It's election season again, and it's bruising when there aren't broken bones; funny bones, that is. If you need a respite from the very serious business of vanquishing your political rivals, may I suggest a few titles? Andrew Shaffer's Hope Never Dies is a bromance and a mystery starring Joe Biden and his good buddy Barack Obama…
Caught Reading: Brown Line, September 2018
Fall is finally here, and I couldn't be happier. I always enjoy the cooler temperatures, fresh air and the cozy mood of curling up with a book. While I can't curl up on my commute, I can get lost in a good book to and from work, and this past month I wasn't alone. I…
Hazel M. Johnson, ‘Mother of the Environmental Justice Movement’
Want to learn more about a Chicago hero? Explore the People for Community Recovery Archives and the inspiring story of Hazel M. Johnson in the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Affectionately known as the “mother of the environmental justice movement,” Hazel Johnson was one of Chicago’s own environmental justice warriors…
Novels of Indigenous Holy People
Among Nebula Award winners, Rebecca Roanhorse is unique: she is the first Indigenous American woman to win in a major category. Now, she has a full-length novel out: Trail of Lightning. Massive flooding has led to a post-apocalyptic world where the Navajo and their gods are enjoying a renaissance. Unfortunately, black magic and monsters are as…
Guest Blog: Cyber Security: Take Action Saturday, October 13
Nick Percoco is a world-renowned security expert and longtime Chicago resident. He's the founder of THOTCON, a security conference held each May in Chicago. THOTCON has partnered with CPL for Cyber Security Action Day, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, October 13. Join us to learn more about your own cyber security. I am passionate…
Alternatives to the Nobel Prize for Literature
There will be no Nobel Prize for Literature in 2018 due to the fallout from a scandal at the Swedish Academy. The academy has talked about awarding the 2018 prize in 2019 or later, "when the Swedish Academy has won back the public’s trust." A New Academy was organized to provide an alternative: The New Prize…
If You Bake It, They Will Come
A recent BBC Food Wars story about the German city investing in grandma's cakes highlights Munich's Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake), a German tradition tracing its origins to the 17th century. It continues into the 21st century with a social start-up known as Kuchentratsch (cake and gossip), a bakery that has been providing local…
Read Like a Zombie
Need help recommending books to your zombie friends? I visited with one recently and have some tips to share. Zombies like brains. They find them delicious. In a zombie's personal library, you'll often find an entire shelf devoted to the subject, including such mouth-watering recent examples as Unthinkable: An Extraordinary Journey Through the World's Strangest Brains…
4 Books to Read While Waiting for The Hate U Give Movie
On September 2, Angie Thomas’ novel The Hate U Give celebrated its 77th week on the New York Times bestseller list. The book follows 16-year-old Starr Carter, who splits her time between her poor, black neighborhood and majority white prep school. Both worlds are rocked when she sees a police officer shoot her friend Khalil…
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