Roger Ebert will be wearing a prosthetic chin for his segments on the reconstituted Roger Ebert Presents At The Movies. Today Ebert discusses the process to having the new chin constructed on his blog with his usual blend of grace, humor, wisdom and candor. more ›

Today is storytime, boys and girls. Art recounts the time he had a chance encounter with Elizabeth Taylor. more ›

The key to being a writer is simple: you just do it. more ›

Last Saturday we visited the newly opened and packed-to-the-gills downtown French Market at 131 N. Canal. Here are some photos from our trip and apologies for the quality of some, as we used our iPhone. more ›

"I suppose I should say that all my roots are all in Chicago," Wallace Shawn told us. "Both sides of my family. My parents were very identified with being from Chicago, really. My childhood memories of visiting the relatives in Chicago are central to my being. And all sorts of things that some people associate with New York, I associate with Chicago, like going to hear jazz. I went with my uncle to hear Erroll Garner in Chicago." Shawn is usually thought of as the quintessential New Yorker (in fact his father William was the long-time editor of The New Yorker) but his new book is published by Chicago-based Haymarket Press. Essays is Shawn's first all-nonfiction collection, with pieces about the theater and writing, and impressions of living in post-9/11 America. more ›

At this point in his career Roger Ebert has earned the right to write about whatever subject that strikes his fancy, and he does so with eloquence, wit, passion and keenly honed journalistic instincts. Ebert also cut his teeth in newspapers when reporters and columnists had a reputation for hard-drinking and late night war story sessions at the Billy Goat; Ebert has said on many occasions that this is what newspapermen did. more ›

Andrew Huff at Gapers Block's Drive-Thru blog called Forbes Traveler's decision to include Margie's on its list of the best ice cream in America "lazy ice cream journalism," while Mike Nagrant lists his alternatives at Serious Eats. more ›

In last month's edition of The New Republic an article by Steve Pinker quoted Leon Kass, chairman of the President's Council of Bioethics (which recently published a 555-page conservative tome called Human Dignity and Bioethics), as saying of street food: more ›

Best-selling memoirist/essayist and frequent This American Life contributor David Sedaris has a new book, When You Are Engulfed In Flames (out today), and is visiting Chicago next week for a pair of appearances. First is an appearance at Border's in Evanston on Wednesday, June 11 where he'll be reading from and signing the new book. The store will begin passing out free wristbands for the signing portion of the event at 2 p.m. the day of the appearance. Then, on Thursday June 12, Sedaris will be doing a lecture and signing at Barbara's Bookstore's UIC location. Tickets are required for the lecture portion of the event but are free with the purchase of Engulfed. There's a limit of two tickets per person and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis as seating is limited. The signing portion of the event, however, will be open to anyone who purchases any Sedaris release from Barbara's (with proof of receipt). more ›