James and Steven were able to attend Ben Austen’s talk about his book, “Correction. Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change.” Ben had awesome insights for those who want to learn more about gaps that the parole system in America faces.
#secondchances #providenceri #communitypower #highereducationinprison
A 2021 @nytimes op-ed by @etcetras and @kgibransr details the history of Parole Illinois and our fight to pass the Earned Reentry bill, now filed as House Bill 2764. Tap the link in our bio to read more about why restoring discretionary parole would transform lives, inspire rehabilitation, and curb mass incarceration.
That’s me in the front in the red stripes. (S/o mom for the haircut!) That’s Eddie in the back, in the crown. Our class in Chicago is celebrating his 6th birthday. He’s a rabbi now, in Florida. Not that long ago, Eddie wrote me on Facebook that back when this photo was taken I was his bully. I had no memory of this. So I went to Boca Raton, and we talked. It’s on @thisamerlife “Bully Pulpit.” Link in bio and here /878/new-lore-drop/act-two-3
A story I did for this week’s @thisamerlife . It’s about…well, a rabbi reaches out to me on Facebook. He says, when we were kids, decades ago in Chicago, I was his bully. From there, Boca Raton. I visit him. Link here and in bio. Listen. What d’you think? /878/new-lore-drop/act-two-3
A story I did about good government! City lawyers working in the public interest. The City of Chicago's affirmative litigation division, and a brief history of city-led plaintiff-side impact litigation. In January's Chicago Magazine. And online: /chicago-magazine/january-2026/how-chicago-is-using-lawsuits-to-force-change/ @chicagomag
Paperback publication day of Correction. Thank you, @flatiron_books ! Thank you, again, everyone in acknowledgements. Paperback available wherever you love books.
Next Thursday, at Haymarket House, I’m in conversation with John J. Lennon, the author of The Tragedy of True Crime, which was reported and written entirely from behind bars. The book is great—an account of three individuals and the high-profile murders they committed that moves seamlessly into cultural criticism and personal memoir; it’s a wrenchingly honest portrait of the artist as an incarcerated man. John will be phoning in from his cell at Sing Sing prison. Join me at Haymarket House
800 W. Buena Ave Chicago. @macmillanusa@celadonbooks@haymarkethouse@john.j.lennon
Wrote about Chicago artist @theastergates and his new exhibit “Unto Thee” @smartmuseum . In addition to working as a potter, painter, performer and sculptor, Gates has acquired numerous vacant properties in the South Side’s Grand Crossing neighborhood. As part of his art practice, he has revivified these buildings, repurposing them as places for gathering and performance, infusing them with art and artists and unwanted archives, turning them into models — or symbols — of redevelopment and hope. The nonprofit he created to manage and activate these holdings he named Rebuild.
After two decades of amassing here in Chicago, of bringing his wild dreams to life, of fame and its ensuing responsibilities, Gates is, with this new exhibition, simultaneously offering the city a window into his outsized portfolio and figuring out how to wind aspects of that practice down.
“In 20 years, whatever I was supposed to do, I did,” Gates says. “I feel very much like I don’t owe anybody anything as it relates to my contributions as a citizen of a place, or a citizen of an institution, or a citizen of my race.” Read full story @wbezchicago@chicagosuntimes /art/2025/09/19/theaster-gates-art-smart-museum-university-of-chicago-unto-thee-rebuild @rebuild_foundation
The new top women’s doubles player in the world is from Chicago’s South Side.
For Taylor Townsend, 29, who hasn’t held a No. 1 ranking since she was a junior, the achievement is both a “dream come true” and part of a larger lesson for a player who hasn’t fit the mold of professional tennis. I wrote about the great @tay_taytownsend , a star on and off the court, for @chicagosuntimes . @wta@usopen . Photo by Madeleine Hordinski /tennis/2025/08/15/the-worlds-best-womens-doubles-tennis-player-is-south-side-native-taylor-townsend
