Matthew J. Hendrickson

Alaska is a state of wild beauty. Along its coastal estuaries the fog rises between mountains and lies low across miles of sedge and piney forests. From the window of a single prop plane, the earth below is a swirl of muted colors as rivers and creeks meander to the coasts, flooding and receding with the tide. Grizzly bears wake from their long winter hibernation to feast during endless summer days that roll from one to the next. In the fall, salmon run so thick you can almost scoop them out with your hands – but it still helps to have a pole.

Last year in September I had the pleasure of flying to Lake Clark National Park on the Alaskan coast to help my friends at Silver Fir Media with a film about this remarkable place for the National Park Service. We fished silver salmon, watched bears hunt the tidal pools and interviewed a group of “old timer” anglers who make an annual trek to the park to enjoy its serenity and natural beauty. It was a dream come true to see this place in all its untamed wonder.

What if Wonder Woman needed a board of directors to approve her missions or Batman consulted an image expert before taking to the streets? Sounds bizarre, right? That’s why Julia Rhoads, producing artistic director of Lucky Plush Productions, chose the idea as the basis for a new show.

“The origin of modern day Streeterville began with a storm, a stranded ship, and the derailed plans of an aspiring gunrunner ...”

My profile on the dining scene in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood explores donut shops, old school steakhouses and restaurants with unmatched views. 

During passing periods at Proviso East High School, Principal Patrick Hardy plants himself in the middle of a school corridor like a tree growing midstream.

As the students pass by, his arms reach out like branches. He offers an open palm for a shake, gives a student a fist bump, or as needed, pulls one in closer for a short conversation before they are released back into the roiling current of bodies on the way to class.

It had been tucked away for 70 years, stored in a garage, kept in closets and drawers. But now, seven decades after its last entry was written, the journal of a Japanese soldier who likely died at Iwo Jima may find its way home.

The ins and outs of what happens when a loved one dies at home in Cook County. Here’s a few things to know before starting a difficult conversation with your loved ones. 

A former member of the hip-hop group the Roots, Abrams grew up in Philadelphia and honed his chops as a member of the house band at the now-shuttered local jazz club Velvet Lounge. “In Chicago, it’s nice that there is a willingness of musicians to help realize each other’s music,” says the 40-year-old, who’s known for his ability to jump genres with ease. WHERE TO SEE HIM NEXT: The Von Freeman Pavilion at 1:10 p.m. on August 29.

Sushi might just be the ultimate summer food for Chicagoans. Light, layered, and perfect for sharing, these small bites pack in a lot of flavor. For a city so far from the sea, Chicago sports a host of modern, innovative sushi restaurants featuring incredibly fresh, seasonal ocean fare. Chicago’s sushi chefs start with traditional techniques, but aren’t afraid to add contemporary twists, as evidenced by the restaurants profiled here. Whether you’re a sushi fanatic or have yet to give it a chance, these are the places to try.

Our city has never shied away from modern art, architecture, design … even food. But behind it all are treasured traditions. Our city is steeped in culture and important history, but here we are innovators,creators, pioneers. And when it comes to our food and our restaurants, we love finding ways to balance the old with the new. That’s what it means to walk the line.

Filini Bar and Restaurant, located at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in downtown Chicago, walks that line with aplomb. “We want to stay as true as possible to traditional Italian cooking, but with a modern twist—a local twist,” Restaurant General Manager Francesco Tardio explains on a tour of Filini’s lounge. “We integrate ourselves into the local culture.”

May marks the centennial of the birth of Herman Blount, the father of Afrofuturism. Born in Alabama, Blount moved to Chicago in 1946, claiming that aliens from Saturn had told him to quit school and take up music.

He changed his name to Sun Ra, and by the 1970s he was at the helm of a cultural movement that was a bizarre concoction of science fiction, African American history, magical realism, and free jazz. Twenty years after Blount’s death, interest in Afrofuturism is surging.

A behind-the-scenes look at the battle against lead poisoning

By Matthew Hendrickson

Published March 2009, ChicagoTalks.org and Propublica.org

CHICAGO – Lead poisoning in Chicago children is a major health concern, but the city’s day-to-day battle against the problem has drawn surprisingly little scrutiny.

Recently, veteran lead inspector Elijah Ezeofor allowed me to shadow him for a day, providing a rare glimpse of the city’s lead poisoning prevention efforts – and whether those efforts were working.

At age 60, Ezeofor is a soft-spoken man who still has black hair, cropped short. He has been an inspector the last 16 years, saying with a chuckle, he is looking forward to retiring soon.

As we cruise down I-90/94 toward the South Side, he tells me most inspections are scheduled early in the day to accommodate the working schedules of residents.

But inspectors want to end the day early for another reason.

“I hear shots occasionally if I’m out late,” he says. “We get to a lot of places. Some are nice, and others are not so. I was coming out of a house one night and I saw a kid across the street. Maybe 19? He was running down the block and shooting, so I had to jump behind my car until he was gone.”

That is why hunting down some children with lead poisoning can be difficult.

“Sometimes it’s dangerous to go around just knocking on doors,” Ezeofor says. “I don’t do that anymore. People get angry, so now I just leave a door sign, and whoever has the child will call then.”

The No. 1 way children acquire lead poisoning is through lead paint in old homes ...