kevin Stein, hits stands in January. Curious about his references to The Who, crickets, and more, we asked the 54-year-old Bradley University professor to interpret the rebellious piece that gives his collection its title. Read more
The Insider
By Mark Guarino
Five in-the-moment recommendations from Matt Rucins, the talent buyer at Schubas and the brain behind the pop music festival Tomorrow Never Knows, which starts Jan. 14th. schubas.com Read more
Day Glow in the Dry Season
By Rebecca Little
The most precious anti-dote to a chapped winter face is a good face cream, which can be a tough thing to find. We took on the challenge and asked six staff members to blind-test the latest trend in skin care—the all-natural moisturizer. Without influence of brand names or packaging, they rated eight products based on feel, scent, and overall results Read more
Fear of a Thai Planet
We’re currently staying in a Chiang Mai hotel called the Riverview. The charm of any locale that calls itself “Riverview” is directly proportional, of course, to the charm of the river it views, and this one—a Liquid-Plumr backup called the Ping—is so green it makes the Chicago River look like the Caribbean. A quibble, though. We’re well positioned to take in Chiang Mai, the second-largest city in Thailand, and enjoying the... Read more
Left Adrift
By Edward McClelland
Forty condo associations, mostly on Chicago’s North Side, have found themselves floating in the backwaters of red ink after alleging they were victims of a monumental condo management fraud Read more
Brothers, The Bard, B-Movies
By Rebecca Little and Catey Sullivan

The Brothers Grim

Two similar-sounding plays from two very different playwrights unite in an experiment at American Theater Company (1909 W. Byron St.; atcweb.org). Sam Shepard’s True West, about a screenwriter and his thief of a brother, is traditionally cast white, while Topdog/Underdog, Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer-winner about an entertainer and his thief of a brother, is traditionally cast black. Beginning Thursday, February 5th, actors...

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Super Bowls
 

War—HUH!—What is it good for? Inspiring this bowl I saw at I.D., for one thing. At first glance it looks like fine porcelain, but it’s actually made of melted plastic toy soldiers, some from each side of the battle (you can see the arms and guns of partially melted soldiers sticking out from the surface). The white version that I.D. has in reserve was inspired by the English Civil War, and the designer (Dominic Wilcox, for Thorsten van Elten) also makes one in blue for the Waterloo War and a red one for the Zulu War. They’re 17.5” in diameter, and retail for $400.  Toy soldiers not included.             

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

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Glam Rock
By Sarah Preston
Lincoln Park’s new rock lounge may not be authentic, but it sure is pretty Read more