This month is National Novel Writing Month — Nanowrimo for short. A time for cranking (crunking?) out 50,000 words of elegant prose — or crap, depending. A time (30 days, to be precise) within a time (that lacks a foreseeable end, to be depressing) of widespread unemployment among writers, many of whom used to get paid to wordsmith. Damn, man. Those were the days. more ›

With the weather being all gray and gloomsville as it has been lately, making art at home seems like a preferable alternative to actually leaving the house to go places/have a life/recreate. But Chicagoist understands that some of you might have no interest in making art whatsoever, or might be allergic to the chemicals in paint, so here are some artsy events you can check out instead: more ›

Here’s what you missed while you were sneezing and burning: Guest #18, your comments are hilarious, but how do you fare with a live audience? If you think you’ve got the chops, submit a 1-2 minute video to Time Out Chicago by September 20. Best entries will be screened online for their discerning website visitors. The top four will compete live for the chance to be crowned “Chicago’s Funniest Person.” (... at least according to... more ›

We've heard about all the action the King Tut exhibit has been getting at the Field Museum. In fact, any regular rider of the #146 or #12 buses knows that it's not rare to hear the sad groans of riders when they see the "King Tut — sold out" sign flashing in the Museum Campus. Well, never fear! the museum will be extending its hours during the last two weeks of the King Tut run. more ›

Chicagoist loves us some comics. So we were particularly pleased to see one of Chicago’s most famous practitioners of the art form, Chris Ware, receive a $50,000 grant for his work along with local artist Nick Cave (not that one) and 11 other visual artists. more ›

Like the cast of a Universal Studios picture during the Golden Age of movies, the Outlaw Dinner is worth repeating (from 7-10 p.m. on Monday, August 21st). This time around, there's a sense of urgency involved, as the city's ban on foie gras goes into effect next Tuesday. This means we'll be working through the weekend to set up our "goose liver bandit" pipelines in the basement. more ›

We knew that Chicago loved its zombies, but even we are surprised about how hot Chicagoans are for mummies. more ›

Some of Chicagoist’s fondest memories occurred in a diner setting. Right now just thinking of old standbys like the old Huddle House on North Avenue (now known as the Hollywood Grill), Ravenswood Restaurant, or Alexander’s on Clark Street conjure vivid memories of breakfast skillets, chili, home fries, salty coffee, and key lime pie. We’ve sometimes gone so far as to plot our bike rides so that we can stop at Walker Brothers’ Original Pancake House in Wilmette for the apple pancake, which is really one gigantic turnover that dares to be eaten in one sitting. more ›

Chicagoist would be tempted to file this one under “who freaking cares?” but apparently the return of King Tut and all his toys (plus some new ones!) is pretty big news on the museum circuit. Something about all that gold-covered gold just seems to light people up. more ›

Next week kicks off The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Friday Night at the Movies series. Sadly, this does not mean the CSO will be projecting movies onto its back wall and serving brie and wine like some upper-crust Brew and View. Instead, they’ll perform musical scores from some well-known films. A logical starting point for this series would be the silent film era so Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights” will kick things off on October 15th. The series will continue through the winter with The Golden Age of Film Music on November 19th featuring music from Gone With The Wind and Lawrence of Arabia and A Night On The Red Carpet, an Oscar-themed show on February 25th with selections from The Godfather and Doctor Zhivago. Tickets for these events are pricey but if you’re a student you can get in for only ten bucks. more ›

For the first time ever, the Golden Age of Gangsters Convention is coming to the Chicago area.. well, Itasca, IL. And actually, it's the first convention of this sort. Held September 10 - 12th, it's open to the public and will feature noted authors, collectors of gangster memorabilia, historians, and gangster movies and documentaries. more ›