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Did Anthony Porter do it? Some background reading
The abolition of the death penalty in Illinois is a story that goes back to the moment a bewildered governor, George Ryan, watching TV at home in 1999, saw Anthony Porter released from prison into the...
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Zoom In: Rogers Park
At the Artists of the Wall Festival, Rogers Park residents paint Loyola Beach's sea bench to curb graffiti. by Will Greenberg Loyola Beach in Rogers Park has one of the city's few sea benches, a long...
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Reader's Agenda Sat 8/9: Brain Frame finale, United Nations, and Medium Cool
The brainchild of cartoonist and filmmaker Lyra Hill, Brain Frame ends its three-year run in style with a special 3rd Anniversary/Grand Finale show at Thalia Hall. The event kicks off with a tour of...
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Beneath the doublespeak, do we need more police in Chicago or not?
After Governor Pat Quinn announced this week that he was sending 40 state troopers to help Chicago police round up fugitives, city officials labored to let the public know that they welcomed the help...
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A mushroom-shaped party pad by the designer of Playboy's headquarters
North Center's "mushroom house," a 60s party pad by the designer of Playboy's headquarters by Laura Pearson At the northwest corner of Addison and Wolcott, the storybook-like "mushroom house" appears...
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Reader's Agenda Sun 8/10: All Our Tragic, Chicago Hot Dog Fest, and Boris
Looking for something to do today? Agenda's got you covered.…[ Read more ][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
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Weekly Top Five: The best of Jonathan Demme
In this week's issue, J.R. Jones reviewed A Master Builder, the new movie by Jonathan Demme. Pauline Kael once wrote that "you have to feel your way through" a Demme movie, and that's true.…[ Read more...
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In Rotation: Robbie Fulks on one of the greatest soul singers alive
Current musical obsessions of singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks and show taper Aadam Jacobs by Philip Montoro Philip Montoro, Reader music editor Electric Wizard, "Satanic Rites of Drugula" I've loved UK...
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Reader's Agenda Mon 8/11: Illinois State Fair, Lila Downs, and A Master Builder
Looking for something to do today? Agenda's got you covered.…[ Read more ][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
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Is it so bad that an ex-Cub wants to write?
The New York Times seems to specialize in Chicago stories that I'm sorry I didn't read in a Chicago newspaper, and the Saturday Timesbrought another, this one about former Chicago Cub Adrian Cardenas,...
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Making sense of the game Utter Nonsense
As far as Chicagoans Tim Swindle and Dave Mazurek are concerned, "orgasm" is an accent. Swindle's a software entrepreneur and Mazurek's a commercial real estate developer, but in their spare time the...
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Best shows to see: Jenny Scheinman, Plebeian Grandstand, American Sharks
This summer's Downtown Sound series comes to a close this evening, with local postrock trio Russian Circles gracing the stage of Pritzker Pavilion. There's more free music tonight at Empty Bottle,...
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Did you read about the Damen Blue Line stop, Harper's, and World War I?
Reader staffers share stories that fascinate, amuse, or inspire us.Hey, did you read:• That the Damen Blue Line station is going to be closed for two months leading up to the holidays?…[ Read more ][...
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12 O'Clock Track: 'Isan Lam Plearn,' eclectic Thai 70s pop
Thanks to a pair of Bangkok-based record collectors, an awful lot of curious listeners in the west have been introduced to the distinct pleasures of Thai popular music in recent years. Chris Menist and...
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Do movies require interpersonal conflict to be fun?
When I was little, my social worker mother would use me as a guinea pig for the therapeutic board games she wanted to introduce to the children she worked with. These games were like other board games...
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The Goodman's General Theater Studies program isn't just about the acting
The Goodman Theatre's General Theater Studies program is an anomaly for both high school and the acting profession: it builds confidence and self-esteem instead of tearing them to shreds. Over the...
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A new bio takes a trip across the Whedonverse
Amy Pascale manages to strike a balance between fan and biographer in Joss Whedon: The Biography. by Danette Chavez No matter where you land on the Joss Whedon fan spectrum—whether you socialized...
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The God, Sex & Death Variety Hour delivers on variety
The God, Sex & Death Variety Hour crams performers and material into its three theme. by Gwynedd Stuart Many a mental health professional advises that if you're really afraid of something, the...
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'Funky Turns 40' showcases the earliest positive representations of African...
Black cartoon characters star in 'Funky Turns 40' at the DuSable Museum. by Jake Malooley"Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives," running through January 2015 at the Museum of Science and Industry,...
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Did controversial tweets cost Steven Salaita his U. of I. professorship?
U. of I. appears to have revoked Steven Salaita's professorship over his incendiary pro-Palestinian tweets. by Deanna Isaacs Do professors have freedom of tweet? Is it the same thing as freedom of...
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