Tag Archives: Chicago
This protest needs more tubas
Scientists have the best signs. Unions are the most organized. Federal workers are just…sad. Trans folks make accommodations for disabled people. Woman are savage. We’re the protesters. We’re the ones saving empty boxes for a clever sign. We’re the ones writing the name of an emergency contact on our leg with a sharpie. We’re the […]
This night’s for us
In 2016, on the eve of the Democratic National Convention, I wrote a post about my grandmother, who—born before women had the right to vote—hadn’t lived to see the first women nominated for president. That post was titled This Night’s for You, Gram. Now in 2024, the DNC is in my city, Chicago, and we […]
And then we said “What the hell, let’s get the cats a new apartment”
I live with three dudes. Only one of them has intact testicles. There’s the dude I married. (More on him later.) And then there’s Shinto. When we lost our cat Janacek, a sweet old boy remarkable only for his shedding, we went to the shelter looking for a similar cat. We asked the attendant to […]
Wabash Arts Corridor—much better than a hole in your eye
You may recall from my last post that when HOB and I were in the marvelous Rookery building, he spied a glasses shop. Soon after he made an appointment with an optometrist there, because, as he told me “I think I have a hole in my eye”. And damn it if he didn’t—for real—have a […]
Find the rooks (and a dorky bat) in The Rookery
Hey, WOB, how do I find The Rookery in Chicago? Well, dearest reader, you will find The Rookery on LaSalle, between Adams and Quincy. If you’re me—meaning you’re lucky—you can visit on your lunch break. Easy enough just to casually walk by and check it out from across the street. You’re probably going to want […]
Brighton Park: Parisian novelties, Flemish rooflines and Mexican submarines
Though I’ve lived in Chicago since 1994, this was the first time I’ve visited the Brighton Park neighborhood. I was not expecting Parisian Novelty. This is where we jumped off the bus, 17 miles south of our neighborhood, Rogers Park. The Parisian Novelty Company dates from 1898 and—back in the day—made trendy celluloid cases and […]
Leaving the Garden of Eden
At work I was known as a lifer. Museum work is exciting and I was living the dream of being in the center of the multi-disciplinary art world. I sought cultural capital, and for almost 25 years, I found it. A few months ago I walked out of meeting and said to myself “You’re not […]
My Art Institute of Chicago Squishy Jesus tour
In the late 90’s I worked at the Art Institute of Chicago for a few months. I was hired to work a variety of visitor services roles but was never actually trained for them: the AIC just dropped me off in the coat check and the other staff showed me what to do. Everything we […]
Tacos in the parking lot: how we do street food in Chicago
Last fall it was our 25th anniversary and HOB asked me how I wanted to celebrate, and I was like, “Hmmmm…I think I want to eat something in a parking lot while standing over a trash can.” We ended up eating dumplings from the food court in this ginormous grocery store. Due to various annoying […]
Frank Lloyd Wright’s System Built Houses in Illinois
There was a time, from 1911 – 1916, when Frank Lloyd Wright came up with a system to make beautifully designed houses accessible for middle-class folks. The idea of a Frank Lloyd Wright home being considered “affordable housing” is kind of hilarious. These days his homes are for rich people; really rich people. Wright was […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 