I see a schism occurring in art being made in Chicago. And I doubt most artists who work on one side of the divide or the other even know. Let me offer some perspective.

The same things that imprint citizens of Chicago imprint the artists too. And so far it...

Julia Sweeney stopped by The Interview Show, hosted by Mark Bazer, to discuss her one-woman show (now on Showtime) Letting Go of God, her career, her move to Chicago and the character Pat and more. Excerpts of the interview are below:

The next Interview Show is Dec. 4, 2009,...

Rahm Emmanuel is famously noted as saying, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." This week, those words are especially pertinent as State and Federal agencies have begun poisoning a nearly 6-mile stretch of...

An e-mail alert from MoveOn just landed on my desk. Here's the headline: "Will Roland Burris save the public option?"

The alert goes on to say: "Right now, Senate Democrats are locked in round-the-clock negotiations that could decide the fate of the public health insurance option. A deal could come...

Like most Americans, I was quite disturbed to discover that a couple allegedly crashed the White House State Dinner and that they met our president and vice president.

In these times of war at home and abroad, security is clearly a must.

However, I suspect that something sinister...

Forty years ago, on December 4, 1969, 21-year-old Fred Hampton, a charismatic leader of the Illinois Black Panther Party, was murdered as he slept in his home on Chicago's West Side. Shortly before dawn, fourteen armed police officers, ostensibly serving a search warrant, shot nearly one hundred rounds of ammunition...

Democratic candidate for governor Dan Hynes this week unveiled his plan to create jobs in Illinois.

"To succeed, Illinois needs a dynamic change in direction," Hynes said in his announcement. "Our state needs innovative leadership and innovative policies that are geared toward creating an innovative economy. Illinois needs a Clean...

As we watch the economy start to twitch, showing signs of recovery, we hear a lot about "leading indicators." The stock market is a leading indicator, rising ahead of the general economy. Sadly, we are told, employment may well be a lagging indicator, with businesses wanting to make sure a...

I write as a member of the "menopausal militia," as the New York Times*, quoting NARAL's President, Nancy Keenan, characterized those of us "of a certain age" who have led America's decades-long fight for reproductive rights.

But, today, on this National Day of Action (to stop Stupak), I...

President Barack Obama should urge House and Senate negotiators to end the ban against federal funding for syringe exchange in order to curb HIV and viral hepatitis infections in the US. This was his position as a candidate for the White House and the position he reiterated upon assuming office...

Shouldering in a new restaurant in the City of Big Shoulders is never easy, but the Sandoval brothers have not only found some space on Kinzie Street for Mercadito, but they're widening their stance. (Never mind the one-star review by the Chicago Tribune, this place is bouncing and...

This week, the Federal Trade Commission will be convening a high-level hearing in D.C. looking at "How Will Journalism Survive The Internet Age."

Media giants like Rupert Murdoch and Arianna Huffington will likely slug it out on pay walls, copyrights and the prospect of

Black Friday is behind us and holiday decorations are popping up, but the Midwestern snow is stubbornly holding off.

As radio and television ads become relentlessly holiday themed, retailers hope shoppers can help get them back in the black by New Year's Eve.

To help...

As the Senate gears up for floor debate on its health care reform bill, Illinois Senator Roland Burris says he's through making concessions. "I've already compromised because, you see, I was for a single payer system," he says plainly from his Capitol Hill office. Now he insists that he will...

Michael Scott was a political operative wonder.

The ultimate dealmaker. He was everybody's friend, well liked, connected and committed. He negotiated, and he was solution-oriented. He was the essence of a homegrown Chicago guy. He never held elected office but was the consummate politician. He was an empowerer. Mike was...

The Holidays are a time for fellowship and coming home. It's a time where families join together and are reminded of what they have. But for many of the families of our brave men and women, it's a difficult and poignant reminder that they're spending one more holiday away from...

Every night when I turn off the light, I conjure up an image: a summer's day in Satellite Beach, Florida, the surf three to four feet, a slight offshore breeze, I wheel my board around to paddle into a wave. Two strokes at precisely the right time as the wave...

Did you ever try to get reimbursed at work for business travel expenses? It's usually not too complicated. You turn in your receipts. You fill out a form with some basic information about your trip. You get the proper person in the office to sign off on the document. And...

Twenty-one lives. Somebody had to pay.

And it might even seem like common sense for a housing court judge to sentence E2 club owners Dwain Kyles and Calvin Hollins to serve an unprecedented two years in prison for the tragic deaths of those club-goers on Feb. 17, 2002. Anybody who...