The Education Issue Education The
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IN THIS ISSUE T R - NEWS & POLITICS Half Gringa Burna Boy Ulver Alan @ 08 Joravsky | Politics Brian Braufman the Spektral Quartet Urlacher leads the charge for and more P T B Trump’s white backlash campaign 43 Early Warnings Rescheduled E C S K K H concerts and other updated listings C L R H M E P M 43 Gossip Wolf Corolla summon TD K R prepandemic vibes with summery C E B W indie rock Black Bobbin will sell you A E J L S W M D L G coff ee with your guitar gear and D I B J M S THEATER singersongwriter Bethany Thomas E A S N L 28 Dance Chicago Human Rhythm drops her debut fulllength G D A H CITY LIFE L C S C -J 03 Sightseeing In September Project taps a new leader S J R Grant Park hosted an 30 Virtual International Voices F A M R exposition to drum up civilian Project crosses borders in a C E B N B L C M D L C M support for the war eff ort pandemic C N L C J F S 04 Comic Behold the magnifi cent F J H I H B J pigeon! EDUCATION FILM C M J M K S K N D LM M 12 Isaacs | Culture Colleges 32 Digital Library Le ist struggle A M -K J R N A reopen amid qualms chaos and and solidarity on screen N J N M O A possible real change 33 Movies of Note Charlie P-A K S C S ------14 Dukmasova | Police Despite Kaufman asks what it means to bad data and board discord CPS exist in I’m Thinking of Ending D D J D S M C J G renewed its contract with CPD Things Made in Bangladesh OPINION SS P 20 Galil | Oral History A a modernday Norma Rae is 44 Savage Love Dan Savage on A T A retrospective look at the People’s fascinating and aff ecting Vinyl how we are all entitled to a zone of S I D M N GrabNGo the weekly Blackled Nation is a warm and fuzzy look at erotic autonomy D D C W food distribution program outside community M P C Y Burke Elementary D CLASSIFIEDS E A S L K 24 Ode The lessons learned in CPS MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE 46 Jobs M P D go beyond what’s taught in the 34 Feature Soul Train veteran and 46 Apartments & Spaces A A C FOOD & DRINK classroom Attack of the Boogie host Andrew 46 Marketplace S EC K K 06 Feature Jim Franks lets his 26 Rebuild The Arts & Makers Kitchen celebrates the reissue of his ADVERTISING whole grain naturally leavened Community Business Academy dance show’s theme song -- @ slavishly local dough stand up for ramps up to train the city’s creative 38 Records of Note A pandemic O I J C - @ itself entrepreneurs can’t stop the music and this week G F G ’ Reader writers review releases by V P S A M S D A N C R M T P S A R L M -H L S C S M W R
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T C R O P-R F C F ------Outbreak in RV land We love TV Kenosha’s history of anti- R ISSN - R LC In Elkhart County, Indiana, Two television addicts chat about S M S C IL Latinos disproportionately Michaela Coel’s HBO dramedy I Blackness -- accounted for half of the positive May Destroy You. Wisconsin cities with a high C © C R cases early in the pandemic. number of Black residents spend P C IL more on policing than others. 2 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll When A Great Deal Matters, Shop Rob Paddor’s... CITY LIFE Evanston Subaru in Skokie % % % 0% % sightseeing 63 MONTHS Grant Park, the lakefront, and Chicago’s ON NEW 2020’S WWI connections 00 00 In September 1918, the park hosted an exposition to drum up civilian support for the war eff ort. FORESTER OUTBACK ASCENT IMPREZA By J F ALL WHEEL DRIVE
tion participants. One newspaper estimated that more than 200,000 visitors attended the opening day of the expo, and all marveled at the statues, displays, and reenactments 2021 across the grounds of the park. Railcars carrying items captured from battlefields in SUBARU France were set up for viewing, and organi- CROSSTREK zations supporting the war effort (including the Salvation Army, the YMCA, and YWCA) created stalls to demonstrate just how one could get involved on the home front. Trench- 1.9% FINANCING Evanston es for a no-man’s-land were dug by the Illi- ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES Subaru nois branch of the Women’s Land Army, and n pre-COVID-19 Chicago, Grant Park, for soldiers from Camp Grant in Rockford staged 7-year/100,000-mile •SiriusXM powertrain warranty •Starlink® many, served as a vibrant platform for mock battles into the night, while planes SAVE ON Icultural and political expression. Perhaps staged aerial combat overhead. w/ $0 deductible •Giant Selection CERTIFIED less known is the park’s history in America’s Quite popular, the exposition reflected •152-point inspection •Low rate financing PRE-OWNED effort to promote national participation in the duality of how Chicagoans and America •24/7 roadside assistance •All-wheel-drive SUBARUS World War I. experienced the war. All “un-hyphenated” NO The image here is of Grant Park trans- Americans could get involved in the war formed to host the traveling Great War Ex- effort, provided they performed their na- Social Distancing & Face Masks will be position from September 2-15, 1918. Created tionalism in public properly. The presence of Required for all Customers and Employees by the federal government’s Committee on the American Protective League (APL) in the Public Information (CPI), and overseen by city at the time meant one could be assaulted the State Council of Defense of Illinois, the or accused of being a “slacker.” Displays at Voted “Best Auto DeAlership” exposition was part of a larger effort to sell the exposition reflected the racialized and By CHICAGO Voters’ Poll 2019 the war to the American public. Beginning in gendered realities of life in 1918. Outreach to S 1917, the CPI led efforts to transform divided women stressed their position as housewives TOP-QUALITY INSPECTED USED CARS & SUV’ public opinion into solidly supporting the and mothers. Visitors passed through a mock IMPORTS & DOMESTICS SUBARU FORESTERS ‘17 BMW X3 xDrive28i ...... Sunroof, Leather, 28K, Grey, 24735A ..$23,995 ‘18 Forester Prem. ....Automatic, Sunroof, Heated Seats, Blue, P6401 ..$21,995 war. 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The A+ as one Chicago Daily Tribune article at the exposition had a higher average daily atten- RATED time put it. dance than the World’s Columbian Exposition EvanstonSubaru.com The State Council of Defense of Illinois of 1893, and provided a legacy for Chicagoans 3340 OAKTON - SKOKIE • 847-869-5700 oversaw preparations for the event, coordi- on the role of public space and what it means *Add tax, title license and $300 doc fee. 0%financing for 63 months. Monthly payment of $15.87 per $1,000 borrowed. nating with allied governments and exposi- to be American. v Finance on approved credit score Subject to vehicle insurance and availability. Ends 9/30/20 ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 3 4 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 5 Search the Reader’s online database of thousands of Chicago-area restaurants FOOD & DRINK at chicagoreader.com/food.
Jim Franks is pretty sure you’ve never had real whole grain bread, and he’s looking to change friend showed him how to make sourdough that, one loaf at a time. MATTHEW GILSON and he made it on his own for the fi rst time. “I saw it rise and it was this crazy click,” he says. “I was in love. I was up for three nights adhere to a set of principles that would put reading about fl our on Wikipedia. I was just most commercial artisanal bakeries out of lost in it. I had done so many things before, I business. Real whole grain bread made from was afraid to tell anybody, ‘I’m a bread maker 100 percent local flour, naturally leavened now.’” with wild yeast, is a standard few can claim. But he didn’t settle down. In 2017 he Most compromise themselves in some way: embarked on an epic series of stages in rigging fermentation with Vitamin C, adding sourdough bakeries across the country. “I FOOD FEATURE commercial yeast or commodity fl our, or pre- had to just go everywhere and get behind tending to mill their own grains. the counter to see what was really going on. Franks, who’s 32, doesn’t make these com- I would just show up and be like, ‘Hey, I’m Jim Franks doesn’t bake bread promises because he doesn’t have to. “The here. I’m ready to work. Can I please stage at only reason I was able to do that was because your bakery today?’” He fi gures he worked at He lets his whole grain, naturally leavened, slavishly local dough stand up of an incredible amount of privilege,” he about 35 sourdough bakeries over four years, for itself. says. “Being independently wealthy has and along the way became thoroughly disil- allowed me to be like ‘fuck you’ to society in lusioned with the business. By M S all these ways that have been so crucial to do “You have to work somewhere for like something that’s really special and obviously five years just to make whole grain bread. im Franks thinks your open-crumb, cold- Jim Williams of Backdoor Bread in Vermont; really in demand.” But there are all these things that are terri- proofed, exquisitely lamed sourdough Sophie Williams of Raven Breads in Belling- Despite this unshakable stance, Franks is ble about being a baker. There are chronic Jboule is bullshit. ham, Washington; Kendall College grad Mike genial, open, and if you allow him, he can talk health problems. The environment is unsafe. “It’s impractical and overly sour because Zakowski of The Bejkr in Sonoma, California, about bread nonstop for hours. But he wasn’t There’s all these compromises just to run a of the overnight fermentation,” he says. and the godfather of American whole grain always so single-minded. He grew up on the business and exist in capitalism.” Besides “And pretentious and unusable because of sourdough bread baking, Dave Miller of Mill- north shore in a wealthy family, though he that, “There’s no money in bread. The mar- the shape—round bullshit. And stuff falls er’s Bake House in Yankee Hill, California. says he didn’t realize he came from money gins are insane. The supply lines are really through the holes.” These are all bakers who have managed until well after he left home. rough, and everybody who’s doing these Franks, who sells bread every Wednesday to make a living at the difficult and often In his 20s he was idle, hanging out in the sustainable things are really bad at business and Saturday at a Humboldt Park farmstand, dangerous business of running commercial music scene, struggling with depression and because they really care. I had the money and is an iconoclast in the current pandem- bakeries—and selling bread made from hard obsessive-compulsive disorder, and smoking time to just avoid that.” ic-driven, digital-sourdough zeitgeist. He’s grains that have been milled without remov- a lot of cigarettes and weed until one of his Eventually he got behind the counter with an outlier among professional artisanal ing the nutritious bran that surrounds the lungs collapsed. “I realized I didn’t like my some of his heroes, and looking homeward bread bakers as well. germ, unlike the majority of commodity fl our life and I was scared and confused. I had a began thinking of starting something in “I basically always wanted to do 100 per- produced in the United States. bunch of money saved up, so I started wan- Chicago, which he says, apart from Publican cent whole grain [bread] and that’s a really Unlike them, Franks does not make a living dering the country.” He worked on fi lms and Quality Bread and Pleasant House Bakery confusing thing because most people always from his bread. Between $2 to $4 of each loaf a music festival as a production assistant and (which no longer makes bread), was existing think they’ve had that—but they’ve had it goes to Chicago Patchwork Farms, an urban did a million other odd jobs, never staying in a “bread vacuum.” nowhere. There’s basically ten bakers in the farm with four plots around the city built anywhere more than three months over an In late 2018 he moved back in with his world, including me, that know how to do on formerly contaminated, now remediated eight-year period. mother, who was thrilled he’d found a career it.” He’s worked for most of them: including land. But he does obsessively, and rigidly, He didn’t find his purpose until after a and was willing to support it. He continued
J 6 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll FOOD & DRINK
to stage at bakeries in town and around the to the wide-open airy bread dominant on midwest, but he began to develop his own Insta-Sourdough, Franks ferments these style that combined ultratraditional meth- loaves at room temperature—which leads to ods with an experimentalism that arose what he correctly describes as “full but airy” from his slavish devotion to using only local bread, especially for whole grain. He bakes ingredients. “You can’t use raisins, olives; all them in rectangular loaf pans, rejecting the this stu that is regular bread stu ,” he says. digital hegemony of the round boule. “It’s “If you tell people that, they’re just like why? better for whole grain but also because pan But it was really, really important to me.” breads are more accessible than the artisan That’s particularly challenging when it boules that everyone makes. People know comes to grain, but it’s changing. Michigan, how to cut them and use them and they sorta he says, has become a powerhouse when it trick people into thinking it’s more regular comes to einkorn, a difficult-to-grow and bread and not pretentious.” hard-to-process variety that’s resurged On the other hand, he’s flexible when it among other ancient grains in the new Amer- comes to embracing happy accidents. I also ican artisanal bread arsenal. Franks says he’s purchased a one-off, Insta-worthy boule making the only 100 percent einkorn bread from him with a wide-open, airy crumb that within 2,000 miles. He’s found other small he made from spelt grains and new potatoes farmers and millers in Wisconsin, Indiana, that he had on hand after screwing up some and Illinois selling buckwheat, spelt, oats, gnocchi he was making for Patchwork’s farm- and corn; and for sweeteners, molasses, sor- ers. It’s every bit as good as the others. ghum, maple syrup, and honey. Franks’s own Instagram account, @bless- Franks began selling his bread and a few melordforihavesneezed, is a parade of whole pastries at Patchwork’s Chicago Avenue grain possibilities that’s hard to look away farmstand last summer after donating a from: colonial “lost” breads made from rye dozen loaves for a fundraising dinner. This and nixtamalized hard local corn, fermented led to a regular two-day stand each week oat porridges, spelt brioche, and breads that put him in touch with a wide network of loaded with unconventional additions like farmers and foragers. kabocha squash, foraged black walnuts, goat “When I started I was like, ‘This is a good milk, and roasted pureed beets. opportunity for me to get out there and He says demand for bread is undeniably get some exposure, but this is a really bad higher this year than last year, though he business arrangement. I don’t want to keep believes the home breadmaking boom is a giving these people money.’ But the more fad whose popularity is exaggerated by the I fell in love with the farm and the people, I media. Nonetheless he returned to Patch- was like ‘Oh I gotta keep doing this to make work’s farmstand this season in the middle money for Patchwork.’ Food is, to me, incred- of the pandemic and he was inundated with ibly political and radical, and everything I requests for advice about bread baking. “It’s do in terms of giving away that wealth is in just so simple,” he says. “You can make it terms of converting that money to these really complex and get intimidated out of it farmers and Patchwork.” because people listen to these super artsy, If you’re struck by the irony that the only passionate people who want to give them viable way to become a baker of sustainable these wild, complicated methods about how whole grain bread is to be a rich kid who you have to make sourdough. But the dumb- gives it away, just know that Franks’s breads est people in the world make bread. All the FROM OUR FARM are extraordinarily good, and not priced stuff that people use to make bread really higher than any other boutique bakery’s complicated is about making white bread. I breads ($8-$10 depending on your means). wanted to get people to use better wheat.” TO YOUR DOOR Last week I plowed through a loaf of 100 Franks sells bread at Patchwork’s farm- percent einkorn; amber-colored with a tight stand at 2825 W. Chicago on Wednesdays crumb, mildly tangy but with a nutty, rich, from 3 to 6 PM and on Saturdays from 10 VIRTUE, IT’S AT OUR CORE almost fatty fl avor. I also demolished a loaf AM to 2 PM. He posts his selection the day of 100 percent rye vollkornbrot. Franks hates before on Instagram (@blessmelordfori- VIRTUECIDER.COM TO ORDER when folks say his bread is dense, but this havesneezed). It’s best to preorder, because one is undeniably so: cakey, almost fudgy, he usually sells out within the first two stippled with millet, fl axseed, and sunfl ower hours. v seeds. ENJOY RESPONSIBLY © 2020 Virtue Cider, Fennville, MI 49408 Eschewing the cold proofing that leads @MikeSula ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 7 NEWS & POLITICS
THE u
Brian Urlacher is telling us how he really feels— and I really wish he wouldn't. D MYLES CULLEN / DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
POLITICS a drunk in a bar, he’d let fly with whatever half-baked idea popped into his brain. In contrast, Urlacher’s a little sneakier. He Move over, Iron Mike released his poison on social media, where it slowly found its way to wider attention. Urlacher leads the charge for Trump’s white backlash campaign. For many Bears fans, it came out of no- where. Yes, I know, years ago, Urlacher wrote By B J a character reference letter on behalf of Eddie Vrdolyak, asking a sentencing judge to go easy on the former alderman, who’d been or years and years, the biggest right- Brian Urlacher, the retired Bears linebacker, convicted in a corruption case. wing windbag in Chicago sports was whose recent Instagram post and Twitter And earlier this year, Urlacher visited FMike Ditka, former coach of the Bears, activity have gone beyond anything offered Trump in the White House. And in June, he who could be counted on to say anything, no by Iron Mike. made a pro-Trump comment on Twitter. But matter how daffy, to promote the Republican Until Urlacher revealed what was in his last week, he really let loose his inner MAGA. cause. mind and heart, I’d never seen such con- In the aftermath of NBA players sitting Like his 1992 comment that Bill Clinton’s tempt for Black people so openly expressed out several games to protest the shooting election would be “the biggest step back- by a Chicago celebrity. of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Ur- ward this country would take in 200 years of And not just any celebrity, but an iconic lacher released the following statement on existence.” hall of famer—good ol’ number 54, whose Instagram: Overlooking slavery, the Civil War, Pearl retired jersey is worn by thousands of Bears “Brett Favre played the [Monday Night chicagoreader.com/donate Harbor, the assassination of Dr. King and so fans. Football] game the day his dad died, threw forth . . . I’ll say this for Ditka—he was never cau- four TDs in the first half, and was a legend for But in recent days, Ditka’s been eclipsed by tious about broadcasting his worldview. Like playing in the face of adversity. NBA players 8 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll Were you in Chicago between 1968 and 1973? NEWS & POLITICS
continued from 9 And so, in another way, Trump poisons the boycott the playoffs because a dude reaching atmosphere of America. DID YOU for a knife, wanted on a felony sexual assault Get ready for more of the same as Trump warrant, was shot by police.” and his Republican machine ignite Opera- This comment is so asinine I’m not sure if tion Backlash—just in time for November’s Urlacher’s being willfully ignorant or blindly election. CALL “JANE”? racist. I know the operation well, having lived When Favre took the field after his father’s through the Harold Washington era. death, he was overcoming personal grief, or When Washington—a Democratic con- using it as a motivating tactic, to pay tribute gressman—won the 1983 Democratic pri- Did you contact the Chicago Women’s to his father. mary for mayor, his political opponents took Liberation Union’s women’s healthcare When LeBron James, Chris Paul, Giannis to the streets with a campaign intended to Antetokounmpo, and the other NBA players scare white people into voting Republican. service (aka “Jane”) for help? boycotted several playoff games last week, They made up all kinds of lies about Wash- they were making a larger stand—using their ington—even calling him a sexual predator. prominence to force society to confront its They predicted lawlessness and chaos— racial problems. Especially regarding the women would not be safe on the streets—if Documentary film company looking for people to police. he were elected. talk about their experience. If you or someone you There’s no comparison between one and They didn’t even have looters to blame. know used the service, please reach out. the other unless you want to rile up white They were just playing on white fear and people by showing your utter contempt for hatred that had been around for centuries— the Black Lives Matter movement. whether people want to admit it or not. Email: [email protected] Which is clearly what Urlacher was trying Washington won. But the election was very to do. close, as his opponents scared thousands And then he doubled down, liking the fol- and thousands of white lifelong Democrats lowing tweet: “Free Kyle Rittenhouse!!!!” to vote for Bernie Epton, the Republican can- Rittenhouse is the 17-year-old from An- didate they knew nothing about. tioch who, armed with a semiautomatic rifle, Except that he was the white guy. Which, killed two protesters in Kenosha and wound- apparently, was all they needed to know. ed a third. I see the same tactics in the Trump cam- Chicago Reader Rittenhouse is being turned into a political paign—with Urlacher putting himself at the hero by Trump supporters, who are raising forefront of a movement, no matter how money for his criminal defense. much it offends his Black former teammates. Urlacher’s Instagram post certainly caught He’s joining the chorus of right-wing many of his former teammates by surprise. America as it celebrates Rittenhouse as a pa- Former Bears running back Matt Forte triot in order to—what?—justify the killings tweeted: “The comment @BUrlacher54 post- of anti-racist protesters? ed is void of empathy, compassion, wisdom I’ve no doubt that it’s only a matter of time and coherence. But full of pride and igno- before Trump starts tweeting out celebra- rance! I pray for those who have been blinded tions of Rittenhouse as well, as the unthink- by their wealth, privilege and earthly fame able becomes the norm for the Republican that breeds arrogance in their hearts.” Party. Suffice it to say, Urlacher never uttered Anything to win that Electoral College. such comments in the locker room. Back in the day, it was easy to laugh at Dit- My guess is that this is another manifesta- ka’s rantings and ravings. But it’s not funny tion of the Norment theory of white behav- anymore. v ior—so named for Vincent E. Norment, the Do Not Touch Puzzle owner of the Marijuana Hall of Fame, and a @bennyjshow frequent guest on my podcast. Piece together the first of our iconic Norment’s theory is that the further white Stay Home cover series. people get from Black people, the more prone they are to say stupid, racist things they wouldn’t say if Black people were around. chicagoreader.com/puzzle It’s especially true in the age of Trump. please recycle “They hear Trump saying all kind of non- sense without any consequence and they this paper think they can say it too,” says Norment. 10 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll Saturdays and Sundays 6 pm Hosts Hugo Balta and Brandis Friedman BEGINNING SEPT 12
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57th Street Books 770 Village Center, Burr Ridge chicagocomics.com Lake Forest Book Store 312 255 3520 773 684 1300 barbarasbookstore.com City Lit Books 847 234 4420 60 W. Walton 1301 E. 57th St. Barbara's Bookstore (O'Hare) 773 235 2523 662 N. Western, Lake Forest newberry.org 57th.semcoop.com 773 686 1281 2523 N Kedzie lakeforestbookstore.com Round Table Books Abraham Lincoln Book Shop 10000 W. O'Hare Ave. citylitbooks.com Liberia Girón Pilsen 312 502 7335 312 944 3085 barbarasbookstore.com City Newsstand 312 226 2086 1023 Terrace Ln., Glenview 824 W. Superior, Suite 100 Barbara's Bookstore (Vernon Hills) 773 545 7377 2141 W. 21st St. roundtablebooks.com alincolnbookshop.com 847 549 7550 4018 N. Cicero gironbooks.com Sandmeyer’s Bookstore After-Words 102 Hawthorn Center, Vernon citynewsstand.com Madison Street Books 312 922 2104 312 464 1110 Hills City of Joy 312 929 4140 714 S. Dearborn 23 E. Illinois barbarasbookstore.com 224 676 1164 1127 W. Madison sandmeyersbookstore.com after-wordschicago.com/inde Book Bin 56 S. Milwaukee, Wheeling madstreetbooks.com Semicolon x.html 847 498 4999 D&Z House of Books Myopic Books 312 877 5170 Alternate Reality 1151 Church, Northbrook 773 282 4222 773 862 4882 515 N. Halsted 773 881 4376 bookbinnorthbrook.indielite.org 5507 W. Belmont 1564 N. Milwaukee semicolonchi.com 3149 W. 111th The Book Cellar domksiazki.com myopicbookstore.com Seminary Co-Op Bookstore myalternatereality.com 773 293 2665 The Dial Bookshop Occult Bookstore 773 752 4381 Amazing Fantasy Books & Comics 4736 N. Lincoln 410 S. Michigan, 2nd Floor 773 292 0995 5751 S. Woodlawn (Frankfort) bookcellarinc.com dialbookshop.com 2032 W. Grand semcoop.com 815 469 5092 The Book Stall Frontline Books occultbookstore.com Unabridged Bookstore 20505 S. La Grange, Frankfort 847 446 8880 773 288 7718 Open Books (Pilsen) 773 883 9119 afbooks.com 811 Elm St, Winnetka 5206 S. Harper 312 243 9776 3251 N. Broadway Amazing Fantasy Books & Comics thebookstall.com facebook.com/frontlinebooks 905 W. 19th unabridgedbookstore.com (Tinley) The Book Table Frontline Books & Kultural open-books.org Uncharted Books 708 633 0837 708 386 9800 Emporium (Cottage Grove) Open Books (West Loop) 872 208 7021 16649 Oak Park Ave., Tinley Park 1045 Lake St, Oak Park 872 244 3242 312 475 1355 ext. 100 5140 N. Clark afbooks.com booktable.net 6357 S. Cottage Grove 651 W. Lake unchartedbooks.com Anderson's Bookshop (Downers Bookends & Beginnings facebook.com/Frontline-Book open-books.org/stores/open- Underground Bookstore Grove) 224 999 7722 s-Kultural-Emporium-1053693 books-west-loop 773 768 8869 630 963 2665 1712 Sherman, Alley 1, 31009993/ Paragon Book Gallery 1727 E. 87th 5112 Main St., Downers Grove Evanston Gallery Bookstore Ltd. 312 663 5155 undergroundbookstore.com andersonsbookshop.com bookendsandbeginnings.com 773 281 9999 1029 W. 35th Volumes Bookcafe Anderson's Bookshop (La Grange) Bookie’s 923 W. Belmont paragonbook.com 773 697 8066 708 582 6353 773 239 1110 gallerybookstorechicago.com Pilsen Community Books 1474 N. Milwaukee 26 S. La Grange Rd., La Grange 10324 S. Western Heirloom Books 312 478 9434 volumesbooks.com andersonsbookshop.com bookiesbookstores.com 239 595 7426 1102 W. 18th St. Volumes Bookstore Anderson's Bookshop (Naperville) Bookie's (Homewood) 6239 N Clark pilsencommunitybooks.com 312 846 6750 630 355 2665 708 377 0789 Inga Bookshop Powell’s Books Chicago 900 N. Michigan, level 5 123 W. Jefferson, Naperville 2015 Ridge Rd., Homewood 1740 W. 18th 773 955 7780 shop900.com/volumesbooks andersonsbookshop.com bookiesbookstores.com i-n-g-a.com 1501 E. 57th Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Armadillo’s Pillow Bookman's Corner Kibbitznest Books, Brews, & powellschicago.com Co. 6753 N. Sheridan 773 929 8298 Blarney Quimby’s 773 772 8108 armadillospillow.com 2959 N Clark 773 360 7591 773 342 0910 1276 N. Milwaukee Barbara’s Bookstore Bucket O’Blood Books and Records 2212 N. Clybourn 1854 W. North secretagentsupply.com 312 926 2665 312 890 3860 kibbitznest.com quimbys.com Women & Children’s First in Northwestern Memorial 3182 N. Elston Kinokuniya Chicago Ravenswood Used Books 773 769 9299 Hospital, 201 E. Huron bucketoblood.com 847 427 2665 773 593 9166 5233 N. Clark barbarasbookstores.com Centuries & Sleuths 100 E. Algonquin, Arlington 2005 W Montrose womenandchildrenfirst.com Barbara's Bookstore 708 771 7243 Heights RoscoeBooks 312 781 5257 7419 Madison, Forest Park usa.kinokuniya.com 773 857 2676 (in Macy's) 111 N. State centuriesandsleuths.com Kurt Gippert Bookseller 2142 W. Roscoe *Contact stores for more barbarasbookstore.com Chicago Comics 773 583 7613 roscoebooks.com Barbara's Bookstore (Burr Ridge) 773 528 1983 1757 N. Kimball Rosenberg Bookshop at the details as guidelines 630 920 1500 3244 N. Clark kurtgippert.com Newberry Library change
July 27, 2020 For updated bookstore map, see chicagoreader.com/indiebookstores By Salem Collo-Julin and Amber Huff
www.bookendsandbeginnings.com
July 9, 2o2o By Joe Mills and John Greenfield Cruising with your NEWS & POLITICS safety in mind
The Art Institute is open, but SAIC’s plans have How many of the 200,000 or so students faculty nervous. COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS who came to Chicago for college last year— THE about 50,000 in the Loop alone—will be back for this term? How many of them, looking at a campus experience that would unfold almost ARCHITECTS’ days before the start of the fall term at UIC, entirely in their dorm room, decided to take a for example (where students are getting saliva semester o ? tests and undergoing daily wellness checks), And what are the fi nancial implications for CHOICE the faculty union issued its own statement, the schools? “declaring the plan to return to the UIC cam- I put that question to David Baker, executive pus next week unsafe.” director of America’s Urban Campus, a sort The result has been a patchwork of ad hoc of trade association for Chicago higher ed. and contingent solutions: Loyola moved AUC’s 20-member institutions account for 96 nearly all classes online and closed its dorms; percent of all college students in the city and classes are also mostly online at DePaul, with employ about 59,000 people. only students in exceptional circumstances “It’s too early to tell,” Baker said, explaining allowed to live on campus. IIT and Columbia that the schools won’t lock in their enrollment College will be online-only for the first two numbers for a month or so. “The biggest weeks of classes, with Columbia allowing loss at first will be the loss of income from limited student access to the campus during residence halls,” he said, but “the schools that time. Northwestern, in a late-breaking were generally experiencing slow declines in decision, told freshmen and sophomores to enrollment for the past ten years, caused by NEW! LIMITED-EDITION CAFC RIVER stay home. demographic decline for 18-to-24-year olds CRUISES WITH TOP ARCHITECTS Nowhere is this complicated scene more along with a robust economy that offered fraught than at the School of the Art Institute, job opportunities and a drop in international Book one, two or all three of our one-time-only already embroiled in demands from students, students.” (Demand for higher education had river cruises with architects whose fi rms designed sta , and faculty to rectify systemic racism and reached a peak in the recession of 2008-2009, inequity at an institution that celebrates the largely from students enrolled in short-term buildings you’ll see along the water. collecting habits of the city’s most vigorous programs in community colleges.) capitalists. A change.org petition demanding Has Baker, who retired as a vice president AN EVENING WITH AN ARCHITECT the resignation of SAIC provost Martin Berger at IIT in 2016, ever seen anything like this? Adam Semel has attracted over 2,500 signatures, along “The 2008 recession caused a dramatic paper Managing Partner, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with accusations of racism for an academic decline in endowments,” he said. Then, for the SEPTEMBER 10 • 6 PM whose career has been built on a critique of public institutions, there was “the lack of a mass media photography of the civil rights budget during the Rauner years. They had to Joachim Schuessler era. His o enses: reading aloud a vicious but lay o sta to stay afl oat. But nothing like this. Principal, Goettsch Partners historic quote that included the N-word while Everything that is the justifi cation for higher SEPTEMBER 17 • 6 PM explaining his work at a meeting of faculty and education—bringing students together to sta , and subsequently being promoted from learn from faculty and from each other—all of Thomas Kerwin dean of faculty to his current job. that is going to be scrutinized going forward.” Founding Principal, bKL Architecture SAIC physics professor Kathryn Schaffer “The biggest thing is that all the univer- SEPTEMBER 24 • 6 PM has described the school’s plan for reopening sities have learned how to teach remotely, as “safety theater,” and called leadership on and students and faculty have learned how $73.44 PLUS TAX FOR PUBLIC this issue “dangerously negligent.” She didn’t to adjust to that. So the question of what role $64.03 PLUS TAX FOR CAC MEMBERS respond to a request for an interview, but remote learning plays in the future is going to in an appearance on Free Radio SAIC, main- be there.” tained that this dense urban campus, with its If the result is more online college, and a elevators and other crowded spaces, scattered concomitant demand for signifi cantly reduced student living arrangements, and lack of tuition, there could be a difficult period of ability to isolate (along with a lack of science contraction ahead for schools with tenure and faculty with the expertise to advise), should be pension obligations to faculty and massive “among the last schools to open.” investments in brick and mortar, Baker said. We should not just be saying we’re going Could it also, at last, end the assumption of a : to follow what the government says, Scha er lifetime of student debt in return for the prom- TICKETS ARCHITECTURECRUISE.COM argued. “The government has decided that the ise of a four-year party and a diploma? v CHICAGO RIVERWALK AT MICHIGAN AVE & WACKER DR economy is worth lives. We should question that.” @DeannaIsaacs ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 13 EDUCATION
14 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll EDUCATION A rosy CPS survey on cops in schools falls short Despite bad data and board discord, CPS renews contract with CPD. By M D
he summer’s protests of police violence error-riddled gang database) and cops won’t ne of the sticking points in the discussion took the survey more than once? Could we have fueled an ongoing debate about be paid for the days they’re not inside schools has been school communities’ perspec- know for sure that it was really students tak- the role of police o cers within Chicago as the district continues remote learning due Otives on SROs. At that June 24 meeting, ing the survey and not, say, their parents or Public Schools. The School Resource to the pandemic. district officials presented results from an random people on the Internet claiming to be TOfficer (SRO) program has assigned Despite the vocal movement to remove online survey of students, parents, teachers, students? Chicago Police Department officers to 72 of cops from schools, the district has repeatedly administrators, and community members on We fi rst asked the district questions about the district’s 93 high schools, along with one cited student and parent support of the SRO their opinions on the SRO program. Accord- the survey on June 25, and began receiving district charter high school. As a youth-led program. Back in June, the board considered ing to CPS, 66 percent of the 3,333 students answers from district spokespeople a week movement under the hashtag #CopsOutCPS the immediate termination of the program, who took the survey strongly or somewhat later. has picketed at schools, the district’s down- but the measure failed then by a 4-3 vote. agreed with the statement “I believe our “The survey was distributed directly to town o ce, and CPS board members’ homes, These divided votes are rare in a body school’s School Resource Officers help to all known e-mail addresses tied to students, local school councils have voted on whether handpicked by Chicago’s mayor and have bro- keep our school safe.” In general, the survey sta , families, and LSC members associated or not to keep the program. Seventeen LSCs ken down along gendered lines. Board presi- results presented by the district showed a fa- with schools that have SROs,” wrote district decided to end the program, while 55 voted to dent Miguel del Valle, vice president Sendhil vorable view of SROs from students, parents, spokesman James Gherardi in an e-mail. retain it. Revuluri, Lucino Sotelo, and Dwayne Truss and workers within the schools, and an unfa- However, “anyone with access to the link was On Wednesday, August 26, the CPS board have maintained their support for the SRO vorable view from the “community at large.” able to complete the survey.” In her presen- voted by a 4-2 margin (with one abstention) program. This despite public protests that This implied that the negative perception of tation to the board, CPS chief of safety and to renew the contract with CPD on a district included CPS students and recent graduates cops in schools came from outsiders and not security Jadine Chou had mentioned that the level next school year. The program (whose being assaulted by police and student arrests the people—especially not the students—in link was available on social media. Gherardi $33 million budget the district plans to this week in front of board headquarters, direct contact with the o cers. wrote that “keeping the survey anonymous reduce by more than 50 percent) will only and despite research linking cops in schools Naturally, the Reader was curious about was necessary to promote honest and continue at the schools whose LSCs voted to to poorer learning outcomes. Board member the survey methodology and results, espe- forthcoming feedback. While outreach was retain it. The SRO program—which has long Luisiana Melendez voted to end the program cially as student-led protests against cops in targeted to specific groups, names/contact been plagued by lax oversight and has been in June but abstained from voting last week. schools were galvanizing huge crowds across information were not collected.” cast by critics as a major part of the school- Meanwhile members Elizabeth Todd-Breland the city. How was the survey distributed? The district stated that although 10,333 to-prison pipeline—will also undergo some and Amy Rome have steadily opposed the How could the district be sure that it was survey responses were received, 4,398 were changes (for example, students will no lon- program. representative of the schools with SROs? excluded because they were incomplete (re- ger be entered into the police department’s Were measures taken to make sure no one spondents didn’t indicate which school they ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 15 EDUCATION EDUCATION
continued from 15 in a variety of forums.” He also said that were part of or what their role was in that principals were provided with the survey community). The district promised to re- results that pertained to their school and lease a “full overview” of the survey results “many school principals and LSCs decided “this summer,” but the votes on whether to to conduct their own follow-up surveys to keep SROs were already beginning at LSCs guide their decision making process” before throughout the city and the August board voting on whether to retain cops in their vote was fast approaching. After learning schools. that the survey had been built through the In at least one example, the school’s SurveyGizmo platform, which allows for own surveying resulted in higher student easy data export, the Reader filed a Freedom participation. At Lake View High School, a of Information Act request for the data on student-designed and -administered survey July 8. captured 125 responses (compared to just 62 CPS immediately asked for a five-busi- responses from Lake View students in CPS’s ness-day extension to the five-business-day survey). Though Lake View’s LSC ultimately response deadline (which is what the law decided to keep the SROs in a 9-1 vote, nearly permits). On July 22 it denied the Reader’s 60 percent of student respondents in the in- request claiming it was “unduly burden- house survey said they thought CPS should some” because it would require “review of eliminate SROs and reinvest the money data on over 6,000 survey submissions. The spent on them into other things. Forty survey includes highly sensitive and private percent of student respondents said their information such as students’ school, grade, school should eliminate SROs even if Lake race, gender, sexual identity, and contains View wouldn’t directly financially benefit a comments section for various questions, from the decision. etc.” The district also provided a blank ver- sion of the survey. hether or not to keep cops in schools The next day, the Reader responded with has been one of the most significant a narrowed request for the data, asking the Wschool policy decisions left to Local district only for student responses and to School Councils and many appeared ill- redact all identifying information except for equipped to make it. While 46 of the 72 their school and race. Since experts say that schools had a full LSC voting on the matter, it’s Black students who are disproportionate- 17 schools didn’t have a quorum at their ly targeted by police and negatively impact- meeting, and nine schools didn’t even have ed by police in schools, we were primarily a functioning LSC to take the vote, leaving interested in students’ survey responses and the district to decide for them. As the Triibe we wanted to know which schools they came Nearly 12 percent of all student respons- cally representative of the schools that have reported, some parents see getting rid of from and how they identified their race. es came from just one school—Lane Tech, SROs. Besides having students from just ten cops in schools as a threat to student safety, CPS never responded to the narrowed whose LSC voted to remove the SRO pro- (mostly north-side) schools dominating the even while they’re unaware of other ways request. Based on Illinois’s FOIA statute the gram by a 9-3 margin on August 10. results, see the table above for how respon- kids can be protected. And, as WBEZ has Reader had grounds to sue the district and Eighteen schools had ten or fewer stu- dents broke down by race. noted, leaving the decision to the LSCs has ask the judge to force the district to produce dent respondents to the survey, with three The Reader analyzed the 2019-2020 school paradoxically furthered a key inequity: Since the data. We filed the lawsuit on August 14 schools having just one student each. year demographics for the schools with the schools who have booted their SROs have and got a December hearing date. The dis- Collectively, these schools have 4,000 stu- SROs based on data made publicly available been mostly white and Latinx, the district’s trict turned over the data a week later. dents; most of these schools are more than by CPS and found that while the survey was Black high schoolers will now be much more 90 percent Black. relatively close to representative of Latinx likely to have cops in their schools than fter a preliminary analysis, here’s what Two schools with SROs (Little Village students, it overrepresented white and other students when they return to in-per- we learned: Lawndale High School Campus, which ac- Asian students and underrepresented Black son instruction. A Of the 5,935 complete survey respons- tually consists of four schools with 1,287 students. At the board meeting August 26, a number es (ones for which respondents answered students, and Englewood STEM, which has According to CPS, the district didn’t have of elected officials contributed public com- all questions, including their school and 414 students) didn’t have any student re- a way of ensuring that the same respondents ments that captured the polarization around role in that community), 55 percent (3,264) spondents in the survey. didn’t take the survey more than once, the issue. Some aldermen expressed concern came from respondents self-identifying as While the district had accurately stated though Gherardi wrote in an e-mail to the about the role of cops in schools and the students. that student respondents’ views of the SRO Reader Monday that the district is “confi- need for other resources to be prioritized, Half of the student responses came from program were more positive than negative, dent in the integrity of the survey results, but ultimately continued to state that SROs just ten of the 72 schools in the SRO program. the survey doesn’t appear to be demographi- which align with the feedback we received enhance school safety. 16 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll EDUCATION EDUCATION
“I know there are many parents that do have multiple complaints, [some] have five not feel comfortable allowing their chil- or more complaints, five officers have com- dren in and around their schools without plaints that resulted in them having disci- officers,” said 24th Ward alderman Michael pline . . . If this was any other vendor, if this Scott Jr. As an example, he talked about an was somebody with a contract with us, you elementary school in his ward around which would shut it down.” violent incidents occur—even though CPS Before the vote, board members Rome and only has school resource officers in high Todd-Breland made one more plea to their schools. “I know there are arguments on colleagues to reconsider their votes. both sides of the equation and I do believe CPS’s proposed reforms to the program for that we have to look at policing as a whole the next school year “fall short of addressing when it comes to the city of Chicago,” Scott the research and the evidence that has been Jr. said. “That does not mean [that] a school discussed for a long time now by youth ac- in a community like North Lawndale that has tivists,” Rome said. She also questioned the a very high rate of violence . . . does not feel wisdom of leaving such a critical policy deci- their allies whose organizing and protests place in our schools with our children? This safe when they have officers in and around sion to LSCs. “Student voice in that process really created the political context and to me is not an issue of bad apples, this is an that school.” was recommended but optional,” Rome said. space to even make these types of reforms,” institutional problem and the [CPS contract On the one hand, 40th Ward alderman “I believe that this underscores that while Todd-Breland said. “We cannot solve sys- with CPD] is fundamentally saying that we Andre Vasquez talked about the dearth of LSC involvement is critical, it does not take tem-wide civil rights issues by shirking our agree to have this institution and the mem- information on the results delivered by the a necessarily whole-system view of what is responsibilities as a board and pushing it bers of this institution with our children. So SRO program and the district and CPD’s poor an issue of justice and a civil rights issue. If on the backs of individual schools. What has I ask this body, the Board of Education, what track record of oversight of the officers. “We we pay attention to the evidence about the changed since June? The police have not is your threshold for police harm? And when asked [the district] what guidance there school-to-prison pipeline, pushing this vote stopped killing Black people. . . . When do will enough be enough?” was for selection of SROs and the answer to the LSCs was not the right approach in my we decide that the historical and ongoing She didn’t receive a response. v we got is if the principal feels the officer is opinion.” racism of an institution—policing—that has a good fit,” Vasquez said. “Thirty-six SROs “I really appreciate the young people and proven itself incapable of reform, has no @mdoukmas ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 17 The Chicago Reader BOOK CLUB
Mikki Kendall Nnedi Okorafor Kayla Ancrum Hood Feminism: Notes Remote Control Darling From the Women That a March 21 July 21 Movement Forgot 3/25/2021 7/22/2021 Book Club Month: October 20 Author Talk: 10/22/2020 Natalie Moore Jessica Hopper The South Side (TBD) Sonali Dev April 21 August 21 Recipe for Persuasion 4/22/2021 8/26/2021 November 20 11/19/2020 Rebecca Makkai Precious Brady-Davis The Great Believers I Have Always Been Me: A Riva Lehrer May 21 Memoir Golem Girl 5/27/2021 September 21 December 20 9/23/2021 12/17/2020 Fatimah Asghar If They Come for Us Emil Ferris June 21 My Favorite Thing Is 6/24/2021 Monsters January 21 1/28/2021 Book Club membership includes: Exclusive access to conversations between Authors and the Reader Eve Ewing 1919 Discounts to your favorite independent bookstores February 21 A curated monthly newsletter 2/25/2021 A members-only discussion forum Special off ers from Reader partners
Learn more at chicagoreader.com/bookclub
18 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll Join us for the fi rst month of the Chicago Reader’s Book Book Club Month Club in which we will center the experience of women who October 20 face real battles on the front lines. Mikki Kendall and Janaya Author Talk Greene will dive into the history of feminist movements in 10/22/2020 Chicago, and beyond, and the marginalized women shut out from mainstream feminism this history.
Janaya Greene Moderator Mikki Kendall Janaya Greene is a storyteller with passions for fi lm, literature, music, the African Author diaspora, and mild sauce–and the social media Mikki Kendall is a writer, diversity consultant, and occasional coordinator for the Chicago Reader. Her feminist who talks a lot about intersectionality, policing, gender, short fi lm Veracity screened on Showtime sexual assault, and other current events. Her essays can be found and is now streaming on Amazon Video. at TIME, the New York Times, The Guardian, the Washington Post, Her writing has been published in Zora, the Ebony, Essence, Salon, The Boston Globe, NBC, Bustle, Islamic Triibe, Here Magazine, Red Bull Music’s Tierra Monthly, and a host of other sites. Her media appearances include Whack zine (2019) and more. House music BBC, NPR, The Daily Show, PBS, Good Morning America, MSNBC, is her love language. Learn more about the Al Jazeera, WVON, WBEZ, and Showtime. She has discussed race, Chicago-based writer at JanayaGreene.com. feminism, education, food politics, police violence, tech, and pop culture at institutions and universities across the country.
She is the author of Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists (illustrated by A. D’Amico), and Hood Feminism, both from Penguin Random House.
Learn more at chicagoreader.com/bookclub ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 19 EDUCATION EDUCATION
RACHEL HAWLEY
they distributed at least 250 books and 230 bags with art supplies. Before the fi nal Grab-N-Go, I spoke with the four members of the leadership team about the experience. They’re all in their 20s, and had never overseen a food distribution e ort before this, so I wanted to capture the endeavor in their voices—which is why I edited down these conversations into an oral history. The Grab-N- Go succeeded because of every volunteer who provided labor, money, and food, so this is by no means defi nitive, but it is a window into an em- powering experience that helped a community in need.
Trina Reynolds-Tyler: I woke up very early that morning, I tweeted, “Look at these grab and go meal sites—This is the time for us to do something. If you didn’t go to the protest”— and I was just fresh o of the protest—“if you weren’t able to come to the protest, if you’re afraid of protesting and you’re trying to fi nd a way to plug in, fi nd a school in your network, ORAL HISTORY with support), but also created a platform to pull up with a grill, pull up with something, spread awareness of food insecurity in its con- and feed folks. Because this morning, thou- nection to broader systemic issues, including sands of people who thought they were gonna ‘This is a moment of police brutality and historical disinvestment of get food are no longer gonna get food, and Black and Brown communities. that’s a problem.” After the first week of distributing food, empowerment’ Reynolds-Tyler and James formed a Grab-N-Go Dominique James: I’m up early Monday leadership team with Becoming A Man regional morning, and I see Trina tweet that CPS has A retrospective look at the weekly Black-led food distribution program manager Jihad Kheperu and YCA teaching artist suspended its food distribution. I was like, outside Burke Elementary: “If you’re afraid of protesting and you’re trying to and rapper Matt Muse. “One of the things that I “I have a Costco membership.” She was like, fi nd a way to plug in, fi nd a school in your network, pull up with a grill, pull up valued most about our site is that it is Black-led “This is something you should get involved in.” with something, and feed folks.” and it is led by people from that area,” James says. “I believe that it makes all the di erence in Matt Muse: Dominique called me at 10 o’clock By L G how our distribution site is run—the e ort feels in the morning, like, “Hey, Imma go to Costco, so much more communal.” Trina’s doing this food program.” I’m asleep, hen Chicago Public Schools suspend- gram provided more than 13 million meals. The As of its 11th week, the Grab-N-Go provided bro. I’m literally groggy—I was like, “Damn, I ed its meal distribution program on last-minute meal suspension left thousands of food and supplies to 3,700 families. Since it’s a can stay in bed and go to sleep, but also she’s WSunday, May 31, it followed a weekend students and their families in the lurch. Early volunteer-run program that relies on monetary probably gonna need some help, so let me go to of citywide protests in response to the ex- in the morning on June 1, Trina Reynolds-Tyler and food donations, the members of the leader- the store to help with these groceries.” trajudicial killing of George Floyd by a white tweeted, “If there is a school near you, organize ship team planned to run the program down by Minneapolis police o cer. CPS announced the FOOD for the children.” Reynolds-Tyler, a mem- the end of summer—the Grab-N-Go’s last day Dominique James: We looked up the map of news after 10 PM through its Twitter account, ber of Black Youth Project 100, got to work on for its original iteration was Monday, August the CPS meal sites, and we picked one in our which mirrored the city’s confusing, haphaz- setting up a distribution site. Dominique James, 31. “I’m gonna miss talking to people about our neighborhood. We were like, “OK, this is on a ard response to the protests; that Saturday, a Young Chicago Authors teaching artist, quick- mission,” Reynolds-Tyler says. “How we believe major freeway but also King Drive, so let’s do Mayor Lori Lightfoot declared a 9 PM curfew ly texted Reynolds-Tyler o ering to help. that the city of Chicago needs to defund the po- this one.” at 8:25 PM, after CTA suspended service to the What began as a rapid-response initiative lice, and they need to invest more in community Loop and the city raised most of downtown’s grew into the People’s Grab-N-Go, a weekly food care and community resources, because that Trina Reynolds-Tyler: That’s when I called drawbridges. CPS’s tweet noted the meal-dis- distribution program headquartered at Burke is how we prevent violence.” In advance of the my friend Jihad, and I said, “Hey, we are gonna tribution suspension had been “based on the Elementary School in Washington Park. Orga- fi nal day, a few volunteers spearheaded a new go to this school that is right by your home, do evolving nature of activity around the city.” nizers have not only distributed groceries and Grab-N-Go endeavor to provide care packages you want to come?” From the beginning of the pandemic through toiletries to neighbors in need (and provided and books for Black and Brown youth on Chica- the end of May, CPS’s food distribution pro- those in need of SNAP benefi ts and extensions go’s west and south sides; Reynolds-Tyler says Jihad Kheperu: I was looking for some direct 20 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll EDUCATION EDUCATION
service that was more hands-on during that care items—and on top of this, based on what disposal, it wasn’t too complicated. we were receiving were not necessarily things time. A lot of things was going on during that we learned about day one we were like, “We’re that people were actually gonna eat. We didn’t time that I could have chosen to be a part of in gonna have snacks, we’re gonna have this Matt Muse: Dominique was super, super inte- want to give people bags of food that they the streets, protesting. For me, something that stuff, we’re gonna have this stuff.” And then gral in coming up with the Sunday and Monday weren’t going to use. So what we ended up has a direct impact on community su ering, natural sections began to emerge within the thing—like, “OK, we’re gonna pack on Sundays doing was creating a donation list of things something that’s very close to my home—I’m site. We also are a very small site because we and then we’re gonna distribute on Mondays.’ that we were willing to accept. from the area—that’s my interest in being technically can’t go on the school’s property, We always were gonna distribute on Mondays, involved. we’re kind of just in their entry way, so a little but how are we gonna pack the bags? “OK, let’s Dominique James: We ended up going to the bit of a tight area. get people up to YCA on Sunday.” grocery store and they’re like, “Y’all are buy- Dominique James: I posted we were at ing a lot of stu , what’s this? You can place a Burke—my colleague at YCA was like, “Yo, Trina Reynolds-Tyler: The next day, on Jihad Kheperu: My fi rst major act was prob- bulk order with us.” We’re like, “Really? OK.” that’s my mom’s school,” and she connected us Tuesday, we served 657 families. These are ably overseeing our fi rst south-side drop site, with her. families who are leaving with groceries—this which is actually the building that my family Matt Muse: We started connecting with the is not like an individual sandwich, or a roll of owns, maybe two blocks from the location. Mariano’s on King Drive. We basically made a Trina Reynolds-Tyler: At fi rst it almost start- toilet paper. People came up to us, got a bag list of all the stu we’re gonna put in each bag, ed to rain, and I was feeling really sad because of groceries, grabbed some diapers, baby for- Trina Reynolds-Tyler: At fi rst we didn’t have and they provide all of that on a weekly basis, I thought, “Maybe we should go home.” mula, tampons, pads, whatever. It was a really a truck. We just had our cars and we just had and they’ve been doing that for about a month powerful thing. At that point, we said, “Oh, we people donating things to us. We would then now. And once we got that, it was like, “OK, bet, Dominique James: We were a little nervous can’t stop.” get a U-Haul. this is a system now.” So now instead of having because it was going to rain. Jihad brought a to hope that we get enough jelly every week, speaker, we were distributing food, and we put Dominique James: Tuesday we were like, “We Matt Muse: We were renting U-Haul trucks we know we make 200 bags, we can order 200 out the call on social media—people brought are actually super-duper tired, and we need every week for that fi rst month to do the drive. jars of jelly every single week. tons of stu and we were able to distribute it. to structure this. This is clearly going to be I moved with U-Haul a couple times, and that something longer term, we don’t know to what shit can be a pain in the ass, just having to go Dominique James: Buying the groceries in Trina Reynolds-Tyler: We got out there extent. Let’s take a pause, structure this out a back and forth to the U-Haul place. advance, packing the bags in advance is the maybe around 12 o’clock, and we ended up giv- bit, and then come back next week.” system we have now on Sundays. We’re at ing food to 150 people. That is the lowest num- Trina Reynolds-Tyler: Matt and Dominique Young Chicago Authors—we go pick up the ber of people that we’ve ever given food to. Trina Reynolds-Tyler: We had a debrief were handling that, and they were like, “Be- grocery order, take the grocery order o the together, we were like, “What’s our mission? cause of U-Haul’s policies, we think we need to truck, and then pack the 200 grocery bags, and Jihad Kheperu: It was very simple—people What are we doing? If we’re gonna do this, we rent out a truck for long-term.” at the same time we’re laying the collection of coming up for what they needed, no require- need to say that we’re doing this.” We came up the items that we need to build out our hygiene ments, few conversations around it other than, with a mission—it was just me, Jihad, Matt, Matt Muse: We were able to actually get a table for that week. “How can we be of service?” and Dominique. truck that was specifically for the People’s Grab-N-Go. We’ve been renting it out since, I Trina Reynolds-Tyler: We make sure that Trina Reynolds-Tyler: At that time, we Matt Muse: I ended up at one of the meetings think, late June, and we have it till the end of every single bag that we gave out had cereal, weren’t thinking, “This is gonna be something that they were having, just ’cause I was getting August. That was a big game changer; getting rice and beans, peanut butter and jelly, a loaf that we do for the long run.” We were thinking, a ride home with Dom. I was like, “Are y’all OK the truck took away a whole lot of the physical of bread, potatoes, onions, and oranges—oh, “We can do this today. This is something we with me saying what I think about what hap- hours and physical labor that we were doing in [and] pasta and pasta sauce. can do today, and this is something we can do pened today and how today went?” And they the beginning. tomorrow” based on the donations that we had were like, “Yeah.” Matt Muse: Trina made an amazing Goo- received. Trina Reynolds-Tyler: Matt ended up manag- gle survey; we sent it out to the people who Jihad Kheperu: I wasn’t really too familiar ing the volunteers. showed up, and now I have their contact info. Dominique James: We had two tables and had with the other two members—Dominique and It specifi cally asks questions like, “What days stu on the tables, we gave what we could. The Matt—before this started. Matt Muse: The second day there was 30 vol- are you available? What times are you avail- next day, there was so much stu , and we were unteers there. It was dope, but it’s also like, not able? Will you be able to drive, will you not just like, “Whoa.” It was very chaotic and we Matt Muse: I met [Jihad] through this; he’s a only do we not need 30 volunteers in general, be able to drive? Do you have any special re- were also struggling to maintain social dis- phenomenal person and we’re friends now. but 30 volunteers is putting all of us at risk. I quirements for when you come to volunteer? tancing while being able to give people what get that it’s an emergency and it’s a moment, Do you need to sit for a certain amount of we needed. Jihad Kheperu: None of us really have much but hey, if we take two seconds to think about time—is standing too long a bad thing?” I’m experience with food drives—resource allo- scheduling people, we’ll be able to do all the able to go into that database that she created, Jihad Kheperu: The community response— cation in that sense—but I think it also was work those 30 people did with the ten people look at all these answers, and say, “OK, these just seeing us outside—was so robust, I think pretty natural for us. We all have some expe- we scheduled. are the three people or eight people I’m gonna everybody really wanted to pitch in, so we got rience with community organizing and com- schedule on Sunday, and I’m gonna make sure an infl ux of resources that fi rst week. munity outreach, we all love food, we all love Trina Reynolds-Tyler: As we were getting I’ll tell them how long they’re gonna be there Black people, we all love the hood, so it kind of into our groove, we were like, “How do we based on the answers to the questions that Dominique James: Tuesday we noticed peo- happened pretty naturally. Once we began to make bags with intention and care?” We were Trina made.” ple were bringing feminine hygiene and baby think what the needs were, what we had at our receiving quite a bit of things, but the things ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 21 Don’t miss the newest Chicago Reader “Best of” book, a collection of pieces EDUCATION EDUCATION from more than two decades of work by continued from 21 media.” senior writer Mike Sula. Trina Reynolds-Tyler: The way the Grab- N-Go is set up, on one side you have bags of Jihad Kheperu: I try to get on there daily, groceries—and, like, milk and eggs that are at least multiple times a week, to respond to in coolers—and Matt passes the bags to the everybody that’s reaching out as soon as they people and have conversations. On the other reach out to us—pre-Grab-N-Go to give every- side, there’s a toiletries line—so those are two body a heads-up that it’s coming back around, separate lines. Outside of those tables with here are our needs. We use it to thank people the canopy over it, across from us, are these who are involved, and uplift what’s going on. people who are basically waiting to take you To document what’s happening and create to your car. There’s one person who’s a count- this narrative for the public that this is a mo- er, who has masks—so the counter counts you ment of empowerment that is community-led, and they give you a mask if you don’t have one. using social media—using Instagram—as And then there are at least three people who a means of having that conversation. And will ask you, “Do you need help getting to your showing what’s going on behind the scenes. car? Is there any way I can help you? Do you need any support?” Trina Reynolds-Tyler: The community— they show up. We have a DJ, DJ Cash Era. They Matt Muse: Instead of having a bunch of peo- come, and they be dancing, and they have a ple standing around waiting to be told what to good time with us. They give us so much love, do, we have specifi c roles that every volunteer and we give them so much love back. plays, and that helped us reduce the amount of people who were showing up signifi cantly. Dominique James: We get to know our com- munity members in the space of love and joy, Trina Reynolds-Tyler: Dominique, her role and I think that is what has sustained us. has really been engaging with other resources to get us more things to the site. For example, Jihad Kheperu: I defi nitely try to center joy she has been the outreach person for other with our social media. Defi nitely don’t want mutual aid e orts, so through her we have lots this to be some page that feeds on Black of relationships with other mutual aid e orts trauma and community trauma. We want happening in Chicago, one that happened in this to be a space where folks can see what it Roseland, one that does a delivery service to really looks like; that’s us laughing with folks people. all day long, us out there with our DJ playing music and dancing with the community on Dominique James: With YCA, we have these Mondays. education partnerships where a teaching art- ist goes into the school for 13 weeks and works Trina Reynolds-Tyler: We know regulars by in direct collaboration with an in-school name now. In the beginning of the Grab-N-Go, teacher to provide in-school programming people are lining up. The people who are on and after-school programming. Miss Rolle is foot who come a little bit early, they’re usually a teacher at Butler College Prep at 103rd and like, “Do y’all need any help? How can we help Cottage—Matt was Miss Rolle’s teaching you?” partner. She hit me up, like, “Hey, my school also stopped their meal distribution, I want Jihad Kheperu: Even during pandemic times, to help out.” I always admired Miss Rolle as there was something warm and welcoming an educator, and the way she cares for her about the social aspect of the Grab-N-Go as students holistically. She ran a site for four well. We’re not supposed to be going to par- weeks in June on 103rd and Cottage—there’s ties and functions that we normally do for our a vacant lot. And she also utilized her network social engagement, this being a way to meet to volunteer and bring stu to her site. Help- new people to engage with the community in ing her think through di erent partnerships a way that is safe. chicagoreader.com/sulabook and di erent issues she was facing, that’s one of my favorite things. Matt Muse: I have really just enjoyed being out there; being outside, around people Trina Reynolds-Tyler: Jihad does social from di erent walks of life, hearing all these media stu —he left Chicago for a while, and different stories, and communicating with when he did, he was like, “I’m gonna do the those people for the three to fi ve minutes that 22 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll EDUCATION
they’re picking up their groceries and stu . “We have a truck now, there is a person from myself am very emotional, and we give each this is like a full-time job. the community who comes and helps us set up other the space to be ourselves and then also Trina Reynolds-Tyler: There’s an older every Monday.” check in. Trina Reynolds-Tyler: August 31 seemed like woman who’s always coming to flirt with a responsible time to end. We have been here, Matt. Every single time. Matt Muse: We ain’t got that much shit going Jihad Kheperu: We all care about each other we have been committed to these people, this on ’cause of COVID anyway. Maybe if this is outside of this work, so we do a really good job site, and this community for three months. Matt Muse: Being out there and being on the any other time, I would’ve been distracted by of just checking in with each other and making I personally don’t know if we will be able to ground—and just physically being in touch a lot of things that would’ve made this take sure we’re not getting too burnt out, because sustain longer than three months because of with these people has been a huge eye-opener longer. But I think the four of us are all really, it is a lot going on this summer for everybody. work schedules, and also we’re running out for me, as far as like, “Yo, this really is just a really focused on this right now and we all of money—we’re not gonna have any money at resource problem.” Chicago has a huge re- believe in it, so when we sit down and talk Trina Reynolds-Tyler: To be able to contrib- the end of this. source problem. through things it’s not that hard to come up ute our Sundays and our Saturdays, we all are with a solution to make it work. employed but our jobs o er us a bit of fl exibil- Jihad Kheperu: Monday was my favorite day Trina Reynolds-Tyler: I do a lot of the loose ity so that gives us the ability to even do these of the week for a while; I’ll defi nitely be looking ends stu . I do a lot of the stu on the site, like Trina Reynolds-Tyler: This is not necessarily things. a bit forlorn as well as just missing the team. site setup. I’m making some calls, trying to something that people will happily sign up get COVID-19 testing to our site, all the little for; this is literally labor. What we’re doing is Matt Muse: Sunday and Monday are both a Matt Muse: My biggest takeaway so far is just, things that we want in order to build out the we’re working, and it’s hard. We have to show good seven hours each, so I would say 14 hours like, “Yo, I’ve never been in touch with the peo- Grab-N-Go. up every week, even when we don’t have ca- right there, if you just talk about the actual ple that I have been this summer, never in my pacity—and we try to communicate, like, “Oh physical labor of the food drive. But with plan- life—the people of Chicago, of the south side, Jihad Kheperu: After June, the system was I actually don’t feel like it,” or if I’m having an ning and coordination, it’s probably a good 20 where I’m from.” It’s beautiful to be in this pretty solid. o day or something like that. hours a week. position. v
Trina Reynolds-Tyler: By July, it was like, Dominique James: It can be stressful work—I Dominique James: With zero exaggeration, @imLeor
To understand todayʼs white supremacist movement, look at the last time hate pulled in young Americans.
Listen to Motive wherever you get your podcasts. ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 23 EDUCATION EDUCATION
yourself too seriously. Whatever you do, even if you look stupid doing it, you have to at least try. As a crossing guard I learned that commu- nity is a wide-reaching thing. For the hour or so I spent every morning and afternoon wearing a bright yellow sash, it did not mat- ter if those I helped were people I knew, or my peers. I held my arms out and stood while students, parents, and strangers walking their dogs crossed the street. It didn’t mat- ter if it was snowing or raining, cold or hot, I had to stand there because I said I would, because I had committed to the community that I would be there. Being a crossing guard instilled in me the sense that Mary Gage Pe- terson Elementary School extended beyond its four walls, that a school’s commitments were not only to its students but to the neighborhood it inhabited. Looking back, most of the adults I helped cross the side- walk probably did not need my assistance. Still, that action taught me responsibility, of doing things even if they were boring or seemingly irrelevant to me, because there was a larger network of people to whom I was held accountable. I learned a lot about outside society too, even if obliquely. When the police marched a sobbing seventh-grade boy out of school because he had stolen another student’s iPod, the mood in our classroom was one of RACHEL HAWLEY stunned, somber incredulity. How could it be that these adults did not understand the EDUCATION feeling of a child looking at something they desperately wanted but could not afford? What was the thought process that allowed Ode to a Chicago Public School criminality to encroach on a 12-year-old? What was the basis for the profound lack of The lessons learned in CPS go beyond what’s taught in the classroom. compassion in this action, so evident to us, a class of preteens? Couldn’t he just have By N L C given the iPod back? The boy came back to school the next week. I did not learn what eventually happened, but never forgot the uch is written bemoaning public nurtured in a Chicago Public School. I can classes who flitted beautifully in and out of profound injustice, the suspicion, the shock. schools. Flagging test scores, worries say without a doubt that it was the seven the crowd, and of course there were boys I think back to it especially now as students Mover college acceptance, and constant years I spent in CPS schools that taught me who seemed to still feel the echo of break across the city lobby their local school coun- battles over funding make the pervasive joy, resilience, tenacity, and compassion. dancing, but mostly it was a mass of frenetic cils to rid their buildings of police officers. I tone around public schools one of concern at At my sixth-grade dance I learned that it energy pouring off of preteen bodies in the trust and believe deeply that these students best, disdain at worst. Especially now, as the doesn’t matter if you are good at dancing; it decidedly unromantic dusk of 6 PM in Chica- have learned the same things I did as a child; COVID-19 pandemic rages on making further only matters that you try. In the contrived go. Even I, a nerd of the highest order, then law enforcement is heartless and belongs remote education necessary, schooling feels dark of the Language Arts classroom where bespectacled, braced, and bowl-cut-banged, nowhere near children in schools. uncertain and fragile, like a dream of a dis- we usually went over reading comprehen- threw caution to the wind and thrashed There was this lesson of the cafeteria, of tant past. Despite these challenges, I believe sion questions, Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” around, dancing alongside peers who on learning to love biryani and spaghetti pie, there are real, tangible gifts that a public thumped over borrowed speakers as a school days usually ignored me. The lesson the antidote to previous cafeterias where school education delivers. Most everything crowd of 11-year-olds writhed gracelessly. of the middle school CPS dance was one of my own Japanese lunch was ridiculed. There I pride myself on as an adult was planted or Sure, there were some girls who took dance participation, of enthusiasm, of not taking was the lesson of International Night, of 24 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll EDUCATION EDUCATION POETRY CORNER The Garden of Phoenix and Lovecraft Country Chicago, 2020 By Tara Betts us, their clear favorites and barely concealed Most disgust at the varied needs we had as a class- room, students clamoring. But there were A Japanese garden nestled against Lake Michigan with its bridges, pagodas, and arranged stones also the lessons of the teachers that loved everything produces no skeletons, tentacles, Cthulhu, or “ us, cared for us, chose books with characters Shoggoths covered with blinking eyes shunning I pride myself who looked like us, encouraged us even as light. Instead, warm sun runs its fingers along we failed them again and again. (It would my arms. Intermittent shade and a soft breeze be these teachers I would deliver donuts to twists some cool out of this late August afternoon. on as an adult nearly a decade later during the 2019 CTU strike, who stayed in those classrooms, who I find my footing in Hyde Park, Washington Park, was planted or taught us perseverance and faith.) Woodlawn, where manicured serenity offers August is over. The last few weeks have me paths and a sign that notes this garden began in 1936, before cancer wrapped its claws around nurtured in a carried days that hint at autumn, breaching H.P. Lovecraft like one of his horrors, before the surface of dawn with cool, clear morn- the authorautho of Lovecraft Country was born Chicago Public ings. It is a sensation for me that brings or able to summon the ghost of a writer with it a rush of nostalgia and affection for who coined an epithet as a cat’s name. School. I can school. As I write this now, I imagine the Some have always said it. Others sidestepped squeak of the hallways, the cacophony of then substituted two syllables with n-word. say without a the yard, the clang of the blue locker I would inevitably fill with junk. The stern white and We walk to find some sort of middle-aged doubt that it black face of the clock and the sweep of its enduendurance and laugh with talk of science fiction, crimson second hand, the stairways filtered how teachers draw on everything they know, and Lovecraft Country—with scenes on the South Side with watery light, the bell brr-ing, abrasive was the seven we know, where masks now keep viral terror and clucking. The laughter of a distracted at bay. We laugh about Atticus (not Finch), Uncle George, years I spent class, the huge hands of a teacher, grinning and Letitia Lewis facing down children of the night, in a doorway. The bathrooms, their short the opening of ancient portals, in CPS schools stalls, the lack of a mirror to preen in. Each collapsing mansions, and ancestralancest ghosts, classroom and its seemingly immovable and none of them seem more horrifying than mapping that taught me windows, the plastic-backed chairs and green books of living Black lives in a stopped car, scuffed desks, the piles of books to be dis- a car full of men chasing us with rifles and rope, joy, resilience, tributed. This hallowed hall where I was or being dragged into the dark woods. taught all that has helped me become the Not one monster is scarier than a sheriff adult I am today. v tenacity, and with a gun, a badge, too much authority, and a name for you and yours. compassion.” @nlcoomes I say, no, nothing is scarier than that.
We walk back to the car. How Black fingers cling Tinikling and Korean fan dance. There was to the edge of the city as we drive home before the lesson of friends wearing new hijabs and sundown in this damned and beloved town, where leaving to pray during the day, of respect South Side transforms into code, like alien or race. and admiration for other faiths without de- mand for explanation. There was the lesson Tara Betts is the author of two poetry collections, Break the Habit, Arc & Hue, and the of after school snacks in the homes of fam- forthcoming Refuse to Disappear. She also co-edited The Beiging of America and edited a critical edition of Philippa Duke Schuyler's Adventures in Black and White. In addition to her ilies who were undocumented, who worked work as a teaching artist and mentor for young poets, she's taught at prisons and several low-wage jobs, who showed us children universities, including Rutgers University and University of Illinois-Chicago. In 2019, Tara published a poem celebrating Illinois' bicentennial with Candor Arts. Tara is the Poetry Editor deep and abiding hospitality nonetheless. at The Langston Hughes Review and the Lit Editor at Newcity. Betts is currently hard at work There was the lesson of kicking one boy who to establish The Whirlwind Center on Chicago's South Side. ridiculed me mercilessly so hard in the shins A biweekly series curated by the Chicago Reader and sponsored by the Poetry Foundation. that they turned blue, and being told anger Providing arts coverage is fine, but not to express it through vio- lence. There were lessons of heartbreak, of in Chicago since 1971. tragedy that I cannot share here. There were lessons of learning to come back to school, to face the day even when I’d accidentally Poetry Foundation shaved off my eyebrows the night before. 61 West Superior Street www.chicagoreader.com poetryfoundation.org/events There were lessons of learning that some teachers were wrong in the way they treated ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 25 EDUCATION The Arts & Makers Community Business Academy launched at Rebuild Foundation last fi nancing options, Sunshine and Rebuild make fall. COURTESY REBUILD FOUNDATION sure their program participants are aware of what grant opportunities are available, specif- ically in the art space. Enterprises. And now, the program is ramping The course also helps participants figure up to launch the third cohort (digitally) the out how to price their art and fi nd their target second week in September. market. Robin Simmons, director of outreach Rebuild, which was founded by artist and innovation at Sunshine, says it’s some- Theaster Gates, focuses on art, cultural devel- thing many entrepreneurs in the art world opment, and neighborhood transformation. struggle with. Equipping artists with the tools they need to “The specifi c value of this class is we have thrive is key to this mission. found in our traditional CBA (Community “I think our viewpoint as an organiza- Business Academy) that the creative entre- tion—and certainly his viewpoint—is that preneur, whether it’s performance or visual when artists have the tools to see their vision arts, were undervaluing the service that they succeed, communities ultimately are made were providing to the community,” says Robin better,” says Julie Yost, Rebuild’s director of Simmons. “And we value art, public art, per- programming. “What we were seeing was that formance art as a community development there just seemed to be a gap in a lot of these tool: It is therapeutic, it’s rehabilitative, and entrepreneurship programs, that artists were is even an aesthetic that increases the overall not getting the training that they needed to experience in our neighborhoods.” really scale their practice as you might scale a Financial need is also a consideration in business.” getting entrepreneurs into the course itself. Sunshine Enterprises has a similar mission. The registration fee is income-based, and the The organization trains and coaches entrepre- organization provides several grants to cover neurs, specifi cally those in Chicago’s underre- the cost of attendance, including for formerly EDUCATION sourced communities. incarcerated business owners. “They give so much care to their graduates,” The curriculum, which is designed for the Yost says about Sunshine. “And they also were adult learner, also takes into account the lives Chicago creative entrepreneurs very excited about the idea of gearing some- and fi nancial situations of participants. thing towards the artist and maker communi- “It’s an adult participatory methodology ty. So it just ended up being a real perfect fi t, that is designed specifi cally for entrepreneurs are in business and we’ve really seen them take this program that are currently working and managing fam- and run with it and adapt it to artists.” ily and also running a supplemental income The Arts & Makers Community Business Academy is ramping up to launch Laura Lane, Sunshine Enterprises’s man- business,” Simmons says. “The majority of our its third cohort in September. aging director of programs, taught that fi rst entrepreneurs are working a supplemental in- class of artists—whose businesses ranged come business with a goal to be able to replace By A N in everything from artisan goods and visual their income and be full-time entrepreneurs.” art to music and design. In its Community Sunshine Enterprises is holding multiple in- Business Academy and in other programs, the formation sessions about the fall cohort, and hen Etiti Ayeni moved herself and to access a space like that, adjacent to where I organization focuses on giving entrepreneurs much like its partnership with Rebuild, also her company to Chicago last year, she operate my business and live my life, was very, access to three di erent kinds of capital: social plans to create a similar Community Business Wknew she needed something. But what very impactful,” she says. “And too, just asso- (knowing each other and building communi- Academy for artists with the Puerto Rican Cul- that something should be, she wasn’t sure. ciating with other people that share the same ty), knowledge (the technical skills that relate tural Center in Humboldt Park that will be for “I felt like I needed some kind of injection similar goals as me and who encounter some to running a business), and financial capital Spanish speakers. It plans to bring that same into my business,” she says. “I didn’t know if of the similar challenges that creative-based (grants and other opportunities to help its stu- special energy it’s created, because for artists that was going to be capital, if that was going businesses face, it really changed the trajecto- dents fund and grow their businesses). That like Etiti Ayeni, that’s what’s unique about to be mentorship or guidance.” ry of my time spent here.” model can help entrepreneurs at any stage. the experience—it’s something other training Ayeni is the founder and creator behind Ayeni learned technical skills to apply to her “We had a really good mix of in-business art programs just can’t copy. ELUKE, a statement jewelry and accessories business, but more importantly, she started to entrepreneurs and startups,” Lane says about “You can’t duplicate that in other programs: company. build community. the fi rst two groups the program has had so The way that it applies to our needs as artists, She had just relocated to the city from “I’ve definitely made some enduring con- far. “And they learn as much from the instruc- and the way that we’re able to collaborate in a Washington, D.C. and didn’t know anyone but nections,” she says. “And I would say that that tors as they do from each other.” space that takes into consideration that we’re her family. That made the transition di cult. was a really big benefi t to my business that I Getting a handle on money can be a tre- small businesses,” Ayeni says. “I think that But she learned about an entrepreneurial didn’t even know that I needed.” mendous hurdle for any entrepreneur, but for they caught a stride and I hope more entrepre- training program for artists and attended the Ayeni’s class last fall was the fi rst cohort for creatives, there are clear differences. So in neurs are drawn to the program.” v information session at Rebuild Foundation. the Arts & Makers Community Business Acad- addition to helping participants work on their “I’m a south side-based artist so being able emy with Rebuild Foundation and Sunshine credit to improve their access to different @ArionneNettles 26 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll Wrightwood 659’s presentation of Balkrishna Doshi: Wrightwood 659 reopens with the first U.S. exhibition of the Pritzker Architecture for the People is made possible by support Prize- winning Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi. This limited-run from Alphawood Exhibitions. The exhibition is a project by the Vitra Design Museum exhibition provides a rare opportunity to see architecture and urban and the Wüstenrot Foundation in cooperation with the Vastushilpa Foundation. planning that address the diverse needs of the urban habitat. Doshi’s IMAGE CREDIT – Balkrishna Doshi, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, 1977, 1992, © Vinay Panjwani India. lifelong commitment to architecture as a civic practice, along with his creation of buildings of both beauty and equity, will be a revelation.
ON VIEW THROUGH DECEMBER 12, 2020 TICKETS AT wrightwood659.org
A NEW KIND OF GALLERY EXPERIENCE! Our top priority is health and safety. With only 24 visitors allowed in at a time, Wrightwood 659 invites you to a truly unique experience— practically your own private gallery. Visit wrightwood659.org to learn more.
ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 27 THEATER
Lane Alexander/Emmanuel Neal NOAH STERN WEBER/COURTESY EMMANUEL NEAL
institutional history, Neal is grappling with a cultural landscape devastated by COVID-19. “I think of the artists who are struggling to live. I think about their issues. Billy Porter gave an interview about how art is so integral to society and how we really need to think about that. Artists are essential workers, and they deserve to be treated as such,” he said. But that’s not how artists at CHRP were treated, according to Barrett and the barrage of social media posts that erupted around his June 4 letter to Alexander. That letter was spurred in part by a May 31 social media post from Alexander, which stated: “While some members of the tap commu- nity were advocating for violence yesterday, our home at the Fine Arts Building was being attacked by rioters.” Alexander continued with an all-caps plea to stop advocating for violence, adding, “George Floyd would not want this.” Alexander also took to Instagram DANCE laid long before the social media outcry. The to ask Barrett “Do you support violence?” fi ve-year strategic plan was facilitated by the after claiming M.A.D.D.’s founder “seemed to Arts & Business Council of Chicago’s Business condone” violence in an earlier Facebook post. Chicago Human Rhythm Project Volunteers for the Arts program, which serves Barrett made that earlier Facebook post as a sort of matchmaking service between after waking up on May 25, National Tap Dance nonprofi ts and people looking to serve them. Day, to the video of George Floyd being killed taps new leader Neal joined CHRP’s board last year after by Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin. participating in the Arts & Business Council’s “I grew up in Lawndale. I’ve seen dead peo- Emmanuel Neal joins; founder Lane Alexander faces social media backlash. onboarding program, where he earned praise ple. I’ve seen people shot. But I’ve never seen as an innovator and potential “change agent” the life actually drain from someone’s eyes. I By C S from the Council’s executive director, Kristin woke up ready to celebrate National Tap Day, Larsen. and instead, I see yet another Black man get- As a mortgage loan o cer during the 2008 ting murdered,” he said. Barrett responded to dd the Chicago Human Rhythm Project iO, and Second City, CHRP’s longtime artistic recession, Neal is no stranger to tough times. Floyd’s murder on social media: (CHRP) to the list of noted Chicago per- director faces intense criticism about his lead- “There was a lot of suffering when the 2008 “Maybe, the only way to stop the killing of Aforming arts organizations undergoing ership tenure. Much of it came in the wake of a crash came. It was hard to see. But I knew unarmed black men and women, is to make it a major leadership shift during a historic sum- June 4 open letter that was eventually signed then—and now—that art is one of the things expensive,” he wrote on May 25. “Killing one of mer marked by upheaval, reflection, and the by some 900 members of the dance communi- that has always been society’s saving grace. It us will cost you your whole city. Nothing else seismic financial/existential crisis of season ty. That letter, penned by M.A.D.D. (Making a continues through the madness and the tough seems to work!” he concluded. cancellations due to the COVID-19 virus. Di erence Dancing) Rhythms founding artistic times,” he said. Just over a week later, Barrett’s open letter Emmanuel Neal, 47, has been named new director Bril Barrett, states that Alexander A PhD candidate at the Chicago School of rejected Alexander’s accusation that the post interim managing director at CHRP. Founding sent multiple e-mails to leaders of the tap com- Professional Psychology, Neal is also an author “seemed to condone violence.” artistic director Lane Alexander, 60, has not munity that “accused each of us of supporting and editor (Dear Cancer, The Anthology) and “I said that perhaps the only way to stop the announced when he’ll step down. violence, appropriation and genocide against a producer of balls, poetry readings, fashion killing of unarmed Black people is to make it “We’ve transferred day to day operations to your ancestors, White Irish Americans” by shows, and comedy showcases. Neal said one expensive. I stand by that statement. Civil dis- Emmanuel, which was the fi rst step” in a fi ve- supporting Black Lives Matter protests. Bar- of his greatest joys is working as a DJ, especial- obedience is not violence. The mission of Black year strategic plan ratifi ed in 2019, Alexander rett taught and performed for years with CHRP. ly at events where he can spotlight his passion Lives Matter is fundamentally nonviolent,” said. “Artistic direction of various programs That letter sparked a subsequent onslaught for house music. Barrett said. comes next.” CHRP is currently searching for of social media posts stating Alexander made In addition to poring over CHRP’s fi nancials “Violence is kneeling on an unarmed man’s a new artist in residence; that position might CHRP a place defi ned by body shaming, sexism, (per its 2018 tax filing, the latest available neck until he is strangled to death. Violence is be combined with the artistic director spot, and the cultural erasure of tap’s origins in publicly, CHRP’s annual income was just breaking into a home with impunity and shoot- Alexander said. Black and African cultures. under $810,000, with expenses totaling about ing a woman sleeping in her own bed. Violence Like Pride Films and Plays, Victory Gardens, The groundwork for Neal’s new role was $783,000), and absorbing three decades of is profi ting from Black labor, Black pain, and 28 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll THEATER
Black art while failing to support Black peo- ARC in the Fine Arts Building was a means of ple,” he said. “plant(ing) the fl ag of cultural pluralism and After Barrett posted the letter, responses on authentic diversity downtown,” Alexander social media continued to mushroom, many said. of them describing instances of sexism and Barrett and his myriad supporters have racism at CHRP, as well as a failure to acknowl- a very different view of Alexander’s efforts, edge that tap is rooted in African and African culminating with his post claiming some in the American dance. community advocated violence. While CHRP’s Alexander vehemently denies all claims of board reached out to Barrett with an apology, erasure, racism, and sexism. Barrett believes Alexander has not taken “There’s a very strong disagreement about responsibility for any of the criticism lobbed the history of tap,” Alexander said. “Did it over the past few months. When attempts at come from African Americans, or from people a mediation between Alexander and Barrett A free virtual concert featuring of British, Scottish, and Irish descent as well? I broke down, CHRP’s board didn’t follow up Renée Fleming, Heather Headley, believe there was a combination of infl uences. with any further meaningful attempts at rec- Ailyn Pérez, Soloman Howard, To me, disagreeing about history doesn’t make onciliation, Barrett said. either party a racist. I believe my ancestors “Him attacking people if they don’t agree tap J’Nai Bridges, and more. made a contribution to the evolution of this art came from the Irish? Deleting our posts asking form. That some artists want to erase the con- about decades of racism and sexism? That says tribution of my ancestors, that could be kind of something about Lane. About how he’s treated Premieres September 13 a cultural genocide.” some of the people in the community. To just lyricopera.org/loveconcert For its entire history, Alexander said, CHRP slide out and leave the mess to someone else? has with words, deeds, and money promul- That’s the cowardly way,” Barrett said. gated and supported an inclusive, diverse tap Neal is fi xed on moving on, and making sure Photo: Todd Rosenberg community. the organization survives a summer that has He lists actions such as successfully lobby- seen arts organizations of all sizes pummeled ing the Kennedy Center to host its fi rst main- by all that COVID has taken, including millions stage tap concert, bringing a tap curriculum to in ticket revenue. CHRP’s August 10 Jazz Show- Northwestern University, and confronting the case performances were scuttled “as a result National Endowment for the Arts with stats of last night’s serious looting and violence in proving that Eurocentric forms of dance such the the Loop,” according to an August 10 press as ballet get the lion’s share of grant funding, release. The closure of Navy Pier shut down an leaving only scraps to tap and other percussive August 12 performance slated there. Online forms. classes are continuing as scheduled. Alexander also points to copies of multiple “It’s defi nitely not business as usual,” Neal letters he’s written over the years to Chicago said. “My focus right now is on doing whatever Animal Candy, an o eat novel by James Owens, set arts editors and critics at Crain’s Chicago Busi- we can to support artists in their work and in in the south suburbs of Chicago in 1976. Psychedelia, ness, the Tribune, the Sun-Times, and others their life. What support do you need, what can “to bemoan the Eurocentric coverage and to we provide,” Neal said. “It’s also classes. We’re Goth, counterculture, PCP addiction. provide not-so-gentle prods to include non- fi guring out how we can give our students the European dance forms in their coverage.” best experience possible at a time when noth- Money talks, Alexander added, estimating ing is normal,” he added. that CHRP has spent roughly $6.5-$7 million “There are smart, creative people on the paying artists for their work, with between 65 board,” Neal said. “It’s a progressive group and 70 percent of that going to artists of color. that’s thinking ahead. As an artist and a busi- For a decade, CHRP hosted Chicago’s National ness person, I can contribute, and that’s what I Tap Dance Day celebration, where “every tap plan on doing.” v dance company in Chicago” was paid to per- form at the Vittum Theater, he said. Alexander For more information about CHRP’s upcoming also points to numerous productions where programs and classes, go to chicagotap.org. women and artists of color took the spotlight For more information about M.A.D.D (Making and were “proportionately represented.” a Di erence Dancing) Rhythms, including the Additionally, Alexander added, CHRP pays upcoming Virtual Chicago Tap Summit (Octo- roughly $11,000 a month in rent at the Fine ber 2-4), cosponsored with the Harold Wash- Arts Building (410 S. Michigan Avenue), so the ington Cultural Center, go to maddrhythms. organization’s teaching arm—the American com. Rhythm Center (ARC)—can provide inexpen- Available at barnesandnoble.com and on Amazon. sive classroom space for new teachers. Putting @CateySullivan ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 29 e THEATER Chicago Reader More than 50,000 copies will be available at nearly 1,200 locations is now across the city and suburbs. biweekly Upcoming Issues: June 25, 2020 Pride Issue July 9, 2020 July 23, 2020 Books Issue Aug. 6, 2020 Aug. 20, 2020 Sept. 3, 2020 Education Issue
Sept. 17, 2020 Housing Issue GLOBAL CONNECTIONS Oct. 1, 2020 Fall Arts Issue Oct. 15, 2020 Mental Health Issue: Social Crossing borders in a pandemic Works Insert International Voices Project makes a virtue of virtual theater. Oct. 29, 2020 Sex Issue By K P Nov. 12, 2020 Nov. 26, 2020 hen Patrizia Acerra founded the a live discussion with the artists. The look of Dec. 10, 2020 International Voices Project in 2010, the festival as a whole, Acerra says, will pull Wshe sought to create a community for from theater, fi lm, and social media aesthetics, Chicago artists and audiences to experience changing with each play. The lineup of shows the work of global playwrights. Since the com- is unchanged from the season’s pre-pandemic, Find one near you: pany’s inaugural season, IVP has presented in-person iteration. staged readings of contemporary translations And since the pandemic has brought about chicagoreader.com/map at venues across the city, in collaboration with a world that stresses physical separation cultural partners and local artists. and has kept people largely confi ned to their But when COVID-19 threw a wrench in IVP’s homes, Acerra finds that IVP’s mission has 11th season, Acerra, who is also the company’s more meaning than ever. “More and more of Download a free copy of any Reader issue here: executive director, worked with her collabora- those physical border closures also begin to tors to develop the International Voices Proj- create borders within cultures and among peo- chicagoreader.com/chicago/issuearchives ect 2020 Virtual Festival, which will premiere ple,” she says. “Bringing those global works to on September 2. Each Wednesday, audiences audiences is a way to push back those borders, can catch a virtual play reading, followed by in an aesthetic way and in a cultural way, if not 30 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll SPONSORED ADVERTISING THEATER
The playwrights for the 2020 International how he might approach the reading’s visual Voices Project 2020 Virtual Festival COURTESY presentation. And while he points out that the INTERNATIONAL VOICES PROJECT play will continue to evolve until it premieres, in a physical way.” he’s found an approach that best serves the For Acerra and her creative team, bringing story he seeks to tell. the season online isn’t simply a crisis man- “We are going to be playing around with a agement strategy; they are embracing the format that will give us focus where the play challenge, and welcoming the opportunity to gives us focus at a particular moment,” he says. expand their breadth as a company. “If it’s just “I thought about creating some backgrounds getting by that’s one thing,” she says. “But I and things that would allow us to feel some of wanted us to really invest in our understand- the visual elements that the play calls for, but ing of what this new realm could be like, not today, I’m moving away from that. Simplicity just for now but for the future.” is best so that I don’t take the viewer’s mind Certainly, the virtual festival has brought away from the text.” about new possibilities surrounding who Crocker notes that the virtual rehearsal pro- might be tuning in. “For the fi rst time our glob- cess hasn’t been without obvious challenges, al work can have a global audience,” Acerra such as fickle Internet connections. But he’s COURTESY BLAKE OWENS SOUTH LOOP ELEMENTARY says. “One of the challenges we’re considering also enjoyed the challenges that come from is what it looks like to market to a global au- working in a new medium. “I’ve enjoyed the dience. How do you reach them? That’s some- excitement of planning things out and then A chance to ‘save the last dance’ thing we plan to look at in the coming years as seeing it crash and burn as I’ve experimented,” SocialWorks will keep the class of 2020 from missing out we do more of this work, which we defi nitely he says. plan to do.” He’s looking forward to the discussion that B S H S W Festival directors Shane Murray-Corcoran will follow his play, a staple of IVP’s readings he transition from high school to college or the workforce is quite the big deal for young and Katherine Tanner Silverman are managing each year. “The audiences who come to see a people in America. Gaining independence, moving away from home, making your own the logistics of the festival leading up to open- piece are in essence watching something for Tmoney, and learning about who you are without friends and family are all a part of the journey students begin after graduation. ing night. Acerra credits their involvement to the fi rst time and you get very emotional, intel- But entering this next phase of young adulthood means first coming to terms with the the success of the transition online. “Bringing lectual, and raw responses to a piece,” Crocker fact that your last phase is ending. Jeremiah, who will graduate from high school in 2021, talks about having to “find new in my two festival directors who are immersed says. “Hopefully we can capture that online as normals” after high school, detailing how senior traditions represent an end to the normalcy in the virtual in a more natural way than I am well.” He thinks Kricheldorf’s play—a parable they’ve always known. Traditions such as graduations, luncheons, prom, and trunk parties has really opened up things for me,” she says. about toxic masculinity involving a family in are chances to celebrate accomplishments and prepare for a new journey. Kristen, class of 2021, highlights the importance of also taking senior pictures because, “I’ve learned so much from not only watching a “good” neighborhood whose son becomes a “You are only a senior in high school once, and we want to be able to look back on these mo- them put things together but listening to their hitman—will garner some particularly inter- ments and reflect on all our experiences.” conversations on how and why they are put- esting reactions. These traditions commemorate who students are in this stage of their lives and don’t just hold sentimental value for students; they’re nostalgic moments for entire families as well. ting things together.” A Distinct Society, written by Canadian play- With concerns for safety regarding COVID-19, school districts, organizations, and fami- Although Murray-Corcoran and Silverman wright Kareem Fahmy and directed by Acerra lies have quickly adjusted to hold new celebrations for students. Virtual graduations, drive- have taken the helm of the overall direction herself will close the festival on October 21. by parades, and online parties have allowed students to celebrate their accomplishments with loved ones. However, there is one important tradition students haven’t quite been able and presentation of the festival, each play has The story centers on the plight of an Iranian to substitute at home: senior prom. its own director who went about the creative family separated at the U.S-Canadian border. When students were asked what an ideal celebration would be like for them in COVID-19, most just wanted closure. process in their own way, paying mind to the Acerra says it will have more of a traditional vi- “This feels like a story stopped in the middle of the book,” said Siaunna, class of 2020. aesthetic nature of each play. As a result, each sual presentation as it involves all of the actors COVID-19 has halted the lives of billions around the world, and for graduating students, night of the festival will o er a unique visual appearing on-screen together during fi lming. these are moments they won’t get again. For many students, a senior prom is a last hurrah with classmates and friends, a chance to dress up, take pictures, and create final memories. experience for its audience. But this fl exibility The IVP team is exploring opportunities for It’s a tradition that dates back to the 1920s and has grown significantly over the years. also provides an important opportunity for audience engagement each week and how that In Chicago, many students admit that they start planning for their senior prom years in directors to build their skill sets. “We really will look will be mostly contingent on the num- advance, dreaming of “the perfect sendo.” Families wear customized shirts, cater meals, decorate their homes, and even set up banners and red carpets for photo ops. Sylvia, class of wanted to make sure directors could use this as ber of attendees, Acerra says. She urges any 2020, describes prom as a chance to “see how people clean up” and “a coming-of-age event” an opportunity to get experience in the virtual theatergoer who might be skeptical about the that friends and families take pride in planning together. The folks in leadership at Chicago nonprofit SocialWorks are all graduates of Chicago as well,” Acerra says. “We wanted to create a experience of a virtual performance to keep Public Schools and attended their high school proms, so they understand the importance of playground for them too.” an open mind to ways in which it might bring these traditions. Especially in Chicago, prom season takes over, with the influx of discounted Director, playwright, and producer Warner nuance to a given piece. “The virtual has its deals at salons and boutiques, the decorated cars and limos transporting students, and the home decorations that linger long after the party ends. It’s a tradition graduating seniors Crocker has been directing staged readings own discoveries,” she says. “Overall the artists missed out on this year, and when it’s safe to reconvene, SocialWorks plans to give the class with IVP since 2015. This year, he’s directing are paying even more attention to the language of 2020 what they all deserve—a proper ending to their high school story and a chance to Testosterone, a dark comedy (emphasis itself. You lose the dimension of space so you finally close the book. One last goodbye, this time in style. on dark, he says) from German playwright are really immersed in the language in a new Want to get involved? Donate to the SocialWorks Prom: http://spot.fund/SWorksProm Rebekka Kricheldorf, streaming September way.” v Donate free or discounted services (salon/barber, makeup, nails, tailor) for students in need: [email protected], subject line: PROM SERVICES 23. In the beginning of the online rehearsal Donate clothing or accessories for students in need: [email protected], subject line: PROM DONATIONS process, he imagined endless possibilities for @katieepowers ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 31 FILM
A recent outdoor screening of The Spook Who place yourself in that continuum of struggle.” Sat by the Door at a tent city demonstration This sentiment ties back to the history of J MICHAEL many fi lms in the Solidarity Cinema library. Despite “just” being movies, some were sup- all red-and-black website. What began as a pressed and others outright banned. “I don’t discussion group, initially taking place once have any delusions that a screening with 70 or or twice a week during the onset of quarantine 100 people of The Spook Who Sat by the Door and along with virtual screenings of fi lms such is going to turn Chicago upside down,” says as Humberto Solás’ Lucía (1968) and Lizzie J. Michael, “but there’s also a reason why the Borden’s Born in Flames (1983), morphed into FBI was scared of it and tried to destroy every an archive (available once you join the list) copy on the face of the earth.” with more than 200 fi lms, and, more recently, Some people look to literal superheroes outdoor screenings that occur in conjunction to save the world, ascribing radical politics with political actions. Recently, the organizers to commercial endeavors like the Marvel screened fi lms at tent cities across Chicago to and DC movies and the Star Wars franchise. advocate for housing reform and the Freedom These fi lms, however, aren’t much compared Square anniversary. to those in Solidarity Cinema’s archives, like “I think it’s bad in any given situation, [with] the aforementioned The Spook Who Sat by the any organizing, to just assume you know what Door, directed by Ivan Dixon in 1973, which people want,” says J. Michael, referring to tells the story of a Black man who infi ltrates the expansion of the group’s programming. the CIA, learns their covert operating meth- Indeed, by o£ ering a wider array of ways for ods, and teaches them to urban guerrillas, or FEATURE people to participate, they’ve adjusted to Barbara Kopple’s Harlan County, USA (1976): accommodate the interests of their members, a story that centers a coal miners’ strike in who now total more than 500. The Solidarity rural Kentucky. One need not look to super- Leftist struggle and solidarity Cinema website o£ ers up fi lms to people even hero movies for metaphors of social struggle before they join the list, with titles including because these fi lms already exist, showcasing Patricio Guzmán’s epic The Battle of Chile people undertaking revolution in tangible on screen (1975–79), Chris Marker’s A Grin Without a ways. Cat (1961), and Pratibha Parmar’s A Place of “That’s what film is really good about, is A new group off ers an archive, screenings, and discussions to educate Rage (1991). J. Michael especially likes Jamaa giving you not just a historical context, but a and radicalize. Fanaka’s Emma Mae (1976); Fanaka was part sensory context,” says Julia, “and I think that of the L.A. Rebellion movement, alongside lu- can be a big part of solidarity.” By K S minaries such as Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, Solidarity Cinema provides access to Haile Gerima, and Zeinabu irene Davis. radical cinema that might otherwise not be The films included appeal to different attainable, at least not without signing up olidarity Cinema is a casually organized got radicalized, and what fi lms—left or other- members for di£ erent reasons. One member, for various streaming sites and purchasing group of determined leftists who explore wise—they’ve been watching. Chicago social worker Laurel, notes in her physical media, often at prohibitive costs—all Ssubversive ideology through fi lm—most Over the next several weeks, people from introduction to the group that she “appreci- this in a political moment when it’s as vital as members are legitimate activists who are all over the world—including someone in San ate[s] when fi lms center care work (see Leah ever to be watching it. For some, this might be often busy doing other things, but still find Juan, Puerto Rico—responded in-kind. One Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha’s work) and their fi rst experience with fi lms of this kind. it important to make time for screenings cited Ana María García’s La Operación (1982), relationships as I’ve recently seen in [Sarah As group member Ben Grant, a maintenance when they can. The group started in Chicago a short documentary about the U.S.-sanc- Maldoror’s] Sambizanga, [Howard Alk’s] The worker at a state university in Florida, puts at the beginning of quarantine and have met tioned sterilization of Puerto Rican women in Murder of Fred Hampton, [Sara Gómez’s] De it: “I was never one to sit down with fi lms like intermittently since. They operate outside the 50s and 60s; another noted Pedro Pinho’s Cierta Manera, and [Věra Chytilová’s] Dai- [the ones] we’re curating here, so this is all a the bounds of traditional distribution and The Nothing Factory (2017), a narrative fi lm sies.” The latter four are all available on the brand new adventure for me and I’m positive- exhibition, showcasing revolutionary cinema about a group of Portuguese factory workers group’s website. ly stoked to dive in.” through their website, a digital archive, and at who go on strike. Someone mentioned that No one involved assumes that cinema is the Whether these fi lms are new to someone or some (socially distanced) in-person events. they’d watched An American Pickle, starring thing that will save us, so to speak, but each whether they’re revisiting them, it’s all part Toward the end of July, organizer J. Michael Seth Rogen, which one person lamented as recognizes cinema’s place within the leftist and parcel of an ongoing learning experience. (the group’s instigators asked to be identifi ed being “depressingly and maddeningly ter- experience. “None of these fi lms completely “Education is both learning facts, I guess, but using only their fi rst names because of priva- rible, only in part because of the erasure of achieve a global revolution on their own,” says also learning how to continually deepen your cy concerns) sent an e-mail to participants historical and contemporary socialism.” Julia, one of the group’s co-organizers, “but analysis, having convictions, what it means to apologizing for a brief hiatus and thanking Two of those three fi lms are found in Soli- [they] also kind of show you that revolution have convictions, who you’re aligned with,” people for utilizing and adding to the digital darity Cinema’s online library, which features isn’t a single moment in time. It’s this continu- says Julia, “and that’s an ongoing thing. Be- library. Together they concluded that it would an extensive, free catalog of “film accounts um of struggle, and I think watching fi lms in a cause we’re not in a fi xed moment of time.” v be fun to do some introductions, with people of left struggle and solidarity,” per the text group setting as a community, whether online specifying their names, pronouns, how they emblazoned on top of the group’s striking, or outside in a parking lot, you’re allowed to chicago_reader 32 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll R READER RECOMMENDED b ALL AGES N NEW F Get showtimes and see reviews of everything playing this week at chicagoreader.com/movies. FILM
a stop for ice cream during a blizzard and a detour to director and his crew travel around the world to places Jake’s high school, where things come to a heady head. that were signifi cant to Chatwin, including Patagonia Kaufman is better at condensing the nuances of time and Australia’s Aboriginal lands, as well as his home in and existence into a single fi lm than I am at condensing Wales. Divided into chapters, Herzog probes the major one of his fi lms into a single capsule—plot is hieroglyphic themes of Chatwin’s work, the content of which he here, and, as with all Kaufman’s endeavors, what doesn’t famously embellished, and his life, which was tragically explicitly cohere is most interesting (a scene in which cut short by AIDS when he was just 48 years old. The All Together Now Lucy recites Pauline Kael’s review of John Cassavetes’s connection to Herzog’s own body of work (for example, A Woman Under the Infl uence is particularly tantalizing). his 1987 fi lm Cobra Verde is based on Chatwin’s book I like this less than Kaufman’s previous fi lms as either a The Viceroy of Ouidah) is also explored. Throughout writer or a director—its opaqueness is too casually mud- Herzog’s signature narration conveys both the serious- dled at times—but I admire his ongoing consideration of ness and self-aware mischievousness that have made the question, “What does it mean to be?” —K him a cultural icon. Mainly, however, it’s Herzog’s clear S 134 min. Netflix aff ection for Chatwin that resounds most signifi cantly. In English, German, and Aboriginal with subtitles. —K - Made in Bangladesh S 85 min. Music Box Theatre, Music Box NOW PLAYING baseless obsession. I’ve long been interested in true R A er a fi re in a Bangladesh garment factory Virtual Cinema crime, so considering why Nora’s so invested—to the kills one of their coworkers, a group of women, led by All Together Now point that she quits her job and begins neglecting her 23-year-old Shimu Akhtar (Rikita Nandini Shimu), seek The Owners R On the surface, the latest feature from Brett son—is as compelling as the trial itself. In French with to unionize. Bangladeshi director Rubaiyat Hossain’s The Owners calls to mind many other movies, and Haley (All the Bright Places, Hearts Beat Loud), doesn’t subtitles. —K S 111 min. Gene Siskel Film third feature, cowritten by she and Philippe Barrière, you should watch those instead. Following a group sound like your typical Netfl ix coming-of-age movie. All Center From Your Sofa has been called a modern-day Norma Rae (1979). While of friends who plan to rob a wealthy older couple’s Together Now, based on the young-adult novel Sorta similar, this story feels more urgent as it considers the home while they’re gone, things quickly get messy. It Like a Rockstar by Matthew Quick, follows Amber Get Duked! livelihoods of women in especially precarious positions. turns out the titular owners are more heinous than the Appleton (Auli’i Cravalho), a homeless teenager who R Get Duked!, earns its exclamation point. Part In addition to problems on the job, Shimu and the other burglars, inciting a fi ght-for-your-life battle between lives on the school bus her mom (Justina Machado) Stand by Me and part Hot Fuzz, the fi lm follows bud- women contend with issues at home and in society them, which makes excellent use of eff ects. The plot is drives and works a few part-time jobs a er school dies Dean (Rian Gordon), Duncan (Lewis Gribben), DJ at large. Shimu ran away to Dhaka as a preteen when predictable, but that doesn’t always result in a fl op—take, to help save money for an apartment. Despite these Beatroot (Viraj Juneja), and newcomer Ian (Samuel her stepmother tried to marry her off to an older man; for example, Wes Craven’s The People Under The Stairs circumstances, she remains extraordinarily optimistic Bottomley) as they embark on a character-building she’s now married and seemingly in love with her young from 1991, or more recently 2019’s Villains, both of which and is always lending a helping hand––that is, until she camping trip. The three Ds are eager to goof off and get husband, though he’s reluctant to get a job and eventu- follow a similar setup, albeit successfully. This time, suff ers a devastating loss and is forced to confront her high, while Ian, a more straitlaced and sheltered boy, is ally becomes jealous of Shimu’s ambition. Shimu, who however, that isn’t the case. As the line between villain challenges head-on. Though there is a romantic aspect hoping to gain teamwork, foraging, and orienteering pursues reform a er she connects with a workers’ rights and victim blurs, a bright light in an otherwise dark fi lm to the fi lm, All Together Now doesn’t rely on that plot. skills in order to earn himself the Duke of Edinburgh’s advocate, is an extraordinary character, and Rikita Nand- is Maisie Williams, who sustains a strong performance as Instead, it challenges the notion that coming-of-age Award. Majority rules, though. The boys veer off the ini Shimu is excellent in the role—she manages to convey those around her become more implausibly unhinged. fi lms need to revolve around love or sex. Moreover, path and fi nd themselves confronted by the Duke (Eddie a deep-seated world-weariness that can be diffi cult to Still, it’s not enough to make you want to stay in the Cravalho and the ensemble cast (Judy Reyes, Rhenzy Izzard), a man wearing a tweed shooting jacket and a perform. As it documents how the women organize a house with these characters. —B J 92 min. Feliz, Carol Burnett, and Fred Armisen) are a delight and mask of human fl esh. But what is this man hunting? Why union and fi ght exploitative working conditions, it’s fasci- Music Box Theatre will leave you feeling gleeful despite the fi lm’s heavier millennials, of course. Written and directed by Ninian nating; as it details the relationships between them and storyline. —M DL C 92 min. Netflix Doff , better known for making hip-hop and pop music the emotional upheaval they experience on a regular Vinyl Nation videos, Get Duked! is a bonkers comedy that off ers basis, it’s deeply aff ecting. Hossain’s cinematic sensibility R Vinyl Nation evokes the same warm and fuzzy Conviction immersive visuals and an exciting take on generational heightens all this. In Bengali with subtitles. —K feeling o en ascribed to listening to vinyl records. The R First-time French writer-director Antoine Raim- politics. —B J 87 min. Amazon Prime S 95 min. Facets Virtual Cinema fi lm attempts to tackle questions such as has the return bault takes a real-life case—the mysterious 2000 disap- of vinyl made music fandom more inclusive or divided? pearance of Suzanne Viguier and subsequent arrest of I’m Thinking of Ending Things Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce What does vinyl say about our past here in the present? her husband, Jacques Viguier, for her killing—and cra s R Attempting to recount the expansiveness of a R Chatwin How has the second life of vinyl changed how we hear a compelling courtroom drama that draws viewers into Charlie Kaufman fi lm is as futile as trying to embody the There’s a scene near the beginning of this documentary music and how we are listening to each other? These the deliberations. A key element of the fi lm, however, expansiveness of everything. But as Kaufman brazenly about English writer and adventurer Bruce Chatwin questions, along with the age-old query—does vinyl is fi ction: the character of Nora (Marina Foïs), a chef tries to do just that, here I attempt to summarize his where fi lmmaker Werner Herzog takes a fi gurine from sound better?—encourage only nebulous responses. whose obsession with proving Jacques’s (Laurent Lucas) loose adaptation of Iain Reid’s 2016 novel: Lucy (Jessie Chatwin’s boyhood home (where it resided with the Still, Christopher Boone and Kevin Smokler’s documen- innocence during his second trial becomes decidedly Buckley, unforgettable) and Jake (Jesse Plemons, like- fabled piece of brontosaurus skin that began his interest tary provides an engaging journey. Visually stunning and all-consuming a er his prior acquittal. The fi lm centers wise) are a young couple on their way to dinner at his in exploration) and reaches toward the camera with it. populated with a pleasant set of talking heads who walk on Nora’s involvement as she persuades Jacques’s parents’ farmhouse; intermittently, and between various The gesture is overt, a tad graceless, and wholly person- viewers through each stage of a record from pressing family to retain the counsel of a notable trial lawyer, Eric introspective discussions, Lucy thinks to herself that al—it’s in this moment that I really felt the importance of to purchase, there’s a strong sense of the human ele- Dupond-Moretti (Olivier Gourmet), and helps the lawyer she wants to end their relationship. Absurdity ensues Chatwin to Herzog, two longtime friends whose similar ment surrounding music, whether the focus is on the by listening to hundreds of hours of recordings, parsing when the fi lm introduces Jake’s parents, played by Toni views on the world, specifi cally the nomadic tradition, production or the consumption. During our America’s out relevant details. There’s a somewhat surprising Collette (evoking her role in United States of Tara—a informed one another’s work. Herzog makes clear that current discord, Vinyl Nation is a friendly reminder of revelation midway through the fi lm, but, barring that little too caricaturish at times) and David Thewlis. The this isn’t meant to be a straightforward recounting of this community. —B J 92 min. Facets Virtual one twist, its dramatic potency lies in Nora’s seemingly drive back home is similarly hypnagogic, complete with Chatwin’s life, but rather an appreciation of his spirit; the Cinema v ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 33 A K - Kitchen hosts and Kool Hersh DJs. RSVP, mask, and temperature check required. Wed 9/9, 7-10 PM, the Promontory (upper patio), 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. West, 21+, free
The Soul Train veteran and host of Attack of the Boogie celebrates the reissue of his dance show’s 1984 theme song. By J A Andrew Kitchen’s BO GIE strikes backO
34 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll t’s been almost 25 years since I first grizzled blues DJ Big Bill Hill hosted Red Hot & met Andrew Kitchen, but when we Blues, which invited very small children to recently got together for not-drinks dance to very adult music very late at night (“Sorry,” he apologized, “I only (the show was broadcast live, ending around drink martinis and daiquiris”), the midnight). More wholesome but also sincerely perpetuallyI aspiring media mogul looked strange was Kiddie A-Go-Go, which aired from exactly the same as he had in the mid-90s. 1966 till 1970 and featured an enthusiastic har- A long-running joke about Dick Clark—who lequin with a Chicago accent and her puppet kicked off the TV dance craze in 1957 when pals inviting toddlers to shake it to the hits. the Philadelphia show he hosted, Band- But because it was also a great station, stand, went national and became American channel 26 helped birth the greatest dance Bandstand—imagined that he never aged. show of all time. Shortly after becoming a But sitting before me was one of Clark’s disc jockey on WVON in 1966, Don Cornelius pop-cultural successors, the host of hundreds joined WCIU as the host of the groundbreak- of episodes of Attack of the Boogie from 1983 ing news program A Black’s View of the News. till 2014, and he really did seem to defy time: Then in 1970 he launched a live weekday af- he had a smiling baby face, the exuberance of ternoon dance show called Soul Train. A year a teenager, and a full head of the same glossy later, the ambitious visionary would parlay curls he’d worn for decades. its local success into a Los Angeles-based, Kitchen’s latest project—a remix of his nationally syndicated version of the show show’s theme song, on a compilation 12-inch that combined brilliant camerawork, funky from Chicago boutique label Star Creature animation, the colorful fashion and kinetic Universal Vibrations—was still weeks away brilliance of LA’s teen dancers, and the mag- from release but had already sold out, so he nifi cence of 1970s soul music—it made Amer- was understandably enthusiastic. And it was ican Bandstand look archaic. the same enthusiasm I’d seen him display But Chicago kept its version of Soul Train, when facing countless minor losses and rare and it chugged along Monday through Friday wins on the smallest stages of local media. well into America’s bicentennial year, broad- Deep into one of the most hopeless years in cast in glorious black-and-white, with static American history, Kitchen the Dancin’ Magi- cameras and corny sets, entertaining and in- cian could still conjure up the same optimism spiring a generation of kids. Like Clark’s show Andrew Kitchen (in red and blue) and his friend Melvin “the Alexander” Dunlap, one of the signature dancers on Attack of the Boogie JEFF MARINI FOR CHICAGO READER he’d felt when he fi rst set adolescent feet on (and like similar local programs around the the set of Soul Train in 1971. country, as fi ctionalized in Hairspray), Chi- Before one can properly submit to the at- cago’s Soul Train provided a daily ritual for tack of Kitchen’s boogie, one needs to study kids watching at home after school, amazed the combat histories of Chicago dance shows to see their peers—the same age and color as of yore. The Gettysburg of these boogie bat- them—on television. Only a lucky few could tlegrounds was the WCIU studio, originally be shoehorned into the living-room-size located in a tiny room on the top fl oor of the studio, but dancing on the show made these Chicago Board of Trade Building. Founded minors into minor celebrities. in early 1964, the station has since morphed As cheap reruns and syndicated shows into the anchor of the MeTV empire (making made hyperlocal commercial programming Svengoolie and Andy Griffith great again), less viable in the 80s, cable-access television but channel 26 fi rst found modest success in moved into that niche. In high school in the the 60s by narrowcasting to di erent ethnic late 80s, I fi rst became involved with Chicago groups, providing a spot on the UHF dial Access Network Television (CAN TV), the where viewers who spoke Polish, Italian, city’s new cable-access network, when my and Spanish could hear their own languages art teacher arranged for a producer to have (and even watch bloody bullfights, in ac- public school students speak with sculptor tion-packed contrast to the bulls and bears of Ludovico de Luigi and architect Helmut Jahn the station’s hours-long afternoon stock mar- (the show also shadowed me while I did draw- ket reports from the Board of Trade fl oor). ings of el train riders). And in the late 1990s Among the no-frills programming that and early 2000s, the CAN TV studio, at the entranced viewers in the days of limited time located near Greektown on Van Buren channel choices were a variety of dance shows and Green, became my second home. that followed Clark’s template: an older host Starting in 1996, while I was working with presiding over young, unpaid dancers who my then wife, Jacqueline Stewart, and Kelly grooved to the day’s favorites, with occasional Kuvo of the Scissor Girls to produce our own guests miming to records they were currently CAN TV dance show, Chic-a-Go-Go, I also promoting. Because WCIU was a genuinely volunteered to work cameras on three very weird station, it broadcast some genuinely di erent dance shows that I really admired, weird dance shows. From the late 60s till 1971, developing friendly albeit superficial rela- ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 35 continued from 35 their best to grab the camera’s attention. “I living room and the antenna on the roof. Unfor- tionships with their producers. Our program, would wear bright outfits,” Kitchen recalls, tunately he got no bites from bigger stations an homage to Kiddie A-Go-Go, became the “bell-bottoms, sequins, a bat-winged shirt, after those airings (though he did meet Jerry most celebrated, likely because having cult anything to get attention.” About a month Bryant, future host of JBTV, at the station), and musicians lip-sync gave us quirky indie cred, after his fi rst appearance, he was called back. he deferred his dream temporarily. But Kitchen leading to national attention. The realest was He began appearing on a regular basis, even- was determined to become the next Don Corne- Elma and Company, which featured hyperlocal tually ditching school to get there on time four lius, and eventually cable access—like it did for artists and a capacity crowd of teen dancers or fi ve days a week. so many—gave a microphone to a voice that the and built a genuinely rabid fan following A stroke of luck helped get Kitchen hooked mainstream refused to hear. among actual high schoolers, just like the clas- on the show. Usually the Chicago Soul Train In 1989 Kitchen entered the Green Street sic dance shows. The highest-quality outing was broadcast live and not taped, but on CAN TV studio, and with homemade signs, was the short-lived Soul in the Hole, a noble Fridays the crew sometimes recorded the party-store decorations, an amateur crew, tribute to Chicago’s powerful underground episode as it aired, creating a backup rerun and 20 years of TV dance-show know-how, he dance culture that had outstanding production for emergencies—in case not enough kids launched a cable-access classic. Kitchen thinks values, dynamic camerawork, and thrilling showed up, for instance, or Cornelius or his he may have made as many as 800 episodes of talent (the mesmerizing dancing of poet, sing- proxy, dancer Clinton Ghent, arrived late. If Attack of the Boogie between then and 2014. er, and artist Avery R. Young is permanently something like that happened, the station He broadcast the show weekly on channel 19 seared into my hippocampus). And finally, would run the tape for a few minutes until the (minus a suspension for overcrowding the stu- there was the most historical of the three, An- live episode could start. (None of these tapes dio), and for many years he produced a second drew Kitchen’s Attack of the Boogie. is known to have survived.) Kitchen’s first version running simultaneously on the low- Attack of the Boogie was (and theoretically appearance happened to be on a Friday, so his rent commercial station WJYS, channel 62 (the still is) fi rmly rooted in Chicago dance-show episode was taped, and he was watching the exact fi nances elude him, but he recalls that he history, because Andrew Kitchen is a Soul day it reran a few weeks later—which gave him and the station sold sponsorships to cover his Train survivor and as dedicated a follower of the rare thrill of seeing himself on television in airtime and production costs, and he made a Chicago dance shows as anyone. When he re- the live TV era. He became fully committed to few hundred per episode on top of that), so that Andrew Kitchen on the set of the second counts his early life, I can’t follow the ins and the dance-show lifestyle. Attack of the Boogie pilot, shot in 1984 estimate might even be right. outs of when he lived where, as he distractedly Kitchen made friends with the Chicago Soul COURTESY ANDREW KITCHEN One thing that’s certain is that watching even drops details about bouncing between the Train dancers, and he considered the chan- a single episode of Attack of the Boogie feels west and south sides. But once Kitchen gets to nel 26 crew superior to the LA set because they dress in magician outfi ts, and they began ap- as stimulating and overwhelming as binging the part where his 11-year-old self became an had memorable names. “We had a guy named pearing as guests on TV shows and doing out- an entire season of a normal show. In brightly original Soul Train dancer in 1971 (lying about Pinball Wizard,” he remembers. “There was of-town gigs. They got booked on Ray Rayner colored outfi ts that belonged in an outer-space his age to meet the high school age require- Arthritis, and his cousins Rheumatism and and His Friends and Kidding Around, and they discotheque, Andrew Kitchen held court over a ment), his stories snap into focus: he has vivid Bursitis, and their dancing was like they had appeared on the various incarnations of the motley crew of models and misfi ts. The show’s Technicolor memories of those blurry, black- arthritis and rheumatism. There was a girl Bozo TV show every year from 1980 through unhinged camerawork captured some of the and-white broadcast days. named Cupcake, two twins named Sugar and 1991. Kitchen even returned to channel 26 for liveliest dancers on TV—Kitchen built his cast “I was interested in art at fi rst, in drawing Spice, and a guy named the Masquerader—he its U Dance With B96 show in the mid-90s. in part by holding classes for aspiring fashioni- comic books, but I kind of got discouraged was the most popular, he always wore a mask. stas (walking the runway on the show served as when my dad said, ‘If you do some good work, And I was the Dancin’ Magician.” n 1983 Kitchen decided to become the a graduation ceremony), in part by auditioning you’re going to be famous when you die,’” Cliques of dancers formed to do choreo- master of his fate and launch his own dancers from Chicago’s deep pool of talent, and Kitchen says. “That’s when I got interested in graphed routines and action-packed splits and Idance show. Working in a bank, he’d saved in part by bringing in friends and family. dancing, from seeing Soul Train. I had watched dives. They included the Kicks, the Southside up for a year until he had a couple thousand Melvin “the Alexander” Dunlap, the set Big Bill Hill, Kiddie A-Go-Go. Channel 26 had a Equators, the all-Native American group Hot dollars to produce a pilot episode at Panos designer and dancer who appeared on the fi rst lot of dance shows, all fi lmed in the same exact Ice, and the most successful crew, the Puppets, Productions, a studio that rented out space pilot, is a mountain of a man whose jumps, studio, and eventually I was on most of them. who became a national dance act, appearing and crew to produce mostly Greek and Span- splits, and lunges shook the studio. (He re- I was even on a show called Filipino Band- on the Midnight Special TV show hosted by ish programming. He recorded a theme song, members that Kitchen once had to edit out stand. But in 1970 I liked Soul Train because Wolfman Jack. Kitchen also formed cliques of auditioned 20 dancers (Black and white, in his screams after he twisted his knee with an they were actually doing something di erent, his own. “I had the Ten Commandments, but hopes of appealing more broadly to potential ill-advised fl ying split o a riser.) The signature moves I hadn’t seen before. I was a klutz at the there was only fi ve of us, so we changed the sponsors), had his friend Melvin “the Alexan- dancer on Attack of the Boogie, Dunlap had time, kind of clumsy, so I would try to do the name to the Commandments. I then had the der” Dunlap make a rough-hewn sign of a logo watched Kitchen on Soul Train and had ambi- moves they did, but it always came out di er- Dancing Superheroes. We got to perform at for the set, and tried his best. tions of imitating him—“but in a wilder way,” ent. But that was a plus for me, because people clubs around town, at the High Chaparral, the Kitchen submitted the tape to 28 indepen- he says. “I wanted my friend to have a success- started paying attention—it turned it into a Flipside, Ron Briskman’s Hideout. We were dent stations around the country, all of which ful thing, so wild dancing was my way of trying kind of wild dancing.” underage, and would be in trouble when we rejected it. He then spent a year saving up to make the viewer stop turning the channel After calling in, Kitchen was invited to come came back home after three in the morning, so another $3,000 (Panos was one in a long line of so they could look at this crazy man.” Faced to the studio and wait in the cramped hallway that got shut down with a couple of smacks to capitalists happy to turn Kitchen’s ambitions with the Alexander’s death-defying moves, during A Black’s Views of the News, delivered the butt.” into overpriced stairways to nonstardom) to Kitchen’s dancing ambitions, and segments by John Q. Adams, Cornelius’s successor As the Chicago Soul Train wound down (“In record a better pilot, with a studio audience such as the Power Dance Circle (geometrically (and in the late 70s the host of a short-lived 1976 they told us they were revamping the and brighter lighting. He ended up airing both superior to the Soul Train Line), viewers didn’t disco-themed dance show, John Q’s Entertain- studio, see you in a month, and that was it”) pilots in 1984 on channel 13, a low-powered Chi- have a chance against the boogie. ment Scene, where Kitchen became a regular). he formed another dance group with two and cago station with a ten-mile reach and a hunger The on-screen Kitchen perpetually radi- When the news program ended, the Soul Train eventually four girls: Kitchen’s Dancin’ Magi- for content. The short-lived outlet was housed ates boundless optimism about his real and kids were shuttled into the tiny room to do cians. They never did magic, though they would in an apartment building, with the studio in the imagined endeavors (the only full episode 36 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll available on YouTube is a 1990 backdoor pilot Zawada and Singh realized this mix was But it was his original Attack of the Boogie over five minutes long, and the other is over for a never-produced second series, a preteen just too good to limit to an hour of community theme song, pressed on the A and B sides of a 45 six.” (On the Little Boogies episode of Attack of spino called Planet of the Little Boogies, and at radio airtime. They expanded it to 90 minutes in 1984, that has brought Kitchen his current the Boogie, nearly 25 percent of the show con- one point Kitchen tells the audience to look out and released it in February 2019 as a cryptic glories. As he recalls, he hired producer, engi- sists of the young hoofers tirelessly bopping for his motion picture, Rhythm People, a never- cassette with no track list. Its run of 200 sold neer, and musician Jerry Soto to help make the to the opening theme song.) “I like doing edits to-be-seen sci-fi project). But what always out in one day. That inspired them to create record. Soto, who died at 53 in 2005, had a sto- from older records. There were really cool parts tickled me about Kitchen, on set and on cable, a series of legit reissues of licensed Chicago ried career helping bring the best out of blues in part one, and part two was kind of long— was the way he borrowed from the prickly TV rarities, called Attack of the Chicago Boogie in and jazz legends, including Buddy Guy and Fred there’s a bass solo that goes on forever—so I personality of Don Cornelius. He never went honor of Kitchen’s musical manifesto. Anderson, and his long client list also included passed the edit over to Tim and he added to it. as far as the left-handed compliments and sly Alongside his dance career, Kitchen has Peter Tork of the Monkees, Baseball Hall of It kind of came together beautifully.” putdowns Cornelius would lay on his guests made a few forays into the recording industry, Famer Ernie Banks, absurdist hard rockers Juzt Just as beautiful were their interactions with (Don was famously rough on hip-hop artists), usually footing the bill for each opportunity. Nutz, and hip-hop experimenter Serengeti. Kitchen, who’d been put in touch with the Star but Kitchen would sometimes admonish his In 1977 he went to Philadelphia to witness the Though Soto sometimes worked with greats, Creature crew by Rob Sevier from the Numero volunteer tech crew on-air for minor glitches or recording of the wonderfully funky theme song he explained on the 1983 pilot episode of Attack Group. “He’s a super friendly guy and he was express disbelief at the answers dancers gave he’d written for himself, “Kitchen, the Dancin’ of the Boogie (where he appeared as a guest) really down,” Zawada says. “Andrew is a very during his seemingly improvised contests. Magician (Master of Love).” Minuscule label that he was also dedicated to making quality eccentric character—he kind of lives in his own Even these fl ashes of harshness, though, he Fox Century Plaza assured him the tune would music for the everyman, the underdog, and the bubble—but he’s a very sweet guy. I have had a delivered with a smile on his face. Kitchen had get airplay if he paid extra to get a specifi c vocal people who just needed to express themselves. lot of challenging interactions with artists, but a few big-name guests over the years, including group to sing on the session, but he opted not “We’ve helped a lot of songwriters,” Soto ex- Andrew was easy to work with.” Mavis Staples, Ginuwine, and Common, but to—and though that promise was doubtless plained to Kitchen. “The vocalist doesn’t have Star Creature says the vinyl edition of Attack the star of Attack of the Boogie was always an empty one, “Kitchen, the Dancin’ Magician” to know anything about music—we arrange the of the Chicago Boogie, with beautiful cover art Kitchen’s undying belief in Attack of the Boogie. sank like a stone. Discogs has never seen a copy, music around their lyrics and give them point- by Ben Marcus that mimics an 80s party fl yer, Sometimes the episodes had crisp, over-the- and a YouTube video of the recent Amazon ers. . . . Good local talent should be helped more has sold out before its release date. Zawada and top camerawork and wonderfully playful spe- digital “reissue” that Kitchen paid someone to in the Chicago area, and that’s what I’m trying Singh hosted a small COVID-era record-release cial e ects (the studio’s green-screen curtain help promote has three views as of this writing. to do.” party at Conservatory Vintage & Vinyl in August, might feature live footage of 15-foot-tall danc- In 1981 Kitchen’s lyrics to “Boogie Down During his recording session, Kitchen and Kitchen brought his family and friends. “We ers towering over their contemporarily danc- With Me” became (to his dismay) a country- hummed the melody for Soto, who for $175 were happy to see he was happy,” Zawada says. ing selves), and sometimes the cameras and pop entry on the song-poem compilation turned those brief notes into a deeply grooving “I think he kind of lives in an alternate reality of editing were a hot mess, but no matter how the Super Sessions of the 80’s. In 1996 he cut a hip- song. Soto brought in a drummer and a bassist, McDonald’s commercials and charting on the show looked, Kitchen made you feel like it was hop theme for Attack of the Boogie, and he’s played the other nine instruments himself, and top 100. But he’s done so much and so little of important and epic. And nothing captures that recently recorded a few new songs he plans to blew past the allotted four hours of studio time it is documented, so it’s nice to put this out. He better than the show’s marathon theme song. release digitally. (for no extra charge) as he added layer upon says he’s going to reboot the show soon.” layer of boogie wonder. Sung by Elayne Cole- Kitchen does say he’s thinking about re- itchen participated in the local Soul man, a Dancin’ Magician and sometime Attack booting Attack of the Boogie, as Attack of the Train reunion hosted on Chic-a-Go-Go in of the Boogie cohost, the song is minimalistic Boogie Reloaded, combining vintage footage K2009 and guested on the Chic-a-Go-Go funk with excessive solos and grooves (and a with new talking heads putting the show into podcast in 2014, but our paths haven’t crossed few crazy motorcycle sounds and audio e ects context. As far as Zamada’s skepticism about often in the last decade. The Star Creature thrown in). The lyrics make the boogie seem Kitchen’s claims, I think it’s probably true that Universal Vibrations vinyl compilation Attack both an ominous threat (“It’s gonna get you . . . he got local McDonald’s franchises to buy ads of the Chicago Boogie, which drops Friday, there’s no place to run . . . so beware!”) and a on his channel 62 show. He’s showed me where September 9, gave me an excuse to look him giving lover (“The boogie’s gonna groove you, a recent digital release of his 90s Attack of the up. Label cofounder Tim Zawada and his col- relax and soothe you . . . not gonna hurt you”). Boogie theme charted on DigitalRadioTracker, league Hersh “Kool Hersh” Singh (both of the Kitchen paid around $1,200 to a company for whatever that’s worth, so while he’s prob- Boogie Munsters DJ crew) are vinyl archaeol- that convinced him to press 500 copies, 400 ably seeing no fi nancial reward, that boast is ogists, obsessed with what record collectors of which it promised to send to radio stations also technically true. classify as “boogie”: synth-driven dance music around the country, guaranteeing him airplay Zawada isn’t entirely wrong about Kitchen’s from the late 70s and early 80s, post-classic (he’s long since lost his own 100 copies to alternate reality—but I’d say he lives in a paral- disco and pre-house. moves and water damage). The airplay did not lel reality, not an alternate one. Where he lives, Launched in 2015, Star Creature mostly come, at least not in that century. the hundreds of enthusiastic viewers of a cable- releases new music by contemporary boogie- In 2017 Singh bought a copy of the single for access show, the dozens of amazing dancers adjacent artists from Europe, Asia, and North $75 from Europe (where most existing stock who come out, the helpful people who work America (on both sides of the border wall), seems to have ended up somehow), and he was in the studio, and the loyal friends who make pressing modest runs for vinyl DJs. However, thrilled. The song clearly has fans—a number props and clothes and bust their knees to keep Zawada and Singh were educated in old-school of remixes have popped up online, and Discogs eyeballs on your show all add up to very real, if by gurus at fabled record stores Mr. Peabody lists a bootleg from the Netherlands—and not quite worldwide, fame and glory. Very few and Kstarke. After amassing a number of Chi- the outsize response to its appearance on the of us are wired to meet modest successes with cago rarities, Singh created a mix for Zawada’s Star Creature cassette convinced Zawada and powerful optimism the way the Dancin’ Magi- show on Lumpen Radio (where he shares the Singh to combine both sides of the 45 into a cian does. But I guess that’s what keeps Andrew airwaves with my friend Mario Smith, a poet nearly seven-minute remix that kicks o the Kitchen dancing. And that’s what keeps Andrew and activist whose sister Nieci Payne was a Dancer Melvin “the Alexander” Dunlap stands in reissue series. Kitchen young. v front of a green screen at the CAN TV studios channel 26 Soul Train dancer and became a big for an episode of Attack of the Boogie in 1996. “Generally 45s don’t exceed the four-minute star on the national show in the 80s). COURTESY ANDREW KITCHEN mark,” Singh explains, “but one side of this was @JAKEandRATSO ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 37 Recommended and notable releases and critics’ insights for the week of September 3 MUSIC
Alan Braufman, The Fire Still burns PICK OF THE WEEK Valley of Search alanbraufman.bandcamp.com/album/the-fi re- Half Gringa’s empathetic alt-country still-burns One of the headiest of all avant-garde jazz heads harnesses the power of understatement is Alan Braufman. The veteran saxophonist, flut- ist, and composer has been wielding his polymath- ic wizardry since the early 1970s, when he helped put New York City’s lo -jazz movement on the map. SEPT. 5 @ Online SAT But most younger listeners didn’t get their first Sophia Lucia Presents: chance to immerse themselves in his towering, soul- Freak Show Cabaret! ful, and freewheeling maelstrom until 2018: that’s (EVENT REPEATS WEEKLY) when Braufman staged his improbable second act, thanks to a reissue of his out-of-print and hard-to- find 1975 debut, Valley of Search, a crucial docu- SEPT. 19 @ North Bar SAT ment of fi re-breathing downtown NYC out jazz. The Nesh and Lee Lee Live Brooklyn- born trailblazer was thrust back into the spotlight, embarking on a comeback spearhead- ed by his nephew and champion, music-industry power player Nabil Ayers. Braufman had been keep- TO ADD YOUR EVENT TO ing a low profi le in his home base of Salt Lake City, TIXREADER COM Utah, where he’s a prolifi c leader of jazz groups, but SEND AN EMAIL TO the unearthing of Valley of Search (via Ayers’s inde- pendent label of the same name) earned him long- [email protected] overdue recognition—complete with a triumphant, sold-out 2018 homecoming show at Brooklyn exper- imental music venue National Sawdust and love from the New York Times and Pitchfork—and aff ord- ed him a new creative lease on life. Riding the high of Valley of Search, the 69-year-old Braufman has added another chapter to his feel-good story: the RACHELWINSLOW fi rst album of brand-new music under his own name in 45 years. There may not be a better possible title for this record than The Fire Still Burns—from its very fi rst notes, the spiritually upli ing salvos that Never drive opening track “Sunrise,” Braufman sounds miss a like a volcanic force of nature. His alto sax and fl ute Half Gringa, Force to Reckon spew an endless stream of blissed-out melodies and Self-released joyously bright lines, which provide a much-needed show halfgringa.bandcamp.com/album/force-to-reckon jolt of positive vibes for these dark times. Like his heroes—John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Albert again. Ayler—Braufman has a huge sound that collides infectious licks and free-improvisational spurts, epit- omized by dizzily catchy tunes such as “Creation” and the title track. But he couldn’t have pulled off this recording without his ace band of New York avant-jazz stalwarts. The rapport Braufman shares INCHICAGOALTCOUNTRY singer-songwriter Isabel Olive began performing and with upstart saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, bassist Ken Filiano, drummer Andrew Drury, per- recording as Half Gringa, a name that refers to her Venezuelan ancestry. As she told music cussionist Michael Wimberly, and pianist Cooper- writer Britt Julious in the Trib that year, she wants to use Half Gringa to explore complicat- Moore (a longtime pal who played on Valley of ed questions about ethnicity and identity. Olive knows she’s unlikely to fi nd easy answers, Search) reaches kindred-spirit levels as the hard- EARLY charging group interlock with telepathic prowess or even complete ones, and she articulates that on her new self-released second album, on driving rhythms and deep grooves—the music’s WARNINGS Force to Reckon. Throughout the record, Olive engages with and draws inspiration from ecstatic feel recalls Mingus’s big bands. On The Fire the grieving process, which she’s been navigating since the death of her grandmother. She Still Burns, the resurgence of Alan Braufman contin- ues with unabashed exuberance—something we can Find a concert, buy a understands the power of the understatement, and on the languid “Forty” she considers a all use right about now. —B C loved one’s clothes after their passing, delivering small but devastating details in a gentle ticket, and sign up to lilt—just before the song crescendos into a knockout full-band coda. While detail and inti- Burna Boy, Twice as Tall get advance notice macy are key to the power of Force to Reckon, Olive realizes how easy it can be to miss the Spaceship Entertainment / Atlantic / Warner of Chicago’s essential forest for the trees. On the unyieldingly tense “Afraid of Horses,” she acknowledges getting music.apple.com/us/album/twice-as- lost in her own thoughts, and recognizes that the unnamed person with whom she struggles tall/1527514852 music shows at to communicate also has a complex inner life—even though she’s unable to fully compre- As much as mainstream Western music-media out- chicagoreader.com/early. hend what they’re going through. Her empathetic, retrospective point of view colors her lets compare contemporary African artists to one doleful vocals, and makes “Afraid of Horses” one of the most stirring songs I’ve heard this another, o en fl attening the expansiveness of their sounds under a single Afrobeats umbrella, some year. —L G musicians from the continent continue to prove 38 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll MUSIC Stay Home. Stay Positive. Stay Connected.
Burna Boy COURTESY THE ARTIST
they’re in a league of their own with every new Lasalle Grandeur, Euphoric release. Burna Boy’s new fi h studio album, Twice Happily Depressed as Tall, is the latest testament in this ongoing story. songwhip.com/lasalle-grandeur/euphoric From the start of the album, the London-based We can’t wait to get back to making music and Nigerian singer-songwriter (born Damini Ebunolu- The video for LaSalle Grandeur’s optimistic pop- dancing together at the Old Town School! wa Ogulu) leans into his ability to make you dance rap single “Euphoria” shows the Chicago rapper while digesting his many messages, including the gleefully traipsing through a huge empty fi eld as a importance of persisting through self-doubt and light breeze billows his unbuttoned shirt. “Eupho- not letting naysayers control how you move in the ria” appears on Euphoric (Happily Depressed), an In the meantime, many of our classes are world and perceive yourself. On “Level Up” he con- endearing EP that’s especially winning whenever fesses that a lack of establishment validation from Grandeur uses his exceptional grasp of melody to currently running online, and we are actively the Grammy Awards nearly made him second-guess summon the blissful joy of that video; as if to under- his calling, while on “Way Too Big” he gets deep in score its celebratory nature, Grandeur dropped working on more ways to keep you making his bag, proclaiming that he’s on a path of unend- Euphoric on his 25th birthday. His cheerful hooks music and learning new things with us, from ing greatness—a theme in line with the titles of the have a hard-to-pin-down, bittersweet subtext, as if new record and of last year’s African Giant. Though tacitly acknowledging the emotional diffi culties he home, in the near future. the recording hybridizes drum-filled Nigerian had to overcome to fi nd happiness. Atop the swell- rhythms even more thoroughly with popular main- ing, ascending synth notes of the sanguine “Emo- stream hip-hop and pop than Burna Boy’s previous tional,” Grandeur briefly references sadness and work, he never budges when it comes to his native world-crushing stress—but despite that subject We are so thankful to be part of the wonderful tongue, seamlessly singing in Yoruba and Nigeri- matter, his wry delivery and upli ing fl ow make the and supportive arts community in Chicago and an pidgin English throughout. He also continues to track feel triumphant. —L G call out modern colonialism, exploitive inter national are especially thankful for all our dedicated relations, and their impact on the corruption in his country’s government. The Nigeria-London con- The Knees, Posture students and teaching artists persevering with nection is ever-present in the African diaspora, Born Yesterday and London’s impact can be heard in most of Burna theknees.bandcamp.com/album/posture us during this time. Boy’s music—but what stands out on this record is increased collaboration with African-American art- Chicago postpunk four-piece the Knees dropped ists. Diddy served as executive producer and con- their first single, “Round and Round,” three years For updates, rescheduled concert info, ways to tributed voice-overs, and the track “Naughty by ago; on the A side the band balance a terse, tight- Nature” is named for and features the legendary ly wound melody with a smidgen of garage feed- help support our staff & more please visit hip-hop trio. Burna Boy recently made appearances back, while the entropic B side, “Distribution,” dis- on the posthumous Pop Smoke album Shoot for the plays their fondness for noise. Since then, the Knees oldtownschool.org/alert Stars, Aim for the Moon, and on Twice as Tall clos- have released new music at a trickle. Their debut ing track “Bank on It,” he refl ects on the Brooklyn EP, August’s Posture (Born Yesterday), is their fi rst rapper’s death as a reminder that everyone should new material since the June 2018 single “Stam- Stay safe, sane, and keep on playing from all of live their lives to the fullest. Burna Boy’s internation- mer,” which Brooklyn-based label Two Syllable also al sound continues to conjure a collective awaken- included on May’s Chicago Cassette Compilation: us at Old Town School of Folk Music! ing for Black people across the world; though our Volume 3. As front man David Miller recently told music may sound different, it all stems from the music blog Ears to Feed, the Knees spent that time same place. On Twice as Tall he stands in this glob- focused on developing their chops as a unit rather al nexus, proclaiming a better understanding of him- than fl ooding the Internet with new recordings: “It self and his people, and brings joy to the forefront was a lot of prioritizing playing live as opposed to oldtownschool.org while acknowledging the complicated past and recording anything new.” Time served the Knees present—and likely future—of Black people every- well; they’ve become a tighter band, and on Pos- where. —J G ture they play white-knuckle postpunk with surgi- ll SEPTEMBER - CHICA O READER 39 GX-19 - Chicago Reader ad ALT_GX-19 - Chicago Reader ad ALT 8/27/20 3:08 PM Page 1
Gourmet Expos is Taking the Live Spirits Festival Online! MUSIC The Virtual SpiritsTasting Festival A fascinating, varied series of Craft and Name Virtual Spirits Tasting Events September 30th L.A. Witch COURTESY THE ARTIST World of Whiskey continued from 39 cal precision. The interlocking guitars central to Zeena Parkins and Jeff Kolar, Scale their sound can be as antiseptic as they are edgy, Two Rooms October 21st but they’ve fi gured out how to make a little space in zeenaparkinsje olar.bandcamp.com their busy songs for a human touch. On “Speaking Dreamy Creamy Liqueurs in the Backseat,” they pull back on the throttle and The new Scale is billed to composer and improvis- color their guitars with shoegaze reverb that cre- ing harpist Zeena Parkins and Chicago sound artist ates a dreamlike eff ervescence. —L G and radio producer Jeff Kolar, but its story involves November 18th a larger group of collaborators. In 2017, University of Illinois professor Jennifer Monson (who’s also a World-class Hawaiian Rum L.A. Witch, Play with Fire choreographer and dancer) commissioned Parkins Suicide Squeeze and Kolar to work with her, dancer Mauriah Kraker, lawitches.bandcamp.com/album/play-with-fi re and lighting designer Elliott Cennetoglu on a dance work titled Bend the Even. Initial development took COMING IN DECEMBER & JANUARY: If it were released in any other year, L.A. Witch’s place during predawn outdoor rehearsals in the new Play With Fire would be the perfect album to fields around Urbana, but the group moved their Craft and Name Brandies and blast through the car stereo with the wind in your work to Florida beaches after they landed a resi- hair while indulging in an adventure with your best dency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Parkins Grappa, Gin, Vodka and Tequila Tastings pals. Unfortunately, summer 2020 has proved to and Kolar’s compositions for Bend the Even were be far from carefree, but while the trio’s nostalgia- infl uenced by the choreography of the two-person tinged mix of indie rock, garage, punk, and coun- dance team as well as the ruggedness of the early- $ try can twinge the heartstrings over what we’ve morning rehearsals, especially the wintry sessions Introductory Special Savings 20! lost, a feel-good record like this can also remind us in Urbana. “It’s sort of like readjusting your eyes and that it’s still possible to feel good. Opening track ears, or like sensory deprivation with a long pause Valid For Each Event “Fire Starter” kicks off with power pop so innocu- of waiting for something to happen,” Kolar told the ous you might wonder if the title is a mistake, but New York Times. While all the tracks on Scale were Courtesy of Chicago Reader! then the band flips the switch into turbocharged initially composed for Bend the Even, the album was guitar acrobatics. “Motorcycle Boy” charms with recorded and mastered separately from the live per- Use promo code READER 60s girl-group fl air, complete with Ronnie Spector- formances. The music is a fusion of electronic and style vocals from guitarist Sade Sanchez. L.A. electroacoustic elements: on “Hooking,” it’s hard to Witch are known for slipping in and out of differ- tell which sounds come from Kolar’s radio gear and For event details and tickets, go to ent genres, and on Play With Fire they do so as handmade electronic instruments and which Parkins Gourmetexpos.com easily as surfing through radio stations, indulg- creates by manipulating an amplified harp with a . ing their psychedelic-country leanings on “Dark scraping bow or a fork tine. It’s easy to imagine audi- Horse” and “Maybe the Weather” and showcasing ences at the ensemble’s Bend the Even performanc- a penchant for 90s indie rock on “True Believers.” es in New York fi xating on Kolar and Parkins’s move- Spirits shipped prior to each 90-minute It may seem unwise to tempt the fates more than ments and the objects they used to make sound, one has to these days, but L.A. Witch make nihilis- but when I listen to Scale I fi nd myself thinking the presentation. Prices include shipping. tic rebellion sound irresistible on the gritty garage- vibrations and other physical phenomena the danc- punk banger “I Wanna Lose.” It’s fun to imagine the ers might’ve experienced while onstage with the possibilities if the group ever dedicated an entire duo—especially on “Pulse,” where Parkins’s haunt- OURMET XPOS album to any one of these styles, but Play With ing harp melody is bookended by great big thuds G E Fire also reminds us why mixtapes and classic FM of crashing strings that sound like a piano being Beverly Hills, California radio still have such cultural resonance, even in an pushed down a staircase. Kolar and Parkins’s individ- age of streaming platforms. Why choose one fla- ual contributions are a bit more identifi able on “Trav- vor when you can have them all? —J L eling,” which features Kolar’s snippets of radio static 40 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll Find more music reviews at chicagoreader.com/soundboard. MUSIC
and wavy feedback playing double dutch between by how both pieces simultaneously embrace and Parkins’s strummed harp rhythms. The natural world rail against the universe. The album also features a from which the album draws could also be listed as a commanding interpretation of Ruth Crawford See- collaborator on that track: the second half includes ger’s 1931 String Quartet (a masterwork as timelessly recordings of crickets, which create their own kind radical as The Rite of Spring) and a defi nitive version of feedback and rhythm. —S C -J of Anthony Cheung’s The Real Book of Fake Tunes (commissioned for Spektral and fl utist Claire Chase, who performs here with her usual sensitivity and Pig Destroyer, The Octagonal verve), as well as a freewheeling improvisation with Stairway experimental vocalist Charmaine Lee called Spinals. Relapse Experiments in Living endorses a topsy-turvy view of pigdestroyer.bandcamp.com/album/the- time that casts the familiar in a new light and pres- octagonal-stairway ents wet-ink works like they’ve been around since the 19th century, but the whimsy and eff ervescence Pig Destroyer have been at the forefront of grind- of Spinals make it stand out even on this delectably core for more than 20 years, and over that time disorienting album. —H E they’ve found a way to push the notoriously rigid style into far-reaching spaces. Helmed by guitar- ist Scott Hull (also the mastermind behind psychot- Ulver, Flowers of Evil ic “cybergrind” outfi t Agoraphobic Nosebleed), the House of Mythology Virginia band started out playing fairly standard store.houseofmythology.com grindcore in the 90s: 30-second songs with tortured screams, incomprehensible high-end riff s, and non- Norway’s Ulver debuted in 1993 as a howling stop blastbeats. As the decades have passed, their black-metal outfit, but since then front man and songs have slowly gotten longer, their rhythms more composer Kristoff er Rygg has steered his ship into complex, and the fi delity of their albums more atmo- such diff erent waters you can hardly say it’s going spheric. On the brand-new The Octagonal Stair- a-Viking anymore. (If you want to hear Ulver at their BIT.LY/GOOSEDELIVERS way (Relapse) they deliver their most progressive heaviest since their early days, I’d recommend their six tracks yet. The fi rst half of the EP is classic Pig collaborations with Sunn O))), 2003’s “Cut WoodEd” Destroyer—topsy-turvy, punishing grind that dips and 2014’s Terrestrials.) But almost any questions into sludgy breakdowns and punky passages—but you could have about the life, times, and journey of since each track fl irts with the four-minute mark, you this band should be answered in Wolves Evolve, the could argue that this is epic stuff by grindcore stan- book companion to their new Flowers of Evil (both dards. On side B, Pig Destroyer go full electronic- via House of Mythology), which is a memoir, scrap- industrial, with swaths of synth drones and samples book, and manifesto in one. Rygg is Ulver’s sole anchored by a snappy digital rhythm section. The remaining founding member (though programmer Octagonal Stairway is brutal and varied, a standout and keyboardist Tore Ylwizaker joined in 1998), and Donate to get Leor Galil's best articles in a genre that can feel inhospitable to experimenta- he’s said he wanted to do a book for the project’s tion. Like every Pig Destroyer release, it proves that tenth anniversary, and then its 15th—so it’s thrilling over the past 10 years of Chicago music! they’re among the best at what they do and off ers that it’s fi nally arrived. Flowers of Evil doesn’t break an exciting look at the future. —L C radically from its predecessor, 2017’s The Assassi- nation of Julius Caesar—it’s a dark electronic work chicagoreader.com/leorbook infused with gothic atmospheres and Krautrock, Spektral Quartet, Experiments in and it’s heavy on the literary historical inspiration. Living The album title nods to Charles Baudelaire (just as New Focus some of Ulver’s early work was inspired by William spektralquartet.com/experiments-in-living/buy Blake), and several songs, including the eerie title track, incorporate quotes and references to poetry. The through line of Spektral Quartet’s fi rst studio Ulver are a very narrative-driven band, and their lyr- release in four years, Experiments in Living, is that ics—which Rygg delivers in a clean, crisp vocal style there is no through line—at least on the surface. these days—are essential to grasping the themes of The double album covers 150 years of history, from each album. On “Nostalgia,” haunting female vocals Brahms to living lions such as George Lewis, but and a gently cantering beat build up into a snapshot rather than foist a chronological or thematic flow of time, of memories of past lives, and of old houses onto the recording, the Chicago ensemble encour- that are “forever haunted.” But most of the album is age nonlinear pathways and heavy use of the “shuf- about apocalyptic fears, spiritual betrayals, and the fle” feature. Preorders of the album through their dangers of delusion. “Apocalypse 1993” is at heart site even come with a deck of tarot-like cards with about the Waco tragedy and the ease of falling into collages from Danish artist ØjeRum; each card cor- cults that invent matters of spiritual life and death responds to a diff erent track, so that every reading out of whole cloth. The closest the album has to a reveals a distinct playlist. On one of my shuffl ed lis- true battle march is “Machine Guns and Peacock tens, I pinballed from the skittering major-key rejoin- Feathers,” which locates Rygg’s end-times vision of der in the fi rst movement of Brahms’s String Quar- “Michael and his angels versus the dragon” if not tet no. 1 into its shadowy analogue in the opening on the Plains of Megiddo then at least on the dance of Schoenberg’s String Quartet no. 3. In the same fl oor of a goth club. There’s also a Philip K. Dick ref- session, I hurtled from Binary/Momentary Logics: erence for good measure: “The androids dream of Flow State/Joy State by Chicago-based composer electric sheep.” Though Ulver have long plied their Sam Pluta, which glows with the heat of a live wire, trade in Europe, they only played their first U.S. straight into Lewis’s String Quartet no. 1.5, “Experi- show last year. If we do ever have another chance to ments in Living,” a 16-minute cataclysm that pulls the see them live—no matter how long the wait—I’ll try to rug out from under you at every turn. I was struck be one of the fi rst in line. —M K v ll SEPTEMBER - CHICA O READER 41 ADVERTISEMENT Men’s Virility Restored in Clinical Trial; 275% More Blood Flow in 5 Minutes A newly improved version of America’s best-selling male performance enhancer gives 70-year-old men the ability and stamina they enjoyed in their 30’s.
America’s best-selling sexual performance enhancer just boosters in a new formula called Primal Max Red. In clinical got a lot better. trials, 5,000 mg is required for satisfying sexual performance. Primal Max Red contains a bigger, 9,000 mg per serving dose. It’s the latest breakthrough for nitric oxide – the molecule It’s become so popular, he’s having trouble keeping it in stock. that makes E.D. woes fade and restores virility when it counts the most. Dr. Sears is the author of more than 500 scienti c papers. Thousands of people listened to him speak at the recent Nitric oxide won the Nobel Prize in 1998. It’s why “the Palm Beach Health & Wellness Festival featuring Dr. Oz. NFL little blue pill” works. More than 200,000 studies con rm it’s Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath recently visited his the key to superior sexual performance. clinic, the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine. And this new discovery increases nitric oxide availability Primal Max Red has only been available for a few months resulting in even quicker, stronger and longer-lasting — but everyone who takes it reports a big difference. “I have performance. the energy to have sex three times in one day, WOW! That A new discovery that increases nitric oxide availability was has not happened in years. Oh, by the way I am 62,” says One double-blind, placebo-controlled study (the “gold- recently proven in a clinical trial to boost blood fl ow 275% standard” of research) involved a group of 70-year-old-men. Jonathan K. from Birmingham, AL.
They didn’t exercise. They didn’t eat healthy. And HOW IT WORKS Then he used ingredients in Primal Max Red and, “The researchers reported their “nitric oxide availability was Loss of erection power starts with your blood vessels. results were off the charts. I rst woke around 3 a.m. on almost totally compromised,” resulting in blood ow less Speci cally, the inside layer called the endothelium where Tuesday very excited. My nitric oxide levels measured at the than HALF of a man in peak sexual health. nitric oxide is made. top end of the range.” But only ve minutes after the rst dose their blood ow The problem is various factors THICKEN your blood FREE BONUS TESTOSTERONE BOOSTER increased 275%, back to levels of a perfectly healthy 31-year- vessels as you age. This blocks availability causing the old man! “It’s amazing,” remarks nitric oxide expert Dr. Al nitric oxide “glitch.” The result is dif culty in getting and Every order also gets Dr. Sears testosterone boosting Sears. “That’s like giving 70-year-old men the sexual power sustaining a healthy erection. formula Primal Max Black for free. of 30-year-olds.” How bad is the problem? “If you want passionate ‘rip your clothes off’ sex you WHY SO MUCH EXCITEMENT? had in your younger days, you need nitric oxide to get your Researcher shows the typical 40-year-old man absorbs erection going. And testosterone for energy and drive,” says Despite the billions men spend annually on older nitric 50% less nitric oxide. At 50, that drops to 25%. And once Dr. Sears. “You get both with Primal Max Red and Primal oxide therapies, there’s one well-known problem with them. you pass 60 just a measly 15% gets through. Max Black.” They don’t always work. To make matters worse, nitric oxide levels start declining HOW TO GET PRIMAL MAX in your 30’s. And by 70, nitric oxide production is down an A very distinguished and awarded doctor practicing at a alarming 75%. To secure free bottles of Primal Max Black and get the prestigious Massachusetts hospital who has studied Nitric hot, new Primal Max Red formula, buyers should contact the Primal Max Red is the rst formula to tackle both Oxide for over 43 years states a “de ciency of bioactive Sears Health Hotline at 1-800-268-0695 within the next 48 problems. Combining powerful nitric oxide boosters and nitric oxide… leads to impaired endothelium-dependent hours. “It’s not available in drug stores yet,” says Dr. Sears. a proven delivery mechanism that defeats the nitric oxide vasorelaxation.” “The Hotline allows us to ship directly to the customer.” “glitch” resulting in 275% better blood ow. There’s not In plain English, these older products may increase enough space here to fully explain how it works, so Dr. Sears Dr. Sears feels so strongly about Primal Max, all orders levels of nitric oxide. But that’s only half the battle. If it’s will send anyone who orders Primal Max Red a free special are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee. “Just send me not bioactively available then your body can’t absorb it to report that explains everything. back the bottle and any unused product within 90 days from produce an erection. MORE CLINICAL RESULTS purchase date, and I’ll send you all your money back,” he Experts simply call it the nitric oxide “glitch.” And until says. now, there’s never been a solution. Nutrients in Primal Max Red have logged impressive results. The Hotline will be open for the next 48 hours. After NEXT GENERATION NITRIC OXIDE FORMULA that, the phone number will be shut down to allow them to FLYING OFF SHELVES In a Journal of Applied Physiology study, one resulted in restock. Call 1-800-268-0695 to secure your limited supply of a 30 times MORE nitric oxide. And these increased levels Primal Max Red and free bottles of Primal Max Black. You Upon further research, America’s No. 1 men’s health lasted up to 12 hours. don’t need a prescription, and those who call in the rst expert Dr. Al Sears discovered certain nutrients x this “I measured my nitric oxide levels, you can buy a test kit 24 hours qualify for a signi cant discount. Use Promo Code “glitch” resulting in 275% better blood ow. from Amazon,” reports 48-year-old Jeff O. “Monday night I NP0820PMAX578 when you call in. Lines are frequently He’s combined those nutrients with proven nitric oxide showed depleted.” busy, but all calls will be answered.
THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS MAY VARY
326071_10_x_9.875.indd 1 8/25/20 9:28 AM
42 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll CHICAGO SHOWS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IN THE WEEKS TO COME
b ALL AGES F EARLY WARNINGS
Jayke Orvis 9/26, 3 PM, Reg- Never miss WOLF BY KEITH HERZIK gies’ Roof Deck F a show again. Over the Side 9/12, 8:30 PM, Carol's Pub F Sign up for the Margo Price 9/10, 7 PM, live- newsletter at stream at fans.com b chicagoreader. Restroy, Space-Saver 9/25, GOSSIP 8 PM, record-release party com/early for Restroy’s album Sketches, livestream hosted by the Hide- WOLF out at noonchorus.com b Califone 12/21, 8:30 PM, Thalia Cathy Richardson, Anne Hall, canceled A furry ear to the ground of Harris 9/25-9/26, 8 PM, City Kweku Collins 9/18, 4:30 and Winery b 7 PM, SPACE, Evanston, 7 PM the local music scene Kim Richey 7/28/2021, 7:30 PM, sold out b SPACE, Evanston b Ekali 10/2/2021, 8 PM, Concord A COUPLE WEEKS ago, local indie- Salute to Vienna 12/27, Music Hall, rescheduled; tick- 2:30 PM, Orchestra Hall, Sym- ets purchased for the original rock four-piece Corolla dropped two phony Center b date will be honored, 18+ breezy tunes fit for the dwindling days Terri Schanen 10/10, 3 PM, Elastic Arts Third Annual Ben- of summer: “Forget This Song” and “Fad- Reggies’ Roof Deck F efi t honoring Nicole Mitchell ing.” Formed by guitarist-vocalist Carlos Markus Schulz 9/11, 7 PM, Adler and featuring the premiere Planetarium Parking Lot, 17+ of We Hold the Sway: Women Lowenstein and drummer John Dugan Simple Remedy 9/25, 8:30 PM, of the AACM, Dustin Lauren- (formerly of Chisel and the Chicago Stone Carol's Pub F zi & Jeremy Cunningham, Lightning Band), Corolla solidified their Don Stiernberg Trio 9/20, Angel Bat Dawid/Brooklynn relaxed underground-pop sound with the Jon Langford JUAN PEREZ FAJARDO 7 PM, SPACE, Evanston b Skye/Anaiet Sivad, Fay Victor Summerstage Jubilee featur- (solo), and more 9/10-9/11, addition of bassist Ben Taylor (former- ing Trey Anastasio, Rosanne 7 PM; 9/12, 2 and 7 PM, ly of JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound) NEW Lauren Daigle, Johnnyswim release party 9/9, 7 PM, the Cash, Norah Jones, PJ Mor- livestream at elasticarts.org/ and lead guitarist Erik Cameron. The 3/12/2021, 7:30 PM, Allstate Promontory, a celebration of ton, Rufus Wainwright, and benefi t b new songs—the band’s fi rst releases since Edward David Anderson 9/19, Arena, Rosemont b the reissue of the 1984 theme more 9/17, 7 PM, livestream at Fab Faux 9/19, 8 PM, Park West, 8 PM, City Winery b East Pointers 9/22/2021, song from the dance show instagram.com/summerstage postponed until a date to be the July 2019 EP Falling—were record- Sandra Antongiorgi 9/11, 7 PM, 7:30 PM, SPACE, Evanston b Attack of the Boogie with DJ F b determined b ed at a pre-pandemic session, which also FitzGerald’s, Berwyn F Cameron Foreman 9/12, 3 PM, Kool Hersh F Sunsquabi 9/12, 7 PM, Adler Freddy Jones Band 9/17, produced four other tracks that will be The Association, Classics IV Reggies’ Roof Deck F Jon Langford, John Szymanski Planetarium Parking Lot, 17+ 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston, released in pairs later in 2020. 11/29, 5 PM, Arcada Theatre, Robbie Fulks 9/20, 8 PM, live- 9/24, 7:30 PM, City Winery b 10 Years record-release show postponed until a date to be Saint Charles b stream hosted by the Hideout Laraaji performs Sun Piano for Violent Allies 9/18, 8 PM, determined b Black Bobbin opened for business earli- René Avila’s Afro Cuban Trio at noonchorus.com b 9/30, 7 PM, livestream at livestream at 10yearsmusic. Terisa Griffi n 6/18/2021, er this month as an online guitar-and-gear 9/10, 7 PM, FitzGerald’s, Funkadesi 9/12, 5 and 8:30 PM, noonchorus.com b com b 8 PM, the Promontory, shop and coff ee-subscription service, but Berwyn F City Winery b Laraaji performs Moon Piano To the Front hosted by Kelly rescheduled b founder Shelby Pollard and business part- Bass Dreams (Tatsu Aoki/ Patterson Hood 9/16, 8 PM; 10/14, 7 PM, livestream at Hogan 9/24, 8 PM, livestream Sophie B. Hawkins 10/13, 8 PM, Charles Rumback/Rami 9/30, 8 PM, livestream at noonchorus.com b hosted by the Hideout at City Winery, postponed until a ner Pete Falknor—who worked togeth- Atassi/Tiger Tanaka/Coco noonchorus.com b Laraaji performs Through noonchorus.com b date to be determined b er at Chicago Music Exchange—are also Elysses) 9/19, 7 PM, livestream I Love Beirut benefi t featuring Luminous Eyes 10/28, 7 PM, To the Front hosted by Lav- Martin Hayes Quartet, planning ahead for a brick-and- mortar at twitch.tv/elasticartschicago Mika and more 9/19, 8 PM, livestream at noonchorus. ender Country featuring 10/8/2021, 8 PM, Maurer Hall, “guitar cafe” in a post-COVID future. Falk- F b livestream performance to com b Paisley Fields, Ashlie Flynn & Old Town School of Folk Bellhead 9/17, 10:45 PM, live- benefi t Red Cross Lebanon Levitation Sessions featuring the Riveters, Bad Ass Boots Music, rescheduled b nor says it could be a place “where every- stream at facebook.com/Live- and Save the Children Leba- Osees 9/26, 7 PM, livestream 9/10, 8 PM, livestream hosted José James 9/20, 8 PM, SPACE, one in the community is welcome to hang WireLoungeChicago F b non at universe.com b hosted by Sleeping Village on by the Hideout at noonchorus. Evanston, postponed until a out, drink some coff ee or beer, and catch Max Bessesen/Russ Johnson/ Mercedes Inez & Maxx seated.com b com b date to be determined b a small performance.” Black Bobbin has Dave Miller/Devin Drobka/ McGathey 9/9, 5:30 PM, Tack Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials Tributosaurus (CSNY tribute) Joywave 6/16/2021, 8 PM, Sub- Ethan Phillion 9/19, 8:30 PM, Room F b 10/2, 7:30 PM, City Winery b 10/1, 7 PM, North Shore Cen- terranean, rescheduled b already established several “batched part- livestream at youtube.com/ Michael Ingersoll & Christo- LP’s Happy Hour featuring ter for the Performing Arts, Zoë Keating 5/19/2021, 8 PM, nership projects,” selling coffee beans user/constellationchicago pher Kale Jones 9/24, 7 PM, Lawrence Peters and more Skokie b Thalia Hall, on sale Wed with Gallery Cafe, eff ects pedals with Old F b North Shore Center for the 9/11, 5 PM; 9/18, 5 PM; 9/26, Virtual Riot, Dodge & Fuski 9/30, 17+ Blood Noise Endeavors, and pickups with Toronzo Cannon 9/25, 4:30 and Performing Arts, Skokie b 5 PM, livestream hosted by 9/4, 7 PM, Adler Planetarium Legendary Shack Shakers 9/13, 7 PM, SPACE, Evanston, 7 PM Jetbeats 10/3, 3 PM, Reggies’ the Hideout at noonchorus. Parking Lot, 17+ 8 PM, Beat Kitchen, canceled Harmony Guitars, but this wolf hopes to sold out b Roof Deck F com b Wyatt Waddell 9/27, 4:30 and Jodee Lewis & Jonas Friddle grab a cold brew with Pollard and Falknor Chicago Philharmonic Cham- Lynne Jordan & the Shivers Steve Marquette 9/11, 7 PM, SPACE, Evanston, 7 PM 9/10-9/11, 7:30 PM, City Win- in person soon. In the meantime, interest- ber String Quartet 9/13, 9/17-9/18, 7:30 PM, City 8:30 PM, livestream at you- sold out b ery, 9/11 show added b ed folks can keep updated via Instagram 6 PM, North Shore Center for Winery b tube.com/user/constellation- Dan Whitaker 9/11, 8:30 PM, Dan Mangan 1/23/2021, 8 PM, the Performing Arts, Skokie b Julian’s House Party at the chicago F b Carol's Pub F Schubas, rescheduled, 18+ at @blackbobbinchicago. Chicago Symphony Orchestra Drive-In featuring George Kathy Mattea 10/25, 5 PM, live- Winger 12/4, 8 PM, Arcada The- Modern English, Bootblacks Gossip Wolf has been hip to Chicago with Martin Helmchen Lamond, Fast Eddie, Lidell stream at citywinery.com b atre, Saint Charles b 9/9, 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston, singer-songwriter and theater veteran 1/7/2021, 7:30 PM; 1/8/2021- Townsell, Bad Boy Bill, Aly-Us, Melkbelly 9/16, 8 PM, live from Yoga, Blues, & Brews with Kris- postponed until a date to be Bethany Thomas since 2017, when she put 1/9/2021, 8 PM; 1/12/2021, Julian “Jumpin” Perez, DJ the Hideout with video by tin Andrews & Dave Specter determined b 7:30 PM, Orchestra Hall, Sym- Nonstop, DJ Tim “Spinnin” QAF Productions; livestream 9/12, 1 PM; 9/26, 1 PM, SPACE, Mountain Goats 5/17/2021- out her debut EP, First. On Friday, Thom- phony Center b Schommer, DJ Too Kool at noonchorus.com b Evanston b 5/18/2021, 8 PM, SPACE, as self-released her fi rst full-length album, Shawn Colvin 9/12, 7 PM; 10/3, Chris, DJ Gino “Rockin” Vic Mensa, Wyatt Waddell Evanston, rescheduled b BT/She/Her, where her show-stopping 7 PM, livestream at citywinery. Romo, DJ Erge, and more 9/5, 7 PM, Adler Planetarium Haru Nemuri, Air Credits vocals hold together a mix of gritty clas- com b 9/26, 5 PM, SeatGeek Stadi- Parking Lot, 17+ UPDATED 3/25/2021, 9 PM, Sleeping Mike Cooley 9/9, 8 PM; 9/23, um, Bridgeview b Mt. Joy, Michigander 9/25, Village, rescheduled sic rock, expansive psychedelia, and heart- 8 PM; 10/7, 8 PM, livestream at K-Love the Poet, Monie J. 7 PM, Adler Planetarium Park- NOTE: Contact point of pur- Rahsaan Patterson 10/2, warming doo-wop, flavored with a touch noonchorus.com b 9/25, 7 and 9:30 PM, the ing Lot, 17+ chase for information about 7 and 10 PM, City Winery, of funk and a healthy dash of musical the- Sima Cunningham 9/12, Promontory Mt. Joy 9/26, 7 PM, Adler Plan- ticket exchanges or refunds. postponed until a date to be ater. —JRNLG 8:30 PM, Constellation, live Heidi Kettenring 9/11, 7 PM, etarium Parking Lot, 17+ determined b concert and concurrent live- North Shore Center for the Tim O’Brien Band 9/13, 7 PM, Banda MS 4/30/2021-5/1/2021, Jeremy Pinnell 3/5/2021, stream at youtube.com/user/ Performing Arts, Skokie b livestream at citywinery. 8 PM, Allstate Arena, Rose- 8:30 PM, Carol's Pub, resched- Got a tip? Tweet @Gossip_Wolf or e-mail constellationchicago, 18+ Andrew Kitchen record- com b mont, rescheduled b uled v [email protected]. ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 43 the cannabis platform OPINION a Reader resource for the canna curious
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: I’ve been married for husband has been speak- A: Your husband doesn’t Your partners in health and wellness. Find out today if medical 30 years to the same ing to other women. He want an open relationship, cannabis or infusion therapy is DISCORD, because he right for you. Telemed available! man. I have dealt with his had been meeting other Serving medical cannabis patients since 2015. tantrums, his screaming, women in hotel rooms in doesn’t want you to have www.neuromedici.com 312-772-2313 and his fi ts. He’s always had other cities and all this time the same freedom he does. anger management issues. I believed him about never And while he doesn’t want He strangled me once a few meeting with anyone in per- to be sexual with you for months a er our son was son! He claims he has erec- reasons that have nothing to born and never did it again. tile dysfunction but it was do with erectile dysfunction, I would have le otherwise. clear from the messages I he doesn’t want you seeking He’s had relationships with saw that he is having sex sexual attention—much less other women but always with these other women. So sexual fulfi llment—in the swore it was just online. he’s somehow fucking other arms or inboxes of other Then, a few years back, women despite the erectile men. Which means your I got into a relationship dysfunction that prevents husband sees you not as a with someone online. I him from fucking me?!? human being like him, i.e., never actually met this I’m beside myself a person with needs and person, just as my husband because over 30 years we feelings and agency, but claimed he’d never met built a life together and more like a car he keeps in the women he was talking now I don’t know what my his garage and refuses to to online. I had opened future is going to look like drive and won’t let anyone up to this person about because of this. I can’t pro- else take for a spin. our troubles and I talked vide for myself monetarily. You’re not a car, of course, about my husband’s anger I still work full time but if I and you’re not his proper- To advertise, issues and some other lose this job or retire, Dan, ty. You were also faithful to GET INVOLVED! private things. This person I will have nothing. And we him even as he cheated on call 312-392-2934 or email encouraged me to have both have medical issues. you—even after he assault- [email protected] an aff air but I kept putting I don’t want a divorce ed you—and you stayed in him off . Finally, I told him I because a secure future for this marriage despite being did it, I had an aff air, it was both of us really does hinge deprived of sex and other great, etc. It wasn’t true on us remaining together. forms intimacy. But even if Reader 420 but it seemed like that’s I know for a fact that he’s you guys had been fucking Companion Book what he wanted to hear. still seeing these women on a daily basis for the last About 30 minutes a er I while forbidding me from 30 years, DISCORD, even A cannacopia of fun! told him I got a call from my having even online conver- if your husband wasn’t an CBD / cannabis recipes, psychedelic husband! This person had sations—to say nothing of abusive asshole with anger d awings to color, word puzzles to stimulate sent it all to him! All of our relations—with another man. issues, you would still have your b ain, growing tips, and more! conversations, everything, Neither of us can make it on every right to indulge in every detail. My husband our own. I don’t know what sexual fantasies that don’t Print and digital versions available. fl ipped out, but we worked to do. Why wouldn’t he involve your husband and it out and moved on. want an open relationship? every right to explore those chicagoreader.com/420book Then a few months ago, —D I S fantasies on your own time. right at the start of the pan- C O R Partnered or not, monog- demic, I found out that my D amous or not, we are all
44 CHICA O READER - SEPTEMBER ll OPINION
entitled to a zone of erotic .01 percent of the time, we People don’t just fantasize autonomy. would hear about it con- about sex, of course; people You say divorce isn’t a stantly. We don’t because fantasize about dream jobs, viable option for you, DIS- it isn’t. dream vacations, dream CORD, so I’m gonna recom- But to be on the safe side, weddings. (Wedding fanta- mend a different d-word: DISCORD, you might want sies aren’t about who you’re detach. Make peace with to keep it anonymous. Don’t marrying, but how you’re your circumstances and share your real info with marrying them, e.g., a desti- the best of your living sit- someone you only wanna nation wedding, a traditional uation. Don’t go searching swap hot fantasies with wedding, a nontraditional for evidence that your hus- and never intend to meet wedding, etc.). But when it band is cheating on you, just in person. And when your comes to sex, KINKY, fan- accept that he is. Don’t feel husband is being an asshole tasies are best understood the need to confront him or just generally getting on as scenarios or situations about his fucking hypocrisy, your nerves, DISCORD, you that incorporate important just accept that he’s a huge can fantasize about the sta- elements of a person’s sex- fucking hypocrite. And then, tistical likelihood that you ual desires—desires which DISCORD, just like your will outlive your husband may involve kinks or fetishes husband, go and do what- by many years. Because or may not. Think of fanta- ever and whoever you want. orgasms aren’t the only sies as sexy little movies we You don’t need his permis- sweet release. screen for ourselves in our sion to seek attention else- heads and kinks or fetishes where. And if being honest : I just read your advice as optional plot points and/ about the attention you get for CATMAN, the person or props. elsewhere upsets your hus- who asked if there was a The natural follow-up band—if being honest swap- name for his specifi c and question: What’s the differ- ping dirty texts with other newfound fetish: he wants ence between a kink and a men makes your husband to marry a submissive fetish then? While people and your homelife unbear- bisexual guy and then often use those terms inter- able—then don’t be honest pick up and dominate changeably, KINKY, they about it. Just as he made submissive women together mean different things. Dr. an effort to be discreet in with his guy. As I read it, I Justin Lehmiller recently order to hide the scale of wondered, is this a sexual unpacked the difference on TIRED OF DATING APPS? his cheating and his hypocri- fantasy or is it a fetish? his website Sex & Psychol- sy from you, DISCORD, you Then I wondered what the ogy: “Kink is a very broad Meet people the old-school way. can be discreet in order to diff erence is between a concept that encompasses avoid conflict and drama. fantasy and a fetish. Is there pretty much any form of sex- Get back online, DIS- one? Does it matter? ual expression that falls out- CORD, go make a new —K side of the mainstream. This friend. And just because I N includes the eroticization of that last guy turned out K Y intense sensations (such as to be a sadistic asshole mixing pleasure and pain), who drew you out in order A: What CATMAN playing with power differen- to blow up your life, that described—what CATMAN tials, deriving pleasure from doesn’t mean the next guy was looking for—was inanimate objects, role play- you meet online is going to a relationship. He was ing, and more . . . [whereas] be a sadistic or vindictive fantasizing about his perfect fetishes involve heightened asshole. Billions of people partner and wondering if he attraction to certain objects get online every day to chat was out there somewhere. (like boots and shoes) and/ with strangers and millions Since literally everyone or body parts beyond of people share explicit fan- does that, KINKY, I wouldn’t the genitals (like feet and tasies with strangers every describe fantasizing about armpits).” day. While revenge porn is a perfect partner/partners So, all fetishes are kinks definitely a thing—and defi- as a fetish or a kink. Vanilla but not all kinks are fetish- nitely a crime—it’s almost or mildly kinky or wildly es. I hope that clears things always jilted IRL lovers who kinky, we all want that up! v lash out like the way that perfect match, i.e., a person asshole did. If it was even or people whose sexual Send letters to mail@ remotely common for peo- desires and/or relationship savagelove.net. Download ple to be exposed to their goals parallel our own. And the Savage Lovecast at spouses the way you were a lucky few manage to fi nd savagelovecast.com. exposed to yours, DIS- someone who comes really @fakedansavage FREE at chicagoreader.com/matches CORD, if it happened even close. ll SEPTEMBER - CHICAOREADER 45 conduct medical science industry trading software. partnership rdmaps w/ Time Series Analysis; The Northern Trust to continuously improve JOBS research, collaborate Reqs Master’s or foreign min drctn. Fluent buss Stochastic Process; Company seeks a system performance, GENERAL w/ faculty to develop equiv in Comp Sci or Eng & German, written Linear Regression; Senior Consultant, Risk functionality, and stability. an interdisciplinary related field & 3 yrs & spoken. ** Will be req Principle Component Analytics to develop, Ensure compliance with Do you need a new curriculum, & provide exp developing data to prove prior exp & Analysis; Feature Eng; maintain, and execute audit requirements, salon home? T. Salon University service as modeling software apps. skills &/or acad crswrk sw dev; sw testing. statistical model analysis including change control and Gallery is looking assigned. Requires a Exp must include dev. of w/letrs of employment Apply online: http://www. to estimate loss and procedures and data for a stylist. We’re a DDS or DMD degree or front-end architecture, confirmed from former transmarketgroup.com/ revenue. Ensure quality security. Consult with warm and welcoming its foreign equivalent, JavaScript frameworks emprs, transc & or crswrk careers/ Ref:: DS-025 control of reporting business unit partners Lincoln Square plus 3 yrs of Periodontics incl. ReactJS, Slack des. ***Will accpt suit documentation, model to define priorities and neighborhood salon training & hold or be bots & Slack Web API, combo of edu, traing, Relativity (Chicago, IL) development, and determine effective that provide quality hair eligible to hold an IL SonarQube, Kafka, & & exp. ****15% Travel - seeks a Senior Software results. Work closely software solutions. services at affordable dental license. Travel deployment process 10% Intl 5% Nationally. Engineer responsible for with the model validation, Redesign existing prices. No attitude, no may periodically be builds using Jenkins, Apply using link: https:// the design/confi guration/ model governance, technology, tools, and pretense, just a fun required for conferences Kubernetes & Spinnaker. careers-witronix.icims. testing/implementation/ and audit functions to systems to obtain further environment and great & professional To apply, mail resume to com/jobs/11709/ standardization address all validation effi cacy. Liaise with the work. We are following development. For fullest L. Moore, PEAK6 Group, head-of-business- governance/ fi ndings and audit issues. business to help improve guidelines to prevent consideration, please 141 W Jackson Blvd, Ste development/job located documentation & Serve as a technical efficiency, effectiveness, the spread of COVID-19. submit CV, cvr ltr, & 3 500, Chicago, IL 60604. at 631 E. Boughton Rd, ongoing maintenance/ expert in risk analytics for and productivity of You? 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Submit degree in Statistics, followed by 5 years of to have a following. Got Affirmative Action Duties: teach, advise Bach or for deg equiv resumes to Recruiting@ Business Administration, progressively responsible what it takes? Contact employer. Minorities, students, conduct in CS, CE or rltd fl d & 2 relativity.com, to be or a related field, and 4 experience developing Tori (773) 682-5255 or women, veterans, & & publish research. yrs exp in job offered considered, reference years of experience with software applications for Teresa at 773-490-0650. individuals w/ disabilities Required: PhD in or SW devp or engin Job ID: 20-9005 in the performing statistical alternative investment are encouraged to Marketing, outstanding role; 2 yrs exp w/ EDI subject line. and quantitative vehicles. Experience Seeking Females for apply. 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