Tag Archives: Chicago

October 11, 2017

Sausage in Chicago history

Posted by rkcunningham
in Chicago, food | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Sausage in Chicago history

In an era where you may find any sort of foodstuff on your gourmet pizza, the classic za with sausage not only gets overlooked, but looked upon suspiciously, as if one is ordering something called a Cannibalism Special off the … Continue reading →

August 10, 2017

The Food’s The Story

Posted by michael
in Chicago, Exploring Illinois, food, forthcoming books, Illinois / regional, miscellaneous, travel | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Food’s The Story

While on the UI Chicago campus this week, we had the distinct pleasure of visiting the current Special Collections and University Archives exhibit at the library: “The Food’s The Story.” The compact exhibit space features the nearly 90-year history of … Continue reading →

May 1, 2017

Saluting the opening of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition

Posted by rkcunningham
in Chicago, Illinois / regional | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Saluting the opening of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition

On May 1, 1893, the World’s Columbian Exposition opened in Chicago and soon took its place among the magnificent public entertainments of the modern age. The following is an excerpt from Chicago’s Grand Midway, by Norman Bolotin with Christine Laing, a walking tour … Continue reading →

January 3, 2017

Release Party: Neoliberal Chicago, edited by Larry Bennett, Roberta Garner, and Euan Hague

Posted by rkcunningham
in Chicago, politics | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Release Party: Neoliberal Chicago, edited by Larry Bennett, Roberta Garner, and Euan Hague

The neoliberal philosophy of fiscal austerity aligned with reduced economic regulation has transformed Chicago. As pursued by mayor Rahm Emanuel and his predecessor Richard M. Daley, neoliberal thinking has led officials to gut regulations and social services, privatize everything from … Continue reading →

July 22, 2016

200 Years of Illinois: The Other Airship Disaster

Posted by rkcunningham
in Chicago, Illinois / regional | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on 200 Years of Illinois: The Other Airship Disaster

Yesterday marked an unusual 97th anniversary. On July 21, 1919, an airship owned by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber cruised over Chicago, a pair of training runs that interested and delighted the people on the ground and in the city’s … Continue reading →

February 9, 2016

A less than perfect murder

Posted by rkcunningham
in american history, Chicago | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on A less than perfect murder

How to get away with the perfect murder is one of those bull session perennials, a topic of unending fascination. Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, a pair of University of Chicago students, took the matter a little too seriously. Convinced … Continue reading →

October 27, 2015

Excelsior! continued

Posted by rkcunningham
in architecture, Chicago | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Excelsior! continued

You night think a skyline would maintain a certain consistency, an unchanging nature that reflected the fact that building a skyscraper is one of humanity’s more complex undertakings. Yet recent newsicles tell us that the most storied skyline of all, Chicago’s, … Continue reading →

September 3, 2015

Happy National Skyscraper Day

Posted by rkcunningham
in architecture, Chicago | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Happy National Skyscraper Day

Once rare wonders of the world targeted by giant apes, skyscrapers have become an indelible aspect of the urban experience. Their majesty inspires local pride, their beauty elicits amazement, and their daring/obnoxious designs spark debate. No city is more identified … Continue reading →

February 27, 2015

Birthday wishes to James T. Farrell

Posted by rkcunningham
in American literature | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Birthday wishes to James T. Farrell

James T. Farrell’s childhood coincided with a period in history when “real” Americans considered the Irish colorful—and usually undesirable—exotics. His omnibus novel Studs Lonigan and collection Chicago Stories reflected the Irish-American experience of a generation of people who worked themselves to exhaustion, and death, to attain … Continue reading →

February 16, 2015

Diamonds are a reader’s best friend

Posted by rkcunningham
in american history, Chicago, sports history | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Diamonds are a reader’s best friend

We have entered that mid-February time when catchers and pitchers report to spring training to prepare for the baseball season. To don the tools of ignorance. To pretend to run wind sprints in the outfield. To cadge a couple of … Continue reading →