Riding Down Historic Route 66 in Illinois By Edward McClelland The highway was officially decommissioned in 1985, but there are still some great old attractions that make the road worth traveling. Read more
What Virgil Abloh Meant to Me By Samantha Smyser-De Leon To the world, he was a fashion icon. But to me, he was a mentor, fierce champion for young creatives, and master educator with street cred. Read more
Ayana Contreras Spotlights the Power of Black Excellence By Lolly Bowean In ‘Energy Never Dies,’ Contreras explores the surprising connections among Chicago’s tastemakers and cultural innovators. Read more
Writing the True Story of Vivian Maier’s Life Interview by Kerry Reid Biographer Ann Marks uncovered details of the reclusive Chicago photographer and nanny's life. Read more
Opinion: Nelson Algren Is a Writer for Our Times By Edward McClelland The author's stories feel more relevant today than perhaps ever before. Read more
House Theatre of Chicago Gets a New Artistic Director By Kris Vire Lanise Antoine Shelley, House Theatre’s new artistic director, is doing away with boys’-club culture and changing the status quo. Read more
How Actor Larry Yando Keeps Running Across Stages By Nneka McGuire Scrooge, vitamin devotee, bagel lover: How Yando keeps his energy up. Read more
Ken Krimstein Salvages the Stories of Pre-Holocaust Jewish Youths By Julia M. Klein The author’s latest book sketches a powerful portrait of Eastern European Jewish youths, full of angst and optimism, on the eve of the Holocaust. Read more
Reading List: New Books from Sarah Ruhl, Sesali Bowen, and Ann Marks Read about life with facial paralysis, feminism through hip-hop, and the biography of Vivian Maier. Read more
