When Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock announced he’d be resigning from the U.S. Congress it was seen by many as yet another example of the state’s seamy political underbelly. As detailed in […]
Category: Illinois / regional
Campaign cash and Corrupt Illinois
Political corruption isn’t just about under-the-table dealings. A major factor that contributes to a system that many see as broken in the state of Illinois and throughout the country is […]
Q&A with Midwest Maize author Cynthia Clampitt
Food historian and travel writer Cynthia Clampitt recently answered some questions about her book Midwest Maize: How Corn Shaped the U.S. Heartland. Q: What was the importance of corn to […]
A video preview of The Land of Milk and Uncle Honey
“Back then farming was people,” says Alan Guebert. Guebert has written about agribusiness issues in “The Farm and Food File” since 1993. But the syndicated columnist notes that he would […]
Q&A with Before the Ivy author Laurent Pernot
Laurent Pernot is the executive vice chancellor of the City Colleges of Chicago. Pernot came to the U.S. as a Chicago-area foreign-exchange student in 1988 and caught ’89 Cubs playoff fever. […]
800 thousand dollars in shoe boxes
Authors Thomas J. Gradel and Dick Simpson document many colorful and dubious characters in their book Corrupt Illinois. An example (on page 1 of the book, even) would be former […]
Chicago is ‘undoubtedly the most corrupt city in our nation’
In recent history 4 governors and 33 Chicago aldermen have been jailed in Illinois. No wonder the authors of Corrupt Illinois, Patronage, Cronyism, and Criminality make the dire claims as […]
Best of Illinois: Turn the page
Oft-imitated, rarely surpassed, The Best of Illinois: Vol. 1 catalog provides one-stop shopping for the best books on all facets of the ever-fascinating Land of Lincoln. Shrooms, the Mafia, music […]
Noteworthy anniversary
Today marks the 196th anniversary of Illinois becoming a part of the United States. Not yet the Land of Lincoln—the Railsplitter had just turned nine the previous winter—Illinois forever left […]
The winter mushroom, Flammulina velutipes
Flammulina velutipes (Curtis) Singer Edible, but tough. Despite appearances, the commercially produced “enoki” mushroom found in many grocery stores is a cultivated form of this mushroom. One of the best-known […]
Best of Illinois: Food goes here
Whether you want to feed the mind or the body, the UI Press steadily serves up titles in food studies and culinary history that offer astounding insights on our eats. Indeed, we wouldn’t […]
Best of Illinois: Exploring nature and finding fungus
The Best of Illinois regional catalog highlights some Press titles that focus on Midwestern subjects including history, art, architecture, food, politics, music and more. Three titles that focus on natural […]