The punk poet and musician describes how his imagination and his love of literature led him to view the world with a unique perspective, different than that of his working-class family and neighborhood friends.*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations 

*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations 

Architect John Vinci, art and architectural historian David Van Zanten, and curator Wim de Wit discuss Louis Sullivan and the Chicago Historical Society’s exhibition “Louis Sullivan: The Function of Ornament.” The group discusses Sullivan’s use of ornament to add an organic element to his architecture; as well as some of Sullivan’s most prominent work, including the Chicago Stock Exchange Building, the Auditorium Building, and the Sullivan Center. This program includes a clip from 1956 of Frank Lloyd Wright discussing Sullivan and his impact on architectural design.

Non-fiction author Carl Smith discusses his latest work which focuses on the history of Chicago. Topics covered include labor movements, specifically the Pullman strike and the 1970's case trial with the Chicago Seven.

Dr. Young talks about his policy about addictive medications at Cook County Hospital, and about the financially driven connections between pharmaceutical companies and doctors.

Uris Davis, academic and pacifist, discusses political tension during the Arab-Israeli conflict and his views of pacifism in relation. Includes an interview with author Ronald Fair who discusses crime, urban life, and race relations. Content Warning: This conversation has the presence of outdated, biased, offensive language. Rather than remove this content, we present it in the context of twentieth-century social history to acknowledge and learn from its impact and to inspire awareness and discussion.

The early influences of his father, his time in prison, and a bomb being sent to his home are among the topics covered in Dellinger’s book, “From Yale to Jail: The Story of a Moral Dissenter”. Dellinger is best known for being one of the Chicago Eight. He recalls a time in Lincoln Park, IL when he was warned to get out of there quickly because the police were told to attack Dellinger and his group.

Irv Kupcinet said he was embarrassed to admit how many hours he'd spend per day working on one story for his column. Kup explained his work life, his social life and personal life all gelled together because he was working about 18 hours a day. Reading papers every morning and making phones to his various contacts were the main ways Irv Kupcinet got his information.

Win Stracke, Bill Adelman, and Bill Neebe discusses the Haymarket Riot and the following trials and hangings which changed the labor movement around the world. The group discusses the American labor movement and police brutality that led to the protest and the eventual accusal of eight men. They also explore the roles George Pullman, Marshall Field, and the police force played and how they used the protest to weed out union leaders they did not like. The group briefly discusses the future of the labor movement.