Chicago magazine, September 5, 2013 — The Hyperloop may be in the news now, but shuttles powered by a burst of air were supposed to be the future of transportation in Chicago a century ago… Read my story for Chicago magazine. Photo: Chicago Tribune archives
Author: Robert Loerzel
Chicago’s Flag Is a Much Bigger Deal Than Any Other City’s Flag
Hot time in the old town again
City marked 1871 fire with a party in 1903 — and it’s gearing up for another fest next year This article by Robert Loerzel was originally published in the Chicago Tribune on May 5, 2013. In a city where the history books are filled with calamities, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 is the most… Continue reading Hot time in the old town again
The story of Dunning, a ‘tomb for the living’
Q&A with the late Jason Molina
Underground Bee, March 19, 2013 — I had the privilege of interviewing Molina, for an article that appeared in Pioneer Press. It was Sept. 8, 2006, and he asked me to meet him that Friday afternoon at Simon’s Tavern in Andersonville, which was close to where he lived at the time… Read my interview at Underground… Continue reading Q&A with the late Jason Molina
A new look at Hinky Dink’s star
The Huffington Post, March 5, 2013 — One of Chicago’s most famous City Council members, Michael “Hinky Dink” Kenna, got a quite a gift from his supporters in the First Ward on April 22, 1897: an “alderman’s star.” … Read my blog post for the Huffington Post. Photo from the Chicago History Museum’s blog
Play review: ‘Everything Is Illuminated’
The Huffington Post, March 1, 2013 — Jonathan Safran Foer brilliantly twisted the English language into delightfully strange sentences in his 2002 debut novel Everything Is Illuminated, spouting much of his story through the comically garbled voice of a Ukrainian translator named Alex who sounds like he’s swallowed a thesaurus… Read my review at the Huffington Post.… Continue reading Play review: ‘Everything Is Illuminated’
‘The Master’ in 70 mm at the Music Box
Viola Spolin, pioneer of Chicago improv
By Robert Loerzel Originally published in Playbill magazine in June 2012. Theater and comedy in Chicago wouldn’t be what they are without Viola Spolin. She may not be quite as famous as others who left their marks on the city’s theater scene — such as playwright David Mamet or performer John Malkovich — but as an… Continue reading Viola Spolin, pioneer of Chicago improv
Kelly Hogan Q&A
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared at The A.V. Club in May 2012. Kelly Hogan was one of the Chicago alt-country scene’s brightest stars of the 1990s, and she has never stopped singing in the years since then—but she went a long time without releasing an album. Someone looking at a list of Hogan’s… Continue reading Kelly Hogan Q&A