Eight Forty-Eight—March 31, 2005 |

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Courtroom 302
Steve Bogira—Staff Writer, Chicago Reader
We go inside the Cook County criminal courthouse at 26th and California with Chicago journalist Steve Bogira, author of the acclaimed book, Courtroom 302: A Year Behind the Scenes in an American Criminal Courthouse (Knopf, 2005). |
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The Future of the Fine Arts Building
Originally aired March 31, 2005, on our news broadcasts
Tony Sarabia—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
The Fine Arts Building in Chicago's Loop has been sold, and artists who rent space there hope it remains an affordable haven. The owner says he won't convert it to condos, but he has a somewhat controversial record at his Flatiron Building in Wicker Park.
The Fine Arts Building is located at 410 South Michigan Avenue. |
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Secrets of Italian Cooking
Giada De Laurentiis—Chef
Steve Dolinsky—Food Contributor
With pristine ingredients and the right tools, you can cook fine Italian at home. So says the Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis, author of Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes (Clarkson Potter, 2005).
Contributor Steve Dolinsky is a food and lifestyle reporter for ABC Channel Seven in Chicago. |
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Chicago Matters: Money Talks: Rolls Royce Rings, Gold Teeth, and Other Financial Investments—Dan Lebo
Originally aired March 30, 2005, during our news broadcasts
Dan Lebo works on Chicago's rough west side helping run the family business—a pawn shop. From women seeking cash for their kids' school supplies to sons pawning valuables stolen from fathers, day after day, Lebo has a unique window into people's lives...all over the exchange of money.
This segment is one of the Chicago Matters "Stories of Five Dollars and Other Amounts." To hear more of them as well as related reports and documentaries, please visit the Chicago Matters: Money Talks Audio Library >> |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 30, 2005 |

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Northerly Island Update—Friends of Meigs Field
Steve Whitney—President, Friends of Meigs Field
Is there room on Northerly Island for both planes and parks? The Friends of Meigs Field think so. And they say their proposal would generate far more revenue than the Chicago Park District's plans for a temporary summer concert venue on the site.
Related Link
Friends of Meigs Field |
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Northerly Island Update—Grant Park Advisory Council
Bob O'Neill—President, Grant Park Advisory Council
For another perspective on what to do with the lakefront land formerly occupied by Meigs Field, we turn to the president of the Grant Park Advisory Council, Bob O'Neill.
Music Button: The Kinks, “I'm on an Island,” Kinks Kontroversy (Castle, 1965) |
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Biking in Chicagoland
Rob Sadowsky—Executive Director, Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
Chicago has earned national attention for its bike-friendly policies. But the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation says the entire region can do even better. Executive Director Rob Sadowsky tells us about the Federation's “Healthy Streets” initiative.
The second annual Chicagoland Bicycle Federation conference, “Healthy Streets,” takes place Friday & Saturday, April 1 & 2, 2005.
Music Button: Queen, “Bicycle Race,” Jazz (Hollywood Records, 1978)
Related Link
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation |
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Kabuki Lady Macbeth
Jonathan Abarbanel—Theater Contributor
Kelly Kleiman—Contributor, Hello Beautiful!
Our dueling theater critics, Kelly Kleiman and Jonathan Abarbanel, duke it out over director Shozo Sato's Kabuki Lady Macbeth at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
The production continues through May 1, 2005, at Chicago Shakespeare Theater—800 East Grand Avenue on Navy Pier in Chicago. |
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Piano Dude
Mark Miller—Music Teacher
From his studio in northwest suburban Barrington, Mark Miller has taught piano to students as far away as London. So how does he do it? Host Steve Edwards gives it a whirl from our grand piano in Chicago Public Radio's performance studio. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 29, 2005 |

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Low Candidate Turnout
David Orr—Clerk, Cook County
A week from the 2005 municipal elections, some Chicago-area suburbs are wondering where all the candidates are hiding. Cook County clerk David Orr discusses why some County races have had difficulty attracting candidates.
Music Button: Una, “Bob Le Flambeur,” An Instrumental Thing (Polygram, 1996) |
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Suburban School Referenda
Carolyn Waller—Staff Writer, Daily Herald
An increasing number of Illinois school districts are heading toward financial crisis. So from Palatine to Plainfield, many Chicago suburbs are pinning their hopes on tax hike referenda. We take a look at some of the measures on the 2005 ballot.
Music Button: Augustus Pablo, “Sounds from Levi,” East of the River Nile (Shanachie, 2002) |
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Uplift Community School Update—Student Recruitment
Originally aired March 29, 2005, on our news broadcasts
Jay Field—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
What are the challenges of starting a new public school? Chicago Public Radio's Jay Field begins a series of reports tracking the progress of Uplift Community School, scheduled to open in fall 2005 in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood.
Uplift is one of the first new schools in the city's Renaissance 2010 program, which aims to open 100 new schools by the year, 2010.
Music Button: Teenage Fanclub, “Belt,” An Instrumental Thing (Polygram, 1996) |
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Medical Update
Dr. Quentin Young—Medical Contributor
How did Illinoisans fare during the 2004-05 flu season? Medical contributor Dr. Quentin Young joins us to assess that as well as a health care plan proposed by Cook County commissioner Forrest Claypool.
Music Button: Radian, “Transistor,” Juxtaposition (Thrill Jockey, 2004) |
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Asthma Capital of the Country
Dr. Karen Malamut—Director, Asthma Van, Mobile CARE Foundation
Dr. Prentiss Taylor—Vice President and Medical Director, AMERIGROUP Illinois
Chicago is ground zero in the fight against childhood asthma, suffering from the highest childhood asthma rate in the nation. Two experts join us to discuss the triggers and treatments for the disease.
Music Button: Shark Quest, “Five Dollars,” Battle of the Loons (Merge, 2003) |
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Dental Renegade
Dr. Dan Pollyea—Physician in Residence, University of Chicago Hospitals
Sports beverages such as Gatorade may cause more damage to tooth enamel than soda, but Chicago physician and avid runner Dan Pollyea isn't making a dentist appointment just yet.
Music Button: Rae and Christian, “Straight, No Filter (Only Child Remix),” Another Late Night (Kinetic Records, 2001) |
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Listener Comments
We read from some of your letters and e-mails. You can drop us a note at 848@ChicagoPublicRadio.org. |
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Singer-Songwriter Sally Timms
Sally Timms—Musician
Known for her work with the Chicago-based band, the Mekons, Sally Timms is in the solo spotlight with a collection of songs written by men about women. The album, she tells us, is a personal journey into love, loss, family, and gender.
Album Information
In the World of Him (Touch and Go Records, 2004)
Music Featured at End of Segment: Sally Timms, “Little Tommy Tucker,” In the World of Him, (Touch and Go Records, 2004) |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 28, 2005
With guest host Tony Sarabia |

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Business Update
David Greising—Business Contributor
The struggle over the fate of Chicago Sun-Times parent Hollinger International continues, with Lord Conrad Black attempting to take full control of the company. Contributor David Greising joins us to discuss that and other top business stories.
Greising is chief business correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.
Music Button: Mark Farina with Starving Artists Crew, “He Kick Clap,” Mushroom Jazz, Volume Five (O.M. Records, 2005) |
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Wi-fi in North Lawndale
Mike Rhee—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
More and more municipalities are trying to foster new business development by investing in wireless Internet grids. Chicago Public Radio's Mike Rhee visits Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood to see how wi-fi is connecting that community. |
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Wi-fi Push in Chicago
Jonathan Lipman—Staff Writer, Daily Southtown
Steve Edwards—Regular Host, Eight Forty-Eight
Several Chicago aldermen have been advocating the idea of a city-wide wireless Internet network, raising questions about public ownership of wi-fi grids. The Daily Southtown's Jonathan Lipman has been covering the issue on the City Hall beat.
Music Button: Aphex Twin, “Untitled,” Warp 10+3 Remixes (Matador Records, 1994) |
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Women's History Month Essay
Aaron Freeman—Writer and Contributor
As we near the end of Women's History Month 2005, contributor Aaron Freeman reflects on some great Chicago women and the scientific, cultural, and social revolutions they helped inspire.
Freeman is a comedian and journalist in Chicago.
Music Button: Soulstance, “Inspired by Antonio Carlos,” Truth, Simplicity, and Love (Narada, 2001) |
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Sports Update
Cheryl Raye-Stout—Sports Contributor
With a victory many are calling one of the greatest comebacks in NCAA history, the Fighting Illini are in the Final Four. We discuss this, the Bulls' playoff hopes, and how the Cubs and Sox are shaping up with contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout.
Music Button: Candido, “Candido's Funk,” Pulp Fusion Evolution (Harmless, 2001) |
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Chicago Matters: Money Talks: The Cost of a Proper Homegoing: An Akan Perspective
Jemimah Noonoo—Participant, Ear to the Ground Mentorship Program
Many African American families refer to funerals as “homegoings,” a term deriving from the belief that deceased people have moved on to their heavenly homes. Jemimah Noonoo reports on what a homegoing implies for Ghanaians living in Chicago.
This segment was produced as part of the Chicago Matters: Money Talks Ear to the Ground mentorship program.
Music Button: Fred Everything, “Afro Loft Theme,” O.M. 100: Celebration of 100th Release on O.M. Records (O.M. Records, 2002) |
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Vietnam Veterans' History
Originally broadcast June 25, 2001
Gerald Nicosia—Author
Studs Terkel—Special Contributor
To mark the anniversary of U.S. troop withdrawal from Vietnam, we revisit special contributor Studs Terkel's conversation with Chicagoan Gerald Nicosia, author of Home to War: A History of the Vietnam Veterans Movement (Crown, 2001).
U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam on March 29, 1973. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 25, 2005 |

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Month in Review
Madeline Doubek—Daily Herald
David Greising—Chicago Tribune
Lester Munson—Sports Illustrated
The Daily Herald's Madeline Doubek, Chicago Tribune's Daive Greising, and Sports Illustrated's Lester Munson join us to discuss the month's top stories.
Music Button: Michael Colina, “Man through the Day,” Electro Soul (Emperor Norton, 2000) |
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The Jesus Creed
Scott McKnight—Professor, Religious Studies, North Park University
Jason DeRose—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
One of the most important teachings of Jesus is to love God and love others as yourself. Scott McNight examines this simple, yet powerful message in his book The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others (Paraclete Press, 2004).
Music Button: Broadway Project, “Who's to Blame,” Compassion (Esl Records, 2001) |
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Out of State Athlete Taxes
The State Legislature is considering a measure that would get more taxes from out of state athletes that play games at Illinois based stadiums and arenas. Illinois Public Radio's Amanda Vinicky has the story.
Music Button: Claire Hamill, “Baseball Blues,” Baseball's Greatest Hits, Part Two |
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Film Review
Jonathan Miller—Film Contributor
Contributor Jonanthan Miller talks about the long awaited Chicago debut of the epic story The Best of Youth.
The Best of Youth begins April 1, 2005 at the Music Box—3733 North Southport Avenue, Chicago. |
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World Acoustic Series
David Roche—Executive Director, Old Town School of Folk Music
Edward Lifson—Host, Hello Beautiful!
The Old Town School of Folk Music begins a three week series called World Acoustics. Well known artists from around the world will appear to perform music from their homelands. David Roche of the Old Town School of Folk Music tells us more.
Rajeev Taranath and Abhiman Kaushal will perform at 8 pm on March 25, 2005 at The Old Town School of Folk Music—4544 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago.
Related Link
Old Town School of Folk Music |
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46664
Thuli Dumakude—Choreographer, Muntu Dance Theatre
Joan Gray—Artistic Director, Muntu Dance Theatre
Amaniyea Payne—President, Muntu Dance Theatre
The Muntu Dance Theatre presents the world premiere of 46664, which is the prison identification number of Nelson Mandela and explores the issues of HIV and AIDS. The performance is a celebration of life and the resiliency of the human spirit.
46664 will premiere at 8 pm on Saturday, March 26, 2005 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance—205 East Randolph Street, Chicago.
Related Link
Muntu Dance Theatre |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 24, 2005 |

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Terror Suspect Ibrahim Parlak
Alex Kotlowitz—Author and Journalist
What happens when your friend and neighbor is suddenly accused of being a terrorist? Many in Harbert, Michigan, have been wrestling with this since summer 2004, when popular restaurant owner Ibrahim Parlak was arrested for immigration violations.
Guest Alex Kotlowitz explores this story in the cover story of the March 20, 2005, New York Times magazine. Kotlowitz is a producer for our series, Chicago Matters: Money Talks >>
Music Button: Blue States, “Colouration,” Man Mountain (Esl Records, 2002) |
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The Myth of the Perfect Mother
Al Gini—Resident Philosopher
As exemplified by the popularity of TV's Desperate Housewives, the pressures facing modern mothers are a hot topic. Resident philosopher Al Gini has long studied the relationship between work and family, and he joins us to weigh in on the debate.
Book Discussed
Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety by Judith Warner (Riverhead Hardcover, 2005)
Gini is a professor of philosophy and business ethics at Loyola University Chicago. He's also cofounder and associate editor of Business Ethics Quarterly, the journal of the Society for Business Ethics.
Music Button: Ursula 1000, “Tigerbeat,” Kinda Kinky (Esl Records, 2002) |
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Female Executive Chefs
Steve Dolinsky—Food Contributor
Our observation of Women's History Month continues with food contributor Steve Dolinsky, who sits down with three Chicago-area, female executive chefs about the hurdles they've had to overcome in order to run a restaurant.
Dolinsky is a food reporter for ABC Channel Seven.
Music Button: Exotic Guitars, “Melody of Love,” Sonic Lounge (Ranwood Records, 2000) |
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Chicago Matters: Money Talks: All the Pigs in Denmark Will Be Dead—Ted Fishman
Originally aired March 23, 2005, during our news broadcasts
Money isn't everything—except when you're a trader in Chicago.
Ted Fishman was a trader for almost nine years back in the 1980s. He fell into it by accident, looking to try it out for awhile before applying to law school. He was quickly swept up in the adrenaline rush of streaming numbers, waving hands, and ruthless competition for every dollar. Soon Ted was making money hand over fist. But he was losing touch with his own best sentiments.
This segment is one of the Chicago Matters “Stories of Five Dollars and Other Amounts.” To hear more of them as well as related reports and documentaries, please visit the Chicago Matters: Money Talks Audio Library >> |
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Sports Update
Cheryl Raye-Stout—Sports Contributor
Fighting Illini fans are gearing up for the third round of the 2005 NCAA tournament, as their number one-ranked team takes on the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Panthers at the Allstate Arena in northwest suburban Rosemont. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 23, 2005 |

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Chicagoland's Shifting Demographics
Kenneth Johnson—Professor of Sociology, Loyola University Chicago
From 2000 to 2003, population grew in the collar counties, but fell in Chicago. And in fact, Cook County lost more people than any other county in the U.S. That's according to an analysis led by Loyola University demographer Kenneth Johnson.
Music Button: Dubtribe Sound System, “Hasta Luego Mi Hermano,” Bryant Street (Jive, 1999) |
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Latinos and the Pentecostal Church
Edwin Hernandez—Director, Center for the Study of Latino Religion; Institute for Latino Studies, University of Notre Dame
Why are many Latinos leaving Catholic parishes for pentecostal churches? Notre Dame professor Edwin Hernandez talks with host Steve Edwards about the changing religious beliefs of Latinos in America.
Music Button: St. Germain, “Land of...,” Tourist (Blue Note Records, 2000) |
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The Best-kept Museum Secret in Chicago
Originally broadcast March 20, 2005, on Hello Beautiful!
James Yood—Visual Arts Critic, Hello Beautiful!
Tucked away in Rogers Park, the Martin D'Arcy Museum of Art houses Loyola University Chicago's Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque art. As the museum gets ready to move, we explore the collection with Hello Beautiful! contributor Jim Yood.
The Martin D'Arcy Museum of Art closes on May 16, 2005, and it's scheduled to reopen in October 2005 as the Loyola University Museum of Art at the Lewis Towers—820 North Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago.
Contributor James Yood is a professor of art history, theory, and criticism at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Related Link
Martin D'Arcy Museum of Art—Loyola University Chicago |
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Horticulturist Adam Schwerner
Originally broadcast March 13, 2005, on Hello Beautiful!
Adam Schwerner—Director of Horticulture, Chicago Park District
Edward Lifson—Host, Hello Beautiful!
A driving force behind Chicago's floral rebirth, Park District director of horticulture Adam Schwerner tells Hello Beautiful! host Edward Lifson about the city's parks and the colors en mode for spring 2005 greenery.
| Related Events |
Garfield Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show
Through May 15, 2005
Garfield Park Conservatory
300 Central Park Avenue
Chicago |
Lincoln Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show
Through May 15, 2005
Lincoln Park Conservatory
2391 North Stockton Drive
Chicago |
Related Links
Chicago Park District
Garfield Park Conservatory
Music Button: Jump with Joey, “Look Away,” Strictly for You, Volume One (Rykodisc, 1995) |
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Summers Past and Love Lost
Karen Lothan—Writer
Looking forward to warmer weather, we bring you this essay by writer Karen Lothan. |
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eta Celebrates 30 Years
Abena Joan Brown—Founder, eta Creative Arts Foundation
Sylvia Ewing—Producer
Started by businesswoman and artist Abena Joan Brown, the eta Creative Arts Foundation has been a curator and educator of black culture and African American arts since 1971. Brown joins us as part of our celebration of Women's History Month.
The production, Runaway Home, continues through April 23, 2005, at the eta Creative Arts Foundation—7558 South South Chicago Avenue in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood.
Related Link
eta Creative Arts Foundation |
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Jazz Pianist and Educator Ron Surace
Ron Surace—Musician and Educator
Dan Bindert—Host and Producer, Chicago Public Radio Jazz Programming
In a city known for jazz trios, pianist Ron Surace, bassist Tatsu Aoki, and drummer Dave Pavkovic have carved out quite a following. Surace stops by to reflect on teaching jazz and to tell us about the ensemble's release, Trio City Two.
Full Album Information
Trio City Two: The Return of the Trio (Southport Records, 2004)
Music Featured at Beginning of Segment: Ron Surace, “Caravan,” Trio City Two: The Return of the Trio (Southport Records, 2004) |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 22, 2005 |

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Pritzker Towers Good Enough?
Ned Cramer—Curator, Chicago Architecture Foundation
Edward Lifson—Host, Hello Beautiful!
The namesake of architecture's most prestigious award, the Chicago-based Pritzker family is building a 49-story skyscraper next to the Sears Tower to house the offices of its Hyatt empire. But the plans aren't shaking out as initially expected. |
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Driehaus Architecture Winner Quinlan Terry
Quinlan Terry—Architect
Ed Keegan—Architecture Contributor
We take to the streets of Chicago with British architect Quinlan Terry, recipient of the 2005 Richard H. Driehaus Prize for Classical Architecture. Contributor Ed Keegan picks Terry's brain on the design and craftsmanship of the city's buildings.
Keegan is a contributing editor of Architecture magazine.
Music Button: Soulstance, “Theme from Abbadesse's Street,” Truth, Simplicity, and Love (Narada, 2001) |
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Skilling's Spring Forecast
Tom Skilling—Chief Meteorologist, WGN Channel Nine
When will spring finally be sprung? WGN Channel Nine's Tom Skilling joins us with his long-range seasonal forecast for 2005.
Music Button: Karrin Allyson, “It Might as Well Be Spring,” I Didn't Know about You (Concord Records, 1993) |
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The Wall on the Lakefront Bike Path
Aaron Freeman—Writer and Contributor
As walkers, runners, and cyclists get ready to swarm Chicago's lakefront bike path, contributor Aaron Freeman offers some thoughts about one particular spot along the route.
Freeman is a comedian and journalist in Chicago.
Music Button: Greyboy, “Texas Twister,” Freestylin' (Ubiquity, 1997) |
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Water Runoff Problems
The streets, parking lots, and sidewalks that accompany rapid development force rainwater into sewers, where it often picks up pollutants. And as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Lester Graham reports, the trend has some planning experts worried.
Related Link
Great Lakes Radio Consortium
Music Button: Tortoise, “Four-Day Interval,” TNT (Thrill Jockey, 1998) |
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Author Shelli Johnson
Shelli Johnson—Author
Judy Valente—Contributor
A conversation with Shelli Johnson about the stigma of self-publishing and about her award-winning debut novel, Small as a Mustard Seed (Self-published, 2004)
Related Link
Story Week Festival of Writers—Columbia College Chicago |
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Ravinia 2005
James Conlon—Music Director, Ravinia Festival
One of the most in-demand conductors in the world, James Conlon is taking the reins of the oldest outdoor music festival in North America: the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park. Maestro Conlon joins us to talk about his plans for the 2005 season.
Related Link
Ravinia Festival
Music Featured at Beginning of Segment: Chicago Symphony Orchestra, “Academic Festival Overture in C Minor,” Brahms: Symphony No. 2 (Penguin, 1999) |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 21, 2005 |

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Illinois Gaming Board Reconvenes
Jay Stewart—Executive Director, Better Government Association
Governor Rod Blagojevich has filled three vacancies on the state gaming board, giving it enough members to constitute a quorum for the first time since August 2004. And among the board's agenda items is the fate of the state's tenth casino license.
Music Button: Money Mark, “Glitch in da System,” Change Is Coming (Emperor Norton, 2001)
Related Link
Better Government Association |
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Business Update
David Greising—Business Contributor
Rising oil prices and interest rates, the Sears-Kmart merger, and the Boeing trade battle—contributor David Greising stops by to discuss these and other top business stories.
Greising is chief business correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.
Music Button: Howie B, “Twilight,” Another Late Night: Mixed by Howie B (Azuli Records, 2001) |
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Author Sandra Cisneros
Sandra Cisneros—Author
Ray Salazar—Writer and Contributor
The award-winning, Chicago-born author of The House on Mango Street, Caramelo, and Woman Hollering Creek: And Other Stories sits down with contributor Ray Salazar.
Music Button: Mark Farina, “Cali Spaces,” Mushroom Jazz Five (O.M. Records, 2005)
Related Link
Story Week Festival of Writers—Columbia College Chicago |
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Chicago Matters: Money Talks: Temping Full-time
Dulce Maria Mora—Participant, Ear to the Ground Mentorship Program
The top priority for many undocumented immigrants is to find work. Temporary agencies can offer immediate, language-friendly help, but many undocumented workers soon encounter difficulties. Dulce Maria Mora tells us about one woman's experiences.
This segment was produced as part of the Chicago Matters: Money Talks Ear to the Ground mentorship program.
Music Button: Mark Farina, “Do Things,” The United Nations of Future Music, One (O.M. Records, 2003) |
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Windy City Rollers
Gianofer Fields—Producer and Correspondent
A group of Chicago women is putting a new spin on the classic rough-and-tumble of roller derby. Eight Forty-Eight's Gianofer Fields introduces us to some of the baddest women to storm the rink, the Windy City Rollers. |
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Remembering Cabaret Star Bobby Short
Born into a poor, but loving home in downstate Danville, Illinois, three-time Grammy nominee Bobby Short became the epitome of Manhattan chic. Short died of leukemia on March 21, 2005, at the age of 80. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 18, 2005 |

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Guinea Pig Solo
Anthony Moseley—Executive Artistic Director, Collaboraction
Dale Rivera—Actor
Brett C. Leonard's play, Guinea Pig Solo, about the struggles of an Iraq war veteran gets its midwest debut in a production by Collaboraction. Director Anthony Moseley and actor Dale Rivera discuss the play's themes and how they hit rather close home.
Collaboraction's production of the play, Guinea Pig Solo, runs through April 2, 1005, at the Chopin Theatre—1543 West Division Street in Chicago's Noble Square neighborhood. |
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Curie Youth Radio and War
Omar Macias—Student, Curie High School
As Omar Macias learned, sometimes explaining your choice to enlist in the military is the hardest step in the march to war.
This piece was produced in conjunction with Curie Youth Radio. |
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Einstein and War
Aaron Freeman—Writer and Contributor
Contributor Aaron Freeman reflects on how one of history's best known scientists championed the cause of disarmament and pushed for global unification.
Music Button: The Art of Noise, “Crusoe,” The Drum and Bass Collection (China Records, 1996) |
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With the Indiana National Guard
Originally aired March 17, 2005, on our news broadcasts
Melba Lara—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
Steve Walsh, a reporter for the Post-Tribune in Gary, Indiana, spent six weeks embedded in Mosul with the 113th Engineer Battalion, an Indiana Army National Guard unit from Gary.
Walsh speaks with Chicago Public Radio's Melba Lara about the troops, their experiences, and the situation in Iraq two years after the invasion.
Music Button: John Williams, “The Last Battle,” Saving Private Ryan (Dreamworks Records, 1998) |
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Redmoon Theater's The Cabinet. |
Theater Reviews
Jonathan Abarbanel—Theater Contributor
Contributor Jonathan Abarbanel reviews the Goodman Theatre's production, The Story, a production of the play, The Cabinet, by Redmoon Theater, and Lookingglass Theatre Company's production, Alice.
Alice is on stage through April 17, 2005, at the Lookingglass Theatre—821 North Michigan Avenue on Chicago's Magnificient Mile. The Cabinet runs through May 8, 2005, at the Viaduct Theater—3111 North Western Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. The Story can be seen through April 10, 2005, at the Goodman Theatre—170 North Dearborn Street in Chicago's North Loop neighborhood. |
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Nan Giordano--Giordano Moves
Nan Giordano—Artistic Director, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago
Kelly Kleiman—Dance, Theater, and Culture Contributor, Hello Beautiful!
How do you transform a dance company technically, but without losing the spirit in which the troupe was formed? Contributor Kelly Kleiman sits down with Nan Giordano, who heads the dance company founded by her father, Gus Giordano.
Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago performs Thursday–Saturday, March 17–19, 2005, at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance—205 East Randolph Street in Chicago's Millennium Park. The concert Jon Lehrer with original music by George McRae.
Originally broadcast March 6, 2005, on Hello Beautiful! |
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Nelson Algren Birthday Bash
Warren Leming—Cofounder, Nelson Algren Committee
Nelson Algren's literary depictions of the Windy City's sordid underbelly established him as one of Chicago's most beloved authors. We speak with Algren enthusiast Warren Leming about the author's importance to this "city on the make" and the annual birthday party in his honor.
The Nelson Algren Committee hosts the seventeenth annual Nelson Algren Birthday Party on Saturday, March 19, 2005, at the Acme Art Works—1741 North Western Avenue in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood.
Related Link
The Nelson Algren Committee |
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Musician Reginald Robinson
Reginald Robinson—Musician
Richard Steele—Special Contributor
Musician Reginald Robinson was honored with a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Genius Grant for his work to revitalize ragtime music. He joined Chicago Public Radio's Richard Steele to discuss ragtime scholarship and to offer a demonstration of the music.
Robinson performs as a part of “Choros, Rags, and Jazz,” on Friday, March 18, 2005, at the Old Town School of Folk Music—4744 North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 17, 2005 |

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Individual segments are available below. |
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The Promise of High Speed Rail
Rick Harnash—Executive Director, Midwest High Speed Rail Association
Without federal funding, supporters fear Amtrak may be forced into bankruptcy. This could dash any hopes of a proposed high speed rail system connecting nine midwest states.
In conjunction with the National Association of Railroad Passengers, the Midwest High Speed Rail Association holds the Regional Summit for Fast Trains on March 19, 2005, at IBEW Union Hall—600 West Washington Street in Chicago's West Loop Gate neighborhood.
Related Link
The Midwest High Speed Rail Association
Music Button: Jerry Garcia Band, “Mystery Train,” Live from September 2, 1974 |
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Railroads and Skyscrapers
Darrel Babuk—Architect and Principal, Babuk and Associates Architecture and Urban Design
A national transportation hub since railroads first crossed the country in the 1800s, Chicago is also known as the birthplace of the skyscraper. For architect Darrel Babuk, these urban elements are quintessentially Chicago. |
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Ode to the Skyscraper
K. C. Clarke—Poet and Executive Director, Poetry Center of Chicago
For poet K. C. Clarke, there are many ways to experience Chicago's skycrapers. He performs his poem, “Skyscraper (delux),” from the poetry album, reVerse (reVerse, 2004).
Music Button: Thunderball, “Angela's Lament,” Scorpio Rising (ESL, 2001) |
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The Secrets of Chicago's Green River
Ben Calhoun—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
This past weekend marked the 44th annual dyeing of the Chicago River by the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local 130. The union is secretive about the ritual's elements. Chicago Public Radio's Ben Calhoun unlocks the secrets of greening the Chicago River. |
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The Untold Story of Chicago's Irish American Gangsters
T. J. English—Author
During the 1800s Irish immigrants streamed into Chicago. Faced with hardship, sometimes what wasn't given or couldn't be earned was taken by force. Author T. J. English talks with us about Chicago's Irish gangs.
English is author of the book, Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster (Harper Collins, 2005).
Music Button: Bohola, “John Doherty's March,” Bohola (Shanachie, 2002) |
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Tea Time
James Norwood Pratt—Author and Tea Connoisseur
Steve Dolinsky—Food Contributor
Contributor Steve Dolinsky explores the subtleties and history of tea with expert James Norwood Pratt.
Pratt is author of the book, New Tea Lovers Treasury (Publishing Technology Associates, 1999). |
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Chicago Matters: Money Talks: Going Broke—Meg T.
Originally aired March 16, 2005, during our news broadcasts
Going broke is tough enough, and then friends—and even total strangers—want to tell you how to run your life. That’s what happened to Meg T.
Meg T. graduated from law school, expecting to do fairly well in life. But she soon found herself thousands of dollars in debt—because of student loans, infrequent work, and overspending. Meg eventually filed for bankruptcy. She knew there would be repercussions to her financial profile, but she didn’t anticipate the effects on her own sense of self.
This segment is one of the Chicago Matters “Stories of Five Dollars and Other Amounts.” To hear more of them as well as related reports and documentaries, please visit the Chicago Matters: Money Talks Audio Library >> |
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Blues Legend Buddy Guy
Bluesman Buddy Guy has been inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Born in Louisiana, he fell in love with the sound of blues music as a child and built his own first guitar. In honor of his induction, we highlight the career of this living legend. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 16, 2005 |

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Individual segments are available below. |
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The Winds of Change in Pilsen
Tony Sarabia—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
Fears of gentrification have been simmering in Chicago's largely Mexican American Pilsen neighborhood for thirty years. But the recent appearance of some racially-charged graffiti has brought tensions over Pilsen's changing face to the surface.
Music Button: Mariachi Reyes del Aserradero, “El Chivalleco,” Rough Guide to the Music of Mexico (world network music, 2003) |
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Coping with Changing Neighborhoods
Terri A. Johnson—Vice President of Public Policy Reform and Advocacy; Human Relations Foundation, Jane Addams Hull House
Gentrification is creating conflict and uncertainty in many Chicago neighborhoods. Terri Johnson of Jane Addams Hull House discusses the racial, ethnic, and class tensions being stirred up and the actions being taken to mitigate them.
Related Link
Jane Addams Hull House
Music Button: Kevin Yost, “Drums Delicious,” Om Lounge Two (Om, 1999) |
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Author Paula Kamen—All in My Head
Paula Kamen—Author
Author Paula Kamen is one of millions of Americans who suffers from chronic pain. She speaks about her fifteen year quest “to cure an unrelenting, totally unreasonable, and only slightly enlightening headache” and about her book about the subject.
Kamen reads from her book, All in My Head: An Epic Quest to Cure an Unrelenting, Totally Unreasonable, and Only Slightly Enlightening Headache, (Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2005) on Wednesday, March 16, 2005, at Barbara's Bookstore—1218 South Halsted in Chicago's University Village neighborhood.
Music Button: Frank Black, “Headache,” Teenager of the Year (4AD/Elektra, 1994) |
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Columbia College's Chinese Film Festival
Ron Falzone—Screenwriter and Professor of Film, Columbia College Chicago
Xiaobing Tang—Associate Professor in Modern Chinese Literature, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago
Elise Glickman—Writer and Contributor
Contributor Elise Glickman speaks with screenwriter Ron Falzone and University of Chicago's Xiaobing Tang about understanding China through contemporary film. They discuss the films of “China Through Her Own Eyes: A Journey in Film.”
“China Through Her Own Eyes: A Journey in Film” runs March 17-20, 2005, at the Film Row Cinema of Columbia College Chicago—1104 South Wabash in Chicago's South Loop.
Music Button: Yo Yo Ma, “Through the Bamboo Forest,” Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Sony, 2000) |
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Musician Otis Clay
Otis Clay—Musician
Richard Steele—Special Contributor
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Blues Musician Otis Clay with Chicago Public Radio's Richard Steele |
Deep soul king Otis Clay has released his first album in seven years, Respect Yourself, recorded live at the Lucerne Blues Festival. Chicago Public Radio's Richard Steele spoke with Clay about the album and his five-decade career.
Clay performs at the Respect Yourself record release party on Friday, March 18, 2005, at Fitzgerald's—6615 Roosevelt Road in west suburban Berwyn.
Featured Music: Otis Clay, “When the Gates Swing Open,” The Gospel Truth (Blind Pig Records, 1993)
Otis Clay, “Sho Wasn't Me,” Respect Yourself (Blind Pig Records, 2005)
Otis Clay, “For the Good Times,” Respect Yourself (Blind Pig Records, 2005) |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 15, 2005 |

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Antics of the Cook County Board
Ben Calhoun—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
Carlos Hernandez Gomez—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
Due to fighting between entrenched powers and independently-minded commissioners, meetings of the Cook County Board sometimes seem comical. Chicago Public Radio's Ben Calhoun and Carlos Hernandez Gomez discuss the antics of the Cook County Board.
Music Button: George Semper and the Rhythm Kings, “It's Your Thing,” Inner City Sounds (Ubiquity, 2003) |
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Cast of Shadows
Kevin Guilfoile—Author
Set in a Chicago of the not-so-distant future in which the cloning of human embryos is both possible and legal, Cast of Shadows (Knopf, 2005) drops readers into the thick of the cloning debate. Author Kevin Guilfoile joins us to talk about his book.
Music Button: Caribou, “Subotnik,” The Milk of Human Kindness (Domino, 2005) |
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Advertising Pioneer Tom Burell
Tom Burrell—Chairman, Emeritus, Burrell Communications Group
Richard Steele—Special Contributor
As founder of a Chicago-based advertising firm, Tom Burrell shaped the world of multicultural marketing to reflect its economic relevancy and proved the effectiveness of targeted communications. He speaks with Chicago Public Radio's Richard Steele.
Burrell will be inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame on Tuesday, March 15, 2005, in New York City.
Music Button at Beginning of Piece: Betty Carter, “Jazz (Ain't Nothin' but Soul),” I Can't Help It (Impulse, 1992) |
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Listener Comments
We read from some of your letters and e-mails. You can drop us a note at 848@ChicagoPublicRadio.org. |
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Musician Sam Prekop
Sam Prekop—Musician
Archer Prewitt—Musician
Few musicians have shaped Chicago's post-rock sound as much as Sam Prekop. But Prekop only began playing music while in art school. He joins us to talk about and play selections from his second solo album, Who's Your New Professor.
Prekop performs with long-time collaborator Archer Prewitt at the Who's Your New Professor record release party on Thursday, March 17, 2005, at the Empty Bottle—1035 North Western Avenue in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood.
Music Button at Beginning of Piece: The Sea and Cake, “Sporting Life,” The Fawn (Thrill Jockey, 1997)
Featured Music: Sam Prekop, “Dot Eye,” Who's Your New Professor (Thrill Jockey, 2005) |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 14, 2005 |

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Business Update
David Greising—Business Contributor
Another pension battle and a possible machinists' strike are threatening to derail United Airlines' efforts to emerge from bankruptcy. Contributor David Greising joins us to discuss this and other Chicago-area business stories.
Greising is chief business correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.
Music Button: Huntington Cads, “Outer Orbit,” Introduce the New Sound (Mai Tai, 1998) |
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Chicago Steel Museum
Rod Sellers—Vice President, Southeast Historical Society
Southeast Chicago residents are battling to preserve a portion of the city's steel history: they want to convert the abandoned Acme Steel coke plant into a museum featuring exhibits about the lives and struggles of the city's steelworkers.
Music Button: Nail, “All This,” O.M. Lounge, Volume Two (O.M. Records, 1999) |
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Fighting Illini Chase National Championship
Originally aired March 14, 2005, on our news broadcasts
Jay Field—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
The University of Illinois men's basketball team secured the top seed in the 2005 NCAA tournament after defeating the University of Wisconsin to win the Big Ten title. Chicago Public Radio's Jay Field took in the scene at the United Center. |
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Sports Update
Cheryl Raye-Stout
For more on the Fighting Illini and the 2005 NCAA men's basketball tournament, we're joined by sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout. |
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Chicago's WNBA Franchise President
Margaret Stender—President and CEO, Chicago's WNBA Team
Drawing from her experience as a basketball player at the University of Richmond and as a senior manager at PepsiCo, Margaret Stender is hoping to build Chicago's WNBA franchise into a team that fills seats and inspires girls to hit the hardwood.
Music Button: The Blackbyrds, “Runaway,” Pulp Fusion Evolution (Harmless, 2001) |
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Starved Rock Murders
Steve Stout—Author and Photographer
Gianofer Fields—Producer and Correspondent
On March 14, 1960, three women walked into St. Louis Canyon in Starved Rock State Park in downstate Utica, Illinois. None walked out. We revisit the scene of the crime with Steve Stout, author of The Starved Rock Murders: A True Story. |
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Azerbaijani Jazz Musician Ella Leya
Ella Leya—Musician
Peter Whorf—Managing Producer
Growing up in Azerbaijan, Ella Leya dreamed of making music in America. Now, with her album, Russian Romance (B-Elite, 2005), Leya—a Chicagoan throughout the 1990s—pays tribute to the language, melody, and history of her homeland. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 11, 2005 |

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State Budget Battles
Greg Hinz—Senior Reporter, Crain's Chicago Business
Illinois treasurer Judy Baar Topinka is blocking the governor's move to close the budget gap by using funds from special state accounts, but some lawmakers say her actions violate the law and put the budget at risk. Crain's columnist Greg Hinz discusses these developments. |
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Springfield Update
Sean Crawford—Staff Reporter, Illinois Public Radio
Besides talk of the state budget, Illinois lawmakers are squabbling over a wide array of laws—from pimps to paté—in Springfield. Illinois Public Radio's Sean Crawford offers an update on the budget and some offbeat bills.
Music Button: Tito Rodriguez, “The Magnificient Seven,” Ultra-Lounge, Volume Nine: Cha-Cha De Amor (Capitol, 1996) |
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The SAT Revised
Ray Salazar—Writer and Contributor
High school students throughout the country are gearing up to take SATs, but they will find a revised format in the analogy section of the test. Contributor Ray Salaazar shares his thoughts on how the new section changes the situation.
Music Button: Mogwai, “2 Wrongs Make 1 Right,” Rock Action (Matador Records, 2001) |
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PAC/edge Sound Collage
Segment produced by Ernst Karel.
We explore the sounds of the PAC/edge Performance Festival.
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PAC/edge Preview 2005
Jonathan Abarbanel—Theater Contributor
Featuring theater, dance, film, visual arts, spoken word, and a series of workshops and panel discussions, PAC/edge is one of Chicago's most diverse arts festivals. Theater contributor Jonathan Abarbanel gives us a preview.
This segment features excerpts from the Neo-Futurists' Drinking and Writing, Mickle Maher's The Hunchback Variations, and Plasticene's Refuge.
The PAC/edge Performance Festival runs March 11–April 10, 2005, at the Athenaeum Theatre—2936 North Southport Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.
Originally broadcast March 6, 2005, on Hello Beautiful!
Related Link
PAC/edge Performance Festival |
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Pluto: The Opera at PAC/edge
Nate Delman—Actor
Khanisha Foster—Actor
Idris Goodwin—Playwright, Performance Artist, and Artistic Director, Hermit Arts
Tony Sancho—Director
Ashley Winston—Actor
Among the featured performances at the 2005 PAC/edge festival is the hip-hop production, Pluto: The Opera. Playwright Idris Goodwin and director Tony Sancho talk about the show's inspiration and give us a preview with actors from the show.
Featured Music: Justin J. Mayer, Pluto: The Opera |
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Author Jamie Gilson
Jamie Gilson—Author
Edward Lifson—Host, Hello Beautiful!
Author Jamie Gilson is set to be honored by the Illinois Reading Council. She has written seventeen books for children, most of which are set in Illinois. She spoke with Chicago Public Radio's Edward Lifson about her books and about growing up in the Prairie State. |
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Creating Conspiracy
Cara Jepsen—Writer
Childhood is often driven by a need for excitement, but this need for intrigue often fades during adult life. Not for writer Cara Jepsen—still in need of action, she and her brother create their own brand of conspiracy theory to fill the void.
Music Button: Cornelius, “Another View Point,” Point (Matador Records, 2002) |
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Interfaith Conference
Ray Hanania—Writer, Southwest News Herald and Arlington Heights Daily Herald
Barbara Moore—Director, Northeastern Illinois Chapter, National Coalition Building Institute
Brian Zakem—Cochair, Social Justice Interfaith Institute Conference
Rita Coburn-Whack—Literary Contributor
Today ends a south suburban workshop led by the National Coalition Building Institute that aims at breaking down barriers between ethnic and religious groups to combat discrimination. Contributor Rita Coburn-Whack hears about the conference from participants.
Music Button: John McCutcheon, “Erev Shel Shoshanium,” Festival of Light (6 Degrees, 1996) |
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Film Reviews
Jonathan Miller—Film Contributor
Contributor Jonathan Miller discusses the documentary, Gunner Palace, and the films, The Edukators, Brothers, and Back to the Reich, running as a part of the Gene Siskel Film Center's European Union Film Festival.
Gunner Palace can be seen at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema—2828 North Clark Street, in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Back to the Reich will be screened March 19 and 21, 2005, at the Gene Siskel Film Center—164 North State Street, in Chicago's Loop. Brothers plays March 19 and 24, 2005, at the Gene Siskel Film Center. The Edukators runs March 12 and 17, 2005, at the Gene Siskel Film Center. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 10, 2005 |

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Individual segments are available below. |
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Lefkow Murder Suspect Kills Himself
Frank Main—Staff Reporter, Chicago Sun-Times
Officials are divulging few details, but a man named Bart Ross, who killed himself after being stopped by Wisconsin police, may be connected to the murders of federal judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow's husband and mother.
Music Button: Pell Mell, “Drift,” Interstate (Geffen Records, 1995) |
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CTA's Five Scenarios
Carole Brown—Chairwoman, Chicago Transit Authority Board
The Chicago Transit Authority has released five doomsday scenarios it may implement if state lawmakers don't help the agency close a projected two-year, $90 million budget gap. CTA board chairwoman Carole Brown joins us to discuss the plans.
Music Button: Thievery Corporation, “The Oscillator,” Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi (Esl Music, 1997)
Related Link
“Potential Service and Fare Scenarios”—Chicago Transit Authority |
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CTA in 2055
Craig Berman—Industrial Designer
Chicagoan Craig Berman thinks big. So while Chicago Transit Authority officials ponder the possibility of service cuts, the industrial designer has been imagining ways to expand the El.
More information and larger versions of Berman's map are available on the Web site, Gapers Block, where his design first appeared.
Music Button: Thievery Corporation, “2001 Spliff Odyssey,” Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi (Esl Music, 1997) |
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Death of an Economist
Al Gini—Resident Philosopher
Resident philosopher Al Gini drops by to remember Robert L. Heilbroner, the world's best-selling economist, who dedicated much of his life to tracing the economic and societal forces that gave rise to economic thinking.
Book Discussed
The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times, and Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers by Robert L. Heilbroner (1953; Reprint, Touchstone, 1999)
Gini is a professor of philosophy and business ethics at Loyola University Chicago. He's also cofounder and associate editor of Business Ethics Quarterly, the journal of the Society for Business Ethics.
Music Button: Nicola Conte, “Arabesque,” Jet Sounds Revisited (Esl Music, 2002) |
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Indiana Death Penalty
Maureen Hayden—Staff Writer, Evansville Courier and Press
Donald Ray Wallace, Jr., has become the first Indiana inmate to be executed in 2005, and as many as seven others could follow by the end of the year. We discuss Wallace's execution and the larger death penalty questions facing Governor Mitch Daniels.
Music Button: David Morley, “Frozen,” Dimensions in Ambience, Volume Two (Polygram Records, 1997) |
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A painting by Tony Fitzpatrick. |
Chicago Matters: Money Talks: The Conned Artist—Tony Fitzpatrick
Originally aired March 9, 2005, during our news broadcasts
Tony Fitzpatrick is a Chicago artist. A big man in appearance and in words, he likes to consider himself pretty street-smart and savvy—not someone easily tricked. Then he was offered a chance for the money and glamour of the big-time art world.
This segment is one of the Chicago Matters “Stories of Five Dollars and Other Amounts.” To hear more of them as well as related reports and documentaries, please visit the Chicago Matters: Money Talks Audio Library >>
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Related Audio
Originally broadcast December 14, 2004
A conversation with Tony Fitzpatrick about his book, The Wonder: Portraits of a Remembered City |
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Lakland Bass
Dan Lakland—Founder, Lakland Bass
Armed with twenty-thousand dollars, Chicagoan Dan Lakland embarked on his dream to build a perfect electric bass guitar. Ten years later, Lakland finds his instruments in the hands of some of the world's top rock and blues musicians. |
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Chicago's Architectural Future
Robert Ivy—Editor, Architectural Record
A conversation with architect Robert Ivy, editor of one of the most widely-read architecture publications in the world, Architectural Record
Related Link
Chicago Architecture: Ten Visions—Art Institute of Chicago
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Related Audio
Originally broadcast November 28, 2004, on Hello Beautiful!
The Art Institute of Chicago's Martha Thorne and architect Stanley Tigerman discuss the exhibit, Chicago Architecture: Ten Visions. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 9, 2005 |

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Cicero Power Struggle
Carlos Hernandez Gomez—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
Just weeks before Larry Dominick is scheduled to succeed Ramiro Gonzalez as town president, Gonzalez and Cicero's board of trustees have passed dozens of administrative changes transferring power from the president to the trustees.
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Related Audio
Originally broadcast February 18, 2005
Chicago Public Radio's Carlos Hernandez Gomez profiles the town of Cicero |
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Cab Fare Increase Proposed
Barbara Meyers—Editor, Chicago Dispatcher
After months of lobbying by Chicago cab drivers, Thirty-eighth Ward alderman Thomas Allen is expected to introduce an ordinance that would increase Chicago cab fares for the first time since 2000. |
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Internet Lottery Bill
Michael Jones—Former Superintendent, Illinois Lottery
We talk with former Illinois Lottery superintendent Michael Jones, a key proponent of a General Assembly measure that would make Illinois the first state in the country to sell lottery tickets online. |
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Remembering Improv Legend Del Close
Jeff Griggs—Actor
Jim Carrane—Contributor
A conversation with Jeff Griggs about his book, Guru: My Days with Del Close (Ivan R. Dee, Publisher, 2005), which explores the life and legacy of the man many consider the father of Chicago improv |
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Hamburger America
George Motz—Filmmaker
Steve Dolinsky—Food Contributor
It's an American icon: an all-beef patty with cheese. So George Motz and his wife traveled the country in search of great burgers and the people who love them, documenting their quest in the movie, Hamburger America.
Food contributor Steve Dolinsky is a food reporter for ABC Channel 7 in Chicago. |
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Blind Justice
Beth Finke—Writer and Contributor
When it comes to the Americans with Disabilities Act, is justice still blind? Contributor Beth Finke shares her thoughts.
Finke is author of Long Time, No See, her account of losing her eyesight. |
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Pitchfork Media
Ryan Schreiber—Founder and Editor in Chief, Pitchfork Media
Crain's Chicago Business calls him “the most influential rock critic in Chicago.” He's Ryan Schreiber, whose Web-based brainchild, Pitchfork Media, is known for its impassioned and opinionated reviews, interviews, and in-depth profiles. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 8, 2005 |

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Wrigley Expansion—Word on the Street
Chicago Cubs executives have unveiled drawings adding more than 1700 bleacher seats to Wrigley Field as well as a five-story parking, eating, and shopping structure. We get some initial reaction from neighborhood residents. |
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Wrigley Expansion and Wright Auction
David Bahlman—President, Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois
For more on the proposed Wrigley Field expansion, we turn to David Bahlman from the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois. We also discuss the difficulty in selling Frank Lloyd Wright's Bach House on Chicago's far north side. |
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Oak Park Section Eight Housing
Edward Solan—Executive Director, Oak Park Housing Authority
In the west suburbs, the Oak Park village board has voted unanimously to grant the town's housing authority a 150,000 thousand-dollar infusion of cash to help cover a shortfall in federal funding for Section Eight housing vouchers.
Related Link
Oak Park Housing Authority |
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Illinois Power Plants Settle with EPA
Michael Hawthorne—Staff Reporter, Chicago Tribune
Under the terms of a $545 million agreement with Dynegy Midwest Generation, five coal-fired Illinois power plants must dramatically reduce their emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide by 2012. |
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Along Michigan Avenue, 1949
oil on canvas, 44 x 56 inches
Courtesy of the Hyde Park Arts Center. |
Robert Amft: Paintings for Particular People
Originally broadcast March 6, 2005, on Hello Beautiful!
Robert Amft—Artist
Edward Lifson—Host, Hello Beautiful!
At 88 years old, Robert Amft is still creating art of all kinds. He's been photographing, sculpting, and painting since the 1930s, when he was a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. We visit Amft at his home studio.
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Playwrights David Barr and Marsha Estelle
David Barr III—Playwright
Marsha Estelle—Playwright
Jonathan Abarbanel—Theater Contributor
As African American artists who've both trained at Chicago Dramatists, Marsha Estelle and David Barr have had parallel experiences. They join theater contributor Jonathan Abarbanel to reflect on their cultural and gender outlooks. |
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Being a Girl
Amy Krouse Rosenthal—Writer and Contributor
To mark International Women's Day, we present an essay by contributor Amy Krouse Rosenthal, who thinks there are some definite advantages to being female.
Rosenthal is author of the book, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. |
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The Life of a Dominatrix
Mistress Vivian—Dominatrix
Gianofer Fields—Producer and Correspondent
In the space where she conducts her work sessions, the Chicago-based dominatrix known as "Mistress Vivian" sits down with producer and correspondent Gianofer Fields for a frank discussion about her profession. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 7, 2005 |

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Business Update
David Greising—Business Contributor
Boeing chief Harry Stonecipher has resigned, a mere 15 months after former CEO Gary Condit also stepped down due to charges of impropriety. Contributor David Greising joins us to discuss this and other top business stories.
Greising is chief business correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.
Featured Music: Extra Lucid, “Antisocial,” Sourcelab, Volume Three (Caroline, 1997) |
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Funding Gap in Chicago Public Schools, Part One
Veronica Anderson—Editor, Catalyst Chicago
The education journal, Catalyst Chicago, reports that more than 6,000 dollars separate the lowest and highest per-pupil spending budgets in the Chicago Public Schools. And it says the gap among CPS high schools is even larger.
Catalyst Chicago's investigation is detailed in the February 2005 issue of the magazine. |
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Funding Gap in Chicago Public Schools, Part Two
Pedro Martinez—Budget Director, Chicago Public Schools
We're joined now by Chicago Public Schools budget director Pedro Martinez, who says CPS plans to change the way its schools are funded in an effort to close a wide variation in per-pupil spending within the system.
Featured Music: Bel-Air Project, “Magik,” Sourcelab, Volume Three (Caroline, 1997) |
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Paper Museums
Rebecca Zorach—Assistant Professor of Art History, University of Chicago
Before the advent of mechanical reproduction, printmakers were shaping the way the public viewed art and artists. We talk with the University of Chicago's Rebecca Zorach, cocurator of an exhibition showcasing these early reproductions.
The exhibit, Paper Museums: The Reproductive Print in Europe, 1500–1800, continues through May 15, 2005, at the Smart Museum of Art—5550 South Greenwood Avenue on the University of Chicago's Hyde Park campus.
Featured Music: Gloss, “Gloss,” Paris Lounge, Volume Two (Wagram, 2003)
Related Link
Smart Museum of Art—University of Chicago |
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Sports Update
Cheryl Raye-Stout—Sports Contributor
One game away from a perfect regular season, the Fighting Illini men's basketball team fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes, 65–64, in Columbus. Sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout assesses the Illini's prospects in the Big Ten tournament.
Featured Music: Chris Joss, “Drink Me Hot,” You've Been Spiked (Esl Music, 2004) |
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Who Was Casimir Pulaski?
Jan Lorys—Director, Polish Museum of America
Although the first Monday in March means a day off for many public school students and government workers throughout Illinois, most would be hard-pressed to tell you that Casimir Pulaski was a Polish immigrant who fought in the American Revolution.
Related Link
Polish Museum of America |
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Schadenfreude: Pulaski Essay Contest Winner
“Most kids get Casimir Pulaski Day off just 'cause they're kids. Not me. I get it off as a prize.” Our friends at the comedy show, Schadenfreude, bring us some reflections from high school freshman, Zoe Dunkel.
The role of Zoe is performed by Schadenfreude writer and performer Kate James. The program airs Saturdays at 2 pm here on Chicago Public Radio.
Related Link
Schadenfreude
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Related Audio
Originally broadcast March 5, 2005, on Schadenfreude
Listen to Schadenfreude's entire Casimir Pulaski show. |
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The Lira Ensemble
Originally broadcast November 28, 2004, on Hello Beautiful!
Lucyna Migala—Cofounder, Lira Ensemble
For nearly 40 years, Chicago's Lira Ensemble has been performing traditional Polish music and dance. Cofounder Lucyna Migala tells us about the group's long history and emergence as a multicultural arts institution. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 4, 2005
With guest host Tony Sarabia |

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Individual segments are available below. |
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Housing Profiles
Catrin Einhorn—Producer and Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
Members of the Coalition to Protect Public Housing are set to testify before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. They are protesting the City of Chicago's plans to revamp housing for the poor due to human rights violation. Chicago Public Radio's Catrin Einhorn reports. |
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CHA Stories
Sudhir Venkatesh—Associate Professor of Sociology,Columbia University
With the CHA's Plan for Transformation underway, many families who have inhabited public housing for generations find themselves in transition. Sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh recounts tales from Chicago public housing residents more telling than the CHA's own numbers.
Music Button: Ramsey Lewis Trio, “Slippin' into Darkness,” Pulp Fusion, Volume Two: Return to the Tough Side (Harmless, 1998) |
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Mortgages
Kimbriell Kelly—Reporter, Chicago Reporter
As the Chicago Reporter's Kimbriell Kelly discovered, African Americans and Latinos often have a harder time getting home loans. She speaks with Steve Edwards about these disparities of loan availibility along racial lines.
Music Button: Eighty Mile Beach, “There are No Right Angles,” Mid/Downtempo Sampler #4 (Om Records, 2002) |
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Bill Brady's Run for Illinois Governor
Illinois Public Radio's Sean Crawford reports on Bloomington-based real estate developer Bill Brady's plans and preparations to run in the 2006 Illinois gubernatorial race. |
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Theater Reviews
Jonathan Abarbanel—Theater Contributor
Contributor Jonathan Abarbanel discusses the plays, Sweet Charity, Kid-Simple, and To The Greenfields Beyond.
Kid-Simple runs through March 20, 2005, at the American Theater Company—1909 West Byron Street in Chicago's North Center neighborhood. To The Greenfields Beyond runs through April 3, 2005, at Writers' Theatre—664 Vernon Avenue in north suburban Glencoe. Sweet Charity runs through March 13, 2005, at the Cadillac Theater—151 West Randolph Street in Chicago's Loop. |
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Kid-Simple
Lindsay Jones—Sound Designer
Damon Kiely—Artistic Director, American Theatre Company
Edward Lifson—Host, Hello Beautiful!
Featuring over 450 sound cues, a foley engineer live onstage, and video projections, Kid-Simple chronicles the adventures of Moll, a teenager who invents the “Third Ear,” a machine that can hear the unhearable.
The "Third Ear" picks up toenails growing on a field mouse, the telling of a lie, and the sound of a heart breaking. And we follow Moll as she struggles to rescue her invention from doom.
Kid-Simple debuted at the 2004 Humana Festival at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. It runs through March 20, 2005, at the American Theatre Company—1909 West Byron Street in Chicago's North Center neighborhood.
The music featured at the end of this segment is “Have You Ever Heard the Sound?” from David Geyer's album, Fall in Love...Then Try Fallin' Out (David Geyer Music, 2003)
Originally broadcast February 20, 2005, on Hello Beautiful!
Related Link
American Theatre Company
Music Button: Oranj Symphonette, “Beat Girl,” The Oranj Album (Rykodisc, 1998) |
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Poetry—Louder than a Bomb
Five years ago, a group of writing teachers organized a poetry competition to promote written and performative expression for students. Now Louder than a Bomb is the largest teen poetry slam anywhere with over 40 teams and hundreds of participants.
Louder than a Bomb begins Friday, March 4, 2005, at the Hot House—31 East Balbo in Chicago.
Related Link
Young Chicago Authors
Music Button: Cuarteto Casals, “Anime et Tres Decide,” Debussy/Zemlinsky (Harmonia Mundi Iberica, 2005) |
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Cuarteto Casals
Jonathan Brown—Musician
Jeremy Denk—Musician
Vera Martinez-Mehner—Musician
Abel Tomas—Musician
Arnau Tomas—Musician
The Madrid-based Cuarteto Casals joins us live in Chicago Public Radio's Jim and Kay Mabie Performance Studio.
The Cuarteto Casals makes its Chicago debut Saturday, March 5, 2005 at North Park University's Anderson Chapel—3225 West Foster Avenue in Chicago's North Park neighborhood.
Featured Music: Cuarteto Casals, “Assez Vif et Bien Rythme,” Debussy/Zemlinsky (Harmonia Mundi Iberica, 2005) |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 3, 2005 |

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Individual segments are available below. |
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Judicial Safety
Dr. Frederick Calhoun—Threat Assessment Expert
The murders of the mother and husband of federal judge and Chicago resident Joan Humphrey Lefkow have raised questions about the safety of judges and lawyers. Threat assessment expert Dr. Frederick Calhoun shares his insight into the issue.
In the 1990s, Dr. Calhoun was lead researcher and principal architect of threat asssessment criteria for the U.S. marshall service. He's also author of the books, Defusing the Risk to Judicial Officials: The Contemporary Threat Management Process, written with Stephen Weston, and of Hunters and Howlers: Threats and Violence against Judicial Officials, 1789–1993, written with Eduardo Gonzalez. |
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Court Reporter Reflects on Lefkow Murders
Adrienne Drell—Assistant Professor, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University
Former Chicago Sun-Times legal affairs correspondent Adrienne Drell shares her thoughts on the murders of federal judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow's mother and husband and on the overall impact of violence on the legal community. |
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Crain's Courtroom
Brandon Copple—Assistant Managing Editor, Crain's Chicago Business
With Illinois at the center of a national debate over tort reform, a special report in Crain's Chicago Business takes a deeper look at class action lawsuits, trial courts, and the larger issue of tort reform.
The report appears in the February 28, 2005, edition of Crain's.
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Related Audio
Originally aired January 5, 2005, on our news broadcasts
Medical Malpractice Taking Center Stage |
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Time Out Chicago Takes Off
Chad Schlegel—Editor in Chief, Time Out Chicago
Well-known in the UK and in New York City for its mix of cheeky reviews and nightlife listings, Time Out magazine has arrived in Chicago, competing with Chicago magazine, the Chicago Reader, and NewCity.
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Related Audio
Originally broadcast February 27, 2005, on Hello Beautiful!
Chicago magazine's senior editor, Steve Rhodes, discusses the debut of Time Out Chicago |
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Online Newspapers
Wally Podrazik—Media Contributor
A new way of getting old news has piqued the interest of media contributor Wally Podrazik. He says the ProQuest historical newspapers archive fills a void that's been missing in newspapers' online editions.
Podrazik is coauthor of Watching TV: Six Decades of American Television. He's also been selected as head writer for exhibitions at Chicago's new Museum of Broadcast Communications, scheduled to open in 2006. |
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U.S. Catholic Turns 70
Fr. Mark Brummel—Former Editor, U.S. Catholic
Kathy O'Connell Cahill—Senior Editor, U.S. Catholic
Bob Parkinson—Contributor
Founded at Chicago's Our Lady of Guadalupe parish, U.S. Catholic was reimagined as a national magazine after the second Vatican council. The publication explores social and religious interests in the lives of laypeople. |
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Chicago Matters: Money Talks: Human Commodity—Fanny Clonch
Originally aired March 2, 2005, during our news broadcasts
Money is a means of exchange used to acquire goods or even status. But what happens when a person becomes a form of wealth?
Fanny Clonch is now a high school teacher living in Chicago. But for a period in her childhood, after being orphaned in Morocco, she was trapped in households where she was nothing more than a commodity. The story of her grandmother, who as a child had been sold into slavery and eventually escaped, inspired Fanny to find a way out.
This segment is one of the Chicago Matters “Stories of Five Dollars and Other Amounts.” To hear more of them as well as related reports and documentaries, please visit the Chicago Matters: Money Talks Audio Library >> |
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Singer-Songwriter Lisa Lauren
Lisa Lauren—Musician
With her blend of jazz, rock, folk, and soul, north suburban Evanston-based musician Lisa Lauren has long been tough to categorize. But as the title of her third album says, It Is What It Is (Planet Jazz, 2004).
Lauren performs a record release show on Sunday, March 6, 2005, at 8 pm at Schuba's Tavern—3159 North Southport Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 2, 2005 |

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Individual segments are available below. |
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Stem Cell Lobby Day, Part One
Laurie Zoloth—Professor of Medical Ethics and Humanities and of Religion, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
We talk with two leading ethicists about the fight over human embryonic stem cell research in Illinois. Northwestern University professor Laurie Zoloth joins us from a bus heading to the Illinois state capitol. |
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Stem Cell Lobby Day, Part Two
Nigel Cameron—Research Professor of Bioethics and President, Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future, Chicago-Kent College of Law
One of the leading critics in the international debate over expanding human embryonic stem cell research is Chicago-Kent College of Law's Nigel Cameron. He joins us in studio. |
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Hot Lights, Cold Steel
Dr. Michael Collins—Author
Sam Weller—Writer and Contributor
What's it like to be a medical resident? Contributor Sam Weller talks with Dr. Michael Collins, author of Hot Lights, Cold Steel: Life, Death, and Sleepless Nights in a Surgeon's First Years (St. Martin's Press, 2005). |
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Why Time Zones Matter to Hoosiers
William Blomquist—Associate Professor of Political Science, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis
The Indiana house of representatives has failed to pass a measure that would standardize time zones throughout the state. Why have Hoosiers made time zones such a political issue? |
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Chicago's Labor Trail
Leon Fink—Distinguished Professor of History, University of Illinois, Chicago
With more than 120 sites in dozens of neighborhoods, the Labor Trail project chronicles the stories of Chicago's working-class residents. We get a firsthand look at living labor history with the project's director, Leon Fink.
Related Link
The Labor Trail |
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Eight Forty-Eight—March 1, 2005 |

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Individual segments are available below. |
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Cop Counseling
Originally aired March 1, 2005, on our news broadcasts
Diantha Parker—Correspondent, Chicago Public Radio News
Big-city police departments often deal with tragedy and loss within their own ranks, and Chicago is no exception. But the Chicago Police Department is ahead of others across the country in its efforts to reach out to officers and their families.
Music Button: Six Parts Seven, “Already Elsewhere,” Everywhere and Right Here (Suicide Squeeze, 2004) |
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Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Brenda Douherty—Coordinator, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Clinic, Jesse Brown VA Chicago Health Care System
Some experts say that as many as 20 percent of military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan could develop some form of post-traumatic stress disorder. A Chicago PTSD expert joins us to discuss the challenges faced by those returning from combat. |
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A New Generation of Veterans—Adam Ibrahim
Originally aired November 24, 2004, on our news broadcasts
Illinois national guardsman Adam Ibrahim of southwest suburban Summit shares his personal story about returning from military duty in Iraq. After nearly a year-and-a-half there, his unit returned home in July 2004.
This segment is part of a series of three accounts from young people who've returned from military duty in Iraq. It was produced by Chicago Public Radio's Ben Calhoun.
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Related Audio
Originally broadcast November 22, 2004
A New Generation of Veterans—Julia Krupiczowicz
Produced by Chicago Public Radio's Diantha Parker |
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Related Audio
Originally broadcast November 23, 2004
A New Generation of Veterans—Aaron Vogel
Produced by Chicago Public Radio's Catrin Einhorn |
Music Button: Shark Quest, “Three Ivy Leagues,” Gods and Devils (Merge, 2004) |
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Mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism
Robert Thurman—Author
Steven Asma—Philosophy Professor, Columbia College Chicago
Noted Tibetan scholar Robert Thurman spent almost 30 years as a personal student of the Dalai Lama. Thurman and Steven Asma discuss Thurman's book, The Jewel Tree of Tibet: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism (Free Press, 2005).
Music Button: Tuatara, “Negotiation,” Trading with the Enemy (Sony, 1998) |
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The Little Accelerator That Could
Aaron Freeman—Writer and Contributor
Writer and contributor Aaron Freeman roots for the world's most powerful particle accelerator: the Tevatron at Fermilab in west suburban Batavia.
Freeman is a comedian and journalist in Chicago.
Music Button: Alcoyne, “Velvet Sutra,” Buddha-Lounge Three (Sequoia Records, 2004) |
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Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver
Originally broadcast May 24, 2004
Scott Stossel—Senior Editor, Atlantic Monthly
Richard Steele—Special Contributor
On the Peace Corps's 44th anniversary, we revisit a conversation about the organization's first director, Sargent Shriver. As author Scott Stossel reminds us, Shriver also headed the Chicago board of education and had national political aspirations.
Book Information
Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver by Scott Stossel (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2004) |
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