Three recordings by artists with strong Chicago ties were added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry this year: Nat "King" Cole for his recording of "Straighten Up and Fly Right"), Mahalia Jackson’s "Move On Up a Little Higher" and an interview with James Baldwin conducted by Studs Terkel in 1962. Sadly, neither “Veronica Hates Me” or “Cindy’s On Methadone” by Screeching Weasel were included this year. more ›

Five months after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, the future of New Orleans remains mired in doubt and bureaucracy. When the mainstream media shelves substantive debate over the city’s rebuilding to decipher Mayor Nagin’s “Chocolate City” speech, the art world picks up the slack. Two local exhibits and a new play examine The Big Easy, the city and the idea. more ›