Dec 19 Watch 3:06 Poet Franny Choi on the value of imagining alternate realities By Steve Goldbloom What’s the value of asking questions to which we don’t know the answer? Poet Franny Choi’s “Introduction to Quantum Theory” does just that, and she calls it “one of the scariest things” she’s ever written. Choi offers her brief but… Continue watching
Dec 18 Watch 1:48 Remembering the career of Penny Marshall, director and beloved 'Laverne' Penny Marshall may have been first known as Laverne, star of the hit '80s sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," which ran for eight seasons on ABC. But she also forged a career as a successful director. Her 1988 blockbuster "Big," featuring… Continue watching
Dec 18 Watch 5:44 How these photographers used a camera to tell stories of rural America By Jeffrey Brown, Mike Fritz Photographers Fred Baldwin and Wendy Watriss traveled and worked abroad for years before meeting in the late 1960s. As a couple, they decided to shift their professional focus to the U.S., and specifically to the rural south. Their imagery documents… Continue watching
Dec 18 Director and actress Penny Marshall dies at 75 By Jake Coyle, Associated Press Marshall starred in "Laverne & Shirley" before becoming one of the top-grossing female directors in Hollywood, with hits like "Big" and "A League of Their Own."… Continue reading
Dec 18 An annotated page from 'There Will Be No Miracles Here' By Elizabeth Flock "'I don’t know' is the most important phrase in this whole book," author Casey Gerald explains. Continue reading
Dec 17 Watch 3:07 A poet's take on looking to language for 'radical hope' In this digital and divided society, it can often seem that language is used primarily to deliver criticism and express rage. But poet Ada Limón shares her humble opinion on why she sees people turning to poetry for language that… Continue watching
Dec 17 How a strange rumor of Walt Disney's death became legend By Dr. Howard Markel When you hear "Disney on Ice," you may think of the wildly popular ice shows featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse and others skating in hockey arenas across the nation. But there's also the disturbing urban legend that Walt Disney’s corpse… Continue reading
Dec 15 Watch 4:34 For decades, Chicago punk rockers embrace their unconventional hobby By Jay Shefsky, WTTW In Chicago, members of a punk rock band called The Bollweevils have been balancing their conventional day jobs -- as a physician, a principal, an electrician and a college administrator -- with their unconventional hobby for more than two decades. Continue watching
Dec 15 Watch 9:16 Nils Lofgren: 50 years of 'just being a guy in the band' By Tom Casciato, Christopher Booker, Mori Rothman As we learned a few years ago in the Oscar-winning film “20 Feet from Stardom,” sometimes the best singers in the band are those who are seldom center-stage. They have the game, just not quite the fame. The same can… Continue watching
Dec 15 A playlist starring Nils Lofgren, with support from Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen By Tom Casciato Many rock fans attribute guitarist Nils Lofgren’s acclaim to his work with rock giants Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band as well as Neil Young and Crazy Horse. But Lofgren has a trove of solo records and unmatched talents… Continue reading