Christopher Borrelli

The novelist Percival Everett leans against a mirror in a studio in the Fine Arts Building on S. Michigan Avenue in Chicago before an event at the bookstore Exile in Bookville on Thursday, March 28, 2024. (Terrence Antonio James/baiduhai)

With ‘James,’ Percival Everett may now be America’s greatest living author — and its hardest interview

May 5, 2025 at 3:35 p.m.

The story is told by Mark Twain's character of Jim. “I think people assume because I am revisiting Twain, I am correcting. I love Twain’s novel."

John Wayne Gacy on Dec. 21, 1978, at the Des Plaines Police Department. (Des Plaines Police Department)

The most infamous serial killers all seem to have something in common — they’re from the Midwest

April 11, 2024 at 1:34 p.m.

The Midwest seems to draw out such darkness. Just read Adam Rapp's new book "Wolf at the Table" and Cynthia Pelayo’s “Forgotten Sisters." That's just for starters.

Actor and author Brett Gelman sits for a portrait at Am Shalom on April 2, 2024, in Glencoe. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

Brett Gelman spoke in Glencoe about his book — as well as about all the protesters that have shut down his book tour

April 5, 2024 at 12:23 p.m.

The actor from Highland Park spoke to an audience that included folks who attended his bar mitzvah. His book of semi-autobiographical essays wasn't the main topic of the night.

Tim Robinson's "I Think You Should Leave" tour is displayed on the marquee of the Chicago Theatre on April 4, 2024. (Christopher Borrelli / baiduhai)

Tim Robinson’s ‘I Think You Should Leave’ tour is guests, unaired sketches and the occasional awkward moment — just like the show

April 5, 2024 at 10:51 a.m.

What’s made the Netflix show an instant classic is how deftly it reveals the terms of agreement for merely getting through a day.

Santo Cordero smooths decals on the cabinets of pinball machines at the Stern Pinball Factory in Elk Grove Village on Feb. 22, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/baiduhai)

Do they still make pinball machines? They do, in a huge new factory near O’Hare — with most selling to the 1 percent

April 5, 2024 at 6:14 a.m.

Machines cost thousands of dollars and Stern Pinball says it can't keep up with orders. Chicago's century-old pinball heritage may yet avoid permanent tilt.

Jami Attenberg, a Buffalo Grove native, is the author of several best-selling novels, including "The Middlesteins." Her latest book, "1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Productive and Focused All Year Round," is her first self-help title. (Bryan Tarnowski/Simon & Schuster)

Jami Attenberg on her book ‘1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round’

March 27, 2024 at 5:45 a.m.

“1000 Words” is sort of the advice book equivalent of that friend who cheers beside a marathon route, tossing out enthusiasm and Gatorade.

Stuart Grannen works near an array of vintage candlesticks and objects, March 10, 2024, at Architectural Artifacts in River North. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Architectural Artifacts is closing — if you want a chunk of Frank Lloyd Wright or French carousel lions, it’s your last chance.

March 29, 2024 at 6:22 a.m.

An old cheese case from Parma, Italy. A rusted CTA fare box. A dozen fruit-picking ladders. Or as owner Stuart Grannen calls his wares: “Completely useless stuff.”

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