Schlesinger and Meyer Department Store. Detail of Madison Street elevation. (Photograph by Thomas Leslie) It was the eventual expansion of Schlesinger & Mayer’s operations that produced the refined statement of […]
The Beautiful Music All Around Us awarded by ARSC
Stephen Wade’s book, The Beautiful Music All Around Us: Field Recordings and the American Experience has been awarded Best History in the 2013 The Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) […]
Skyscraper of the Day, Part 3
Wrigley Building, 510 N. Michigan Avenue, Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White, 1921, view from southeast. (Contemporary postcard, collection of Thomas Leslie) The Wrigley Building’s most striking features, however, were the […]
Skyscraper of the Day, Part 2
Delaware Block, 36 W. Randolph. Wheelock and Thomas, 1874 (extended later). (Photo by Thomas Leslie) Chicago’s soil was a hurdle to tall construction regardless of building type. Chicago rested up […]
Illinois History $2.99 eBook sale
To coincide with the Conference on Illinois History annual meeting September 27, 2013, in Springfield, Illinois, we are offering eBook versions of three University of Illinois Press titles on sale for $2.99. […]
UIP’s World of Bluegrass $2.99 eBook sale
To coincide with the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass event September 24-28, 2013, in Raleigh, North Carolina, we are offering eBook versions of three University of Illinois Press titles on sale for […]
UIP’s World of Bluegrass $2.99 eBook sale
To coincide with the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass event September 24-28, 2013, in Raleigh, North Carolina, we are offering eBook versions of three University of Illinois Press titles on sale for […]
Q&A with Gary Westfahl, author of Modern Masters of Science Fiction series book William Gibson
Gary Westfahl is an adjunct professor teaching in the Writing Program at the University of La Verne. His many publications on science fiction include the three-volume Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science […]
Skyscraper of the Day, Part 1
Mather Tower, 75 E. Wacker. Herbert Hugh Riddle, 1928. View from north. (Photograph by Thomas Leslie) No tower had been built to such slender proportions, and there were few opportunities […]
Read an excerpt from Pretty Good for a Girl
PopMatters has posted an excerpt from Murphy Hicks Henry’s book about influential and often overlooked women in bluegrass, Pretty Good for a Girl. The first book devoted entirely to women in bluegrass, […]
Citizens in the Present editor reflects on civil rights legacy
As the work of civil rights leaders was celebrated during the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, many—including President Obama—reflected on the differences between youth activists today and those in […]
Happy birthday, Charlie Parker
Jazz giant Charlie “Bird” Parker was born on August 29, 1920 in Kansas City. During his short life—he died at age 34—Parker became one of the most influential figures in […]