What if your local library could solve your next weekend problem and expand your sense of community at the same time? What if you could borrow a telescope for a stargazing night, a pickleball set for a spontaneous match, or even a vacuum cleaner when yours gives out mid-mess, all without spending a dime? What […]
Chicago’s landscape isn’t the only thing hitting its stride this May. The city is alive with can’t-miss theater, ambitious exhibitions, street festivals, art fairs, and spring markets that stretch from downtown to the suburbs. Whether you’re planning a Mother’s Day outing, Memorial Day weekend, or just looking for a reason to stay out a little […]
For more than 50 years, curiosity has shaped the career of David Byrne — the Talking Heads frontman and an Academy, Grammy, and Tony Award–winning artist who has long used his art to explore how we perceive and make sense of the world. Across stages and mediums — from Coachella to Broadway to immersive theater […]
One of the world’s leading ocean conservationists and award-winning nature photographers, Paul Nicklen has spent more than three decades documenting both the beauty of the natural world and the accelerating impact of climate change. Trained as a marine biologist and shaped by decades of fieldwork, Nicklen — a National Geographic contributor for more than 20 […]
In Chicago’s Little Village — often called the “Mexico of the Midwest” for its vibrant Mexican-American culture — a neighborhood school was preparing to host a community event connected to The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros’ iconic coming-of-age story about growing up between cultures on Chicago’s West Side. The event was meant to be […]
April in Chicago brings fresh blooms, a spotlight on the planet, and springtime fun — from Earth Month films and art to flower shows and live theater. Say hello to the new season and dig into a month packed with can’t-miss music, film, shows and more. Keep reading for the best things to do in […]
Charity may begin at home, but it doesn’t have to stay there. Galas for good causes nationwide can give you an even better reason to pack your bags than wanderlust.
Patti Smith has worn many titles through the years — rocker, godmother of punk, poet, artist, writer, wife, mother, sister, advocate, friend, mentor, muse. For a brief chapter at the beginning of her story, she was also a Chicagoan. Returning to the city where she was baptized in 1947, Smith joined Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy […]
From book bans and attacks on journalists and free speech to federal funding cuts and the loss of literary spaces, the ecosystem that sustains reading and writing is under growing pressure. Libraries, newsrooms, classrooms, and independent bookstores are all feeling the strain. Taken together, these forces point to something larger. “[T]he biggest crisis of our […]
Few composers have shaped the sound of modern cinema as profoundly as Howard Shore. Across more than 90 genre-spanning film scores — from The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, and The Aviator, to lighter favorites like Big and Mrs. Doubtfire — the Canadian composer has built a career defined by musical storytelling. But it is […]
