Mark Guarino

Damorah Martin chases a balloon after crawling through a tunnel in the music room during the "My Wonder Kids" program at A House in Austin on Nov. 11, 2021.

A House in Austin offers resources and community for parents in an area that can be lacking in so much

February 23, 2022 at 12:14 p.m.

If Lynette Kelly-Bell wanted to meet other parents her age in programs that included playtime for their children, she had to drive from Chicago's West Side, her home of 30...

Commentary: ‘Tonight she’s jobless.’ There’s nothing justifiable in looting.

June 5, 2020 at 10:08 p.m.

I'm standing outside a Dollar Tree on Chicago's West Side. Looters stripped it of its inventory all day. Then they torched it. Unlike most late-night scenes like this I've covered...

Singer-songwriter John Prine performs at Ravinia on July 21, 1972.

Commentary: John Prine peeled back the mysteries of ordinariness for Chicago fans

April 8, 2020 at 2:23 a.m.

Editor's note: John Prine died Tuesday from complications from COVID-19 in a Nashville hospital. The headline of this tribute, which first was published April 1, has been updated. Two days...

Police tape surrounds the area of a random shooting on Feb. 21, 2016, in Kalamazoo, Mich.

In Kalamazoo, an agonizing wait for a mass shooter’s motive

June 21, 2019 at 10:40 p.m.

Investigators say they are baffled. Neighbors are totally bewildered. All around this traumatized city, residents wonder whether they will ever learn why Jason Brian Dalton allegedly gunned down random strangers...

Several biographies of musicians make for great gift-giving, including "MJ: The Genius of Michael Jackson" by Steve Knopper.

Singing music biographies for the holidays

May 9, 2019 at 10:50 p.m.

Ever since Bob Dylan and Keith Richards wrote memoirs that turned into unexpected hits, the holiday season has been rife with books that take similar deep dives into the lives...

Current New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu takes his seat before speaking at a National Press Club Luncheon in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Review: ‘Katrina: After the Flood’ by Gary Rivlin

May 9, 2019 at 10:38 p.m.

"Katrina fatigue" might best describe the condition of those in New Orleans who lived through the 2005 hurricane and subsequent flood only to continue to struggle through another set of...

The Grateful Dead, 1970 (clockwise): Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Mickey Hart and Jerry Garcia. In "Deal," Kreutzmann details how the band came together and fell apart.

Review: ‘Deal’ by Bill Kreutzmann with Benjy Eisen

May 9, 2019 at 10:24 p.m.

Like any formidable memoir from a counterculture veteran, "Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead" is heavy on sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll....

Little Free Libraries aim to grow beyond neighborhood curiosity

May 9, 2019 at 10:20 p.m.

Since Liz Siegel and Greg Jacobs live two blocks from the Sulzer Regional Library in Lincoln Square, logic would dictate that there really is no need for their sidewalk kiosk...

Review: ‘A City Called Heaven’ by Robert Marovich

May 9, 2019 at 10:15 p.m.

Chicago gospel had an unexpected moment this Grammy season when, late into the awards telecast, Beyonce and an all-male choir reprised "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," a song Mahalia Jackson...

The absence of Stephen Colbert, left, and Jon Stewart on Comedy Central -- two hosts who featured robust books coverage -- might have an impact on lesser-known authors.

Absence of ‘Daily Show,’ ‘Colbert Report’ might impact authors

May 9, 2019 at 10:13 p.m.

For fans of late night political comedy, this is a very bad year. Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, the twin pillars of the genre, are vacating the hosting chair of...

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