ChicagoLife MAGAZINE
THE BALANCE OF NATURE SIN TAXES ON FOOTBALL ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS HOT WINTER BOOTS MEMORY ISSUES NOVEMBER 2011
hanigs.com
Welcome designer Thierry Rabotin to Chicago. Nearly a decade ago, Peter Hanig brought the modern design and craftsmanship of Thierry Rabotin to Chicago and every season these shoes become more of a phenomenon. Come to these special events and discover why these are among the most desired shoes for women in Chicago.
Thursday, Oct. 13 • 11am - 5pm 1000 W. North Ave. with Melissa Kenady
Fall Trunk Shows
Friday, Oct. 14 • 11am - 5pm Plaza del Lago, Wilmette With designer Thierry Rabotin Saturday, Oct. 15 • 11am - 5pm John Hancock Center 875 N. Michigan With designer Thierry Rabotin
Hanig’s Footwear The John Hancock Center, 875 N. Michigan, Delaware Entrance 312-787-6800 1000 W. North Ave. at Sheffield. Free Parking 312-640-1234 Plaza del Lago, 1515 Sheridan Road, Wilmette 847-256-3545
Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair + The Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art November 4-6 Navy Pier
Vivian Beer, Wexler Gallery
Opening Night Thursday, November 3
Special thanks to:
Produced by The Art Fair Company, Inc.
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CONTENTS
ChicagoLife 8 Publisher’s Letter 10 Arts and Culture 18 Art Sigalit Zetouni writes on Jessica Stockholder’s work.
20
On Economics Allen R. Sanderson looks at sin taxes.
22
On Style Pamela Dittmer McKuen writes on this season’s boots.
24 Education Julie West Johnson writes on alumni associations. 26 Dining Guide 30 Baby Boomers Marilyn Soltis writes on memory.
38 Book Reviews The Elegance of the Hedgehog; In the Garden of Beasts; Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box; The London Train; Two Among the Righteous Few: A Story of Courage in the Holocaust.
PHOTO CREDITS: Above: Photograph by Joon Han On the cover: Photograph by Richard Wasserman whose work is on exhibition through Nov. 12 at the Noyes Cultural Center in Evanston (927 Noyes Street, Evanston/847/448-8260). Wasserman’s work will be published in Midstream: The Chicago River by Columbia College Chicago Press.
CONTRIBUTORS Jane Ammeson has been a 20-year contributor to Chicago Life. Kathy Berns has been a 25-year contributor to Chicago Life. She has had a career in marketing and enjoys photography. Jessica Curry is a freelance writer and has been a 7-year contributor to Chicago Life. Cory Franklin M.D. was director of medical intensive care at Cook County Hospital for 25 years. He’s been published in nearly 100 peer-reviewed articles and in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and New York Times.
Joon Han is an avid photographer in Chicago whose works have been featured in television shows, print magazines and online media. Julie West Johnson is a free lance writer and author. She taught English at New Trier in Winnetka. Pamela Dittmer McKuen is an award-winning feature writer who specializes in style, design and architecture. She is an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago. Allen R. Sanderson teaches economics at the University of Chicago, contributes to op-ed pages on sports and non-sports topics and is a frequent guest on national television programs.
Marilyn Soltis is a writer and reporter with extensive experience in traditional and alternative media. Her work has taken her around the globe, from Central and South America to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Joseph Valerio is a Chicago-based architect and partner at Valerio Dewalt Train Associcates. He has authored three books on architecture and his work has been widely published around the world. Sigalit Zetouni, coauthor of the Ariel Sharon biography, Sharon: Israel's Warrior Politician, lives in Chicago and writes about art and culture.
Copyright 2011 by Chicago Life Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content without written permission is prohibited. Although precautions are taken to ensure accuracy of published work, Chicago Life cannot be held responsible for the opinions expressed, debts incurred, nor facts implied by its writers and staff. Chicago Life assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited materials. Subscriptions $30/12 issues. 4 CHICAGO LIFE
LAKE MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
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Member Schools of the Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools admit students of any race, religion, or gender to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to the students of those schools, and the schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, or gender in the administration of their educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs.
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ChicagoLife Publisher Pam Berns Editor Marilyn Soltis Associate Editor Kathy Berns Contributors Jane Ammeson Kari Burns Jessica Curry Joon Han Julie West Johnson Pamela Dittmer McKuen Vimi Molhotra Monica Mosure Christine S. Ricker Allen R. Sanderson Cynthia Taubert Barbara Weddle Kathleen Welton Sigalit Zetouni Marketing Mike Kearns Kevin Siarkowski
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Make a plan
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R E T I R E NOT H I NG Never retire your spirit. Never let go of your curiosity or zest for life. And never, ever surrender your independence. At Presbyterian Homes, we have a different kind of mission. We answer to a different bottom line. Here, we put your independence above everything else. Presbyterian Homes is a not-for-profit organization with a national reputation for creating extraordinary communities for older adults for over 100 years. Communities that are alive with people, intellectual awareness, enduring friendships. Give up nothing. And above all else, retire nothing.
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
the nature of things lions. Unfortunately, shortly after the herbicide was applied to the Nature has been unkind as of late. And lawns, nearby trees—even large old-growth evergreens such as nowhere has nature been more cruel than in SoNorway spruce, white pine and balsam fir trees—began dying. malia, where drought pushed millions of fleeing According to the New York Times, trees such as willows and families to seek water and food. None of us can poplars, with shallow root systems are especially vulnerable. Unlook away from this devastation without feeling fortunately, Imprelis was supposed to be an environmentallywe must do more. (See unicefusa.org to give) friendly herbicide, harmless to animals. However, Imprelis didn’t The Union of Concerned Scientists has issued reports on climate changes, including “Global warming is unequivocal and pri- bind with the soil and seeped into groundwater. The E.P.A. had originally approved the herbicide on a limited basis to professional marily human-induced.” The climate-related future depends landscapers. You have to wonder why the E.P.A. approved this mostly on future human-caused emissions of heat-trapping gases product in the first place. Now homeowners who have lost huge and airborne particles. They write, “The relative indicators are trees on their property are suing DuPont, the manufacturer of Imrising” including air temperature over land, oceans and sea-surprelis, because homeowners need to replace the trees and that can faces; sea level, ocean heat, humidity and tropospheric temperacost up to $25,000 a tree. Large trees are priceless to a community. ture as well as three indicators that are declining: “Arctic sea ice, They can enhance the value of homes, even up to 20 percent. glaciers and spring snow cover in the Northern hemisphere.” In Chicago, plans are still being considered to reverse the Even when we are stressed by economic perils in unemployment course of the Chicago river in order to protect and the markets, we can ill afford to ignore our Every time we play with the Great Lakes from the Asian carp. Surroundcontributions to global warming. States such as Mother Nature we pay a Texas and Oklahoma have experienced drought steep price in environmental ing states want to separate the Chicago area waterways from Lake Michigan, hence all the Great conditions reminiscent of the dust bowl era. Deal- degradation. Lakes. When the carp were introduced into ing with alternative energy and conservation are southern states to clean up fish ponds, they esplaces to begin addressing man-made effects on caped into the Mississippi River and continued to move north. the climate. But the forces of the energy of yesterday, with our reThe huge fish can weigh up to 100 pounds. They are known to liance on coal—including mountaintop mining—and oil, are comjump in response to motorboats and the effects of being hit by the promising our political system as well as polluting the environment. Campaign donations by entrenched business interests flying fish can be likened to being hit by a medicine ball in flight. The fish are mostly bone and have not found a market in the are funding candidates who will continue to maintain the status United States. But that isn’t frustrating some fishermen in the Illiquo. Meanwhile, some candidates are denying man-made ties to nois River, where 80 percent of their fish catch are Asian carp. The global warming. Even in a state where wildfires and drought have New York Times reports that local fishermen are seeing booming taken an especially devastating toll, presidential candidate and markets for the fish in Asia, processing it into Asian carp hot current governor of Texas, Rick Perry, has shrugged off the condogs, frozen fish and fertilizer. Another Illinois company has won nection, saying that it will eventually rain: “It always does.” a $1 million contract to fish and process the carp into fish oil. In Perry’s book, Fed Up!, he writes that Al Gore was a “false Ask Chicago restaurateurs how they will feel about carp replacing prophet of a secular carbon cult.” trout or whitefish on the menu. According to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, Developing a market for Asian carp doesn’t make it any safer big oil has contributed more than $11 million to Perry’s political for the Great Lakes to protect its $7 billion fishing and tourism career. If elected, Perry said he would like to “put a moratorium industries. But there’s more at stake than industry. Every time we on all regulations.” play with Mother Nature we pay a steep price in environmental The markets are not the only signs that we are dealing with a degradation. Asian carp eat plankton which other fish need as crisis of nature. Other forces are at work as well. Bugs, plants and wild animals are affecting us in ways that none of us have ex- well. Native Lake Michigan fish will likely be wiped out by the Asian carp. When we toy with the balance of nature, many times perienced before. Many of these species are moving north. Kudzu vines—native to Japan and China—have taken over trees we cannot ever recover. Understandably, the barge industries do not want to separate Chicago area waterways from the Great in parts of the country, even in Illinois. According to the News BuLakes. The courts will decide how this plays out, but developing reau at the University of Illinois, the vines were introduced to the U.S. in the 1865 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Their roots markets for the Asian carp will not protect our native species. can reach into the earth 12 feet and can grow to weigh 300 pounds. Once the carp escape into Lake Michigan, it will be too late to stop the infestation. Kudzu can block sunlight and smother native plants. It is our responsibility to leave this world a better place. IgnorWeeds, unwanted growths that can choke out more desirable plants, are thriving. This summer the E.P.A. banned the sale of an ing environmental pollution—leading to global warming and the upset of the balance of nature—is irresponsible. herbicide—Imprelis— that was used by professional landscapers Sign me up for the secular carbon cult.—Pam Berns and on golf courses to get rid of weeds like clover and dande8 CHICAGO LIFE
Chicago’s Bank I S ANSWER IS BELOW Wintrust hasn’t always been a financial services company with $15 billion in assets. In fact, almost 20 years ago we started by opening a single community bank in a Chicago suburb. Just as your business has grown, so has ours.
AN IDEA The idea of opening an old-fashioned community bank began in early 1991. At that time, many of the banks had become owned and operated by giant corporations with headquarters in other cities, other states, even other countries. That meant these banks were now charging fees for things that used to be free. They even started to charge for talking to a teller. Major corporations and large “preferred” customers took priority over local businesses and most local residents. Employees didn’t know their customers, and the customers didn’t even recognize the employees. What happened then, seems to be happening now. The local neighborhood bank with friendly personal service has almost become a thing of the past.
Parade watchers gather outside the original Lake Forest Bank & Trust, the first bank we opened.
TRUE COMMUNITY BANKING People want the kind of bank that will service them for life – where parents can take their kids to learn about banking and saving, and maybe even meet the bank’s president. They want a bank where older kids can get help all the way through
college; where all of a family’s financial events, from the household checking account to trust and estate planning, will be as important to the bank as they are to the family. The bank should become an important part of the community, help it solve its problems and plan for its future.
CHICAGO’S BANK
Other divisions of Wintrust offer complimentary and specialized financial services for which our customers and prospects have expressed a need. This includes: t Wintrust Commercial Banking: a C&I lending powerhouse to middle market companies via offices located in many Chicago suburbs and at 190 South LaSalle Street; t Wintrust Mortgage: now one of the largest mortgage originators in Illinois; and, t Wintrust Wealth Management: with nearly $13 billion in anticipated assets under management or administration after the close of its acquisition of Great Lakes Advisors.
Wintrust is big enough to handle nearly any financial need, no matter the size, but small enough to actually care about each and every customer.
We became the bank that Chicagoans were and are looking for. We have and always will be rooted in the communities we serve. Our banks are big enough to handle $50 million loans to businesses in the area, yet small enough to hand out cookies and coffee when you come in the As it turns out, local bank, lollipops to kids, and residents wanted a even dog biscuits to “man’s community bank like best friend”. We’re large ours. enough to handle the most complex Trust and Wealth WHAT WE’VE Management issues or able BECOME to provide you a simple Wintrust has grown FREE checking account, and into a consortium of when you call, we’ll answer community banks and the phone and know you by Our most recent bank financial services providers. name. Whether your business needs opening: Naperville Throughout the area, more Bank & Trust. to refinance its office building or your than 90 Wintrust Community daughter needs a mortgage for her first Banks have been opened and staffed with home, we’ll get it done for you. Our banks talented people who had the same “customer have the resources of the big banks (at least the and community first” philosophy that has same, if not better solutions) paired with the proven so successful for us. best customer service.
Today, Wintrust is the second largest banking group headquartered in Illinois. But, we’ll never forget how we got here.
Ultimately, we became the bank our customers were looking for. Wintrust is your community bank. Wintrust is your commercial bank. Wintrust is Chicago’s Bank. So now that you know our story, we’d like to hear yours. It’s how we like to start all of our relationships.
www.wintrust.com
Banking products provided by Wintrust Financial Corp. banks (Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender). Securities and insurance offered through Wayne Hummer Investments (Member FINRA/SIPC), founded in 1931. Trust and Asset Management services offered by The Chicago Trust Company, N.A. and Great Lakes Advisors, LLC, respectively. Investment products such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds are not insured by the FDIC or any federal government agency, not bank guaranteed or a bank deposit, and may lose value.
ARTS & EVENTS
events
International Museum of Surgical Science (1524 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago/
312-642-6502/imss.org) presents Surgicogenomics: Genes and Stem Cells in Surgery. Julia Klein: Joint Work; Alison Petty Ragguette: Visceralab through Nov. 18. Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art (756 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago/
312-243-9088/ art.org) presents You Better Be Listening: Text in Self-Taught Art through Jan. 14. Eugene Von Bruenchenhein: From the Wand of the Genii through Jan. 14. Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago (2100 Patriot Blvd., Glenview/ 847-
832-6600/kohlchildrensmuseum.org) presents Science & You through Dec. 30.
Museums Art Institute of Chicago (111 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago/ 312-443-3600/ artic.edu) presents Bertrand Goldberg: Architecture of Invention through Jan. 15. Chicago Architecture Foundation (224 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago/ 312-922-3432/caf.architecture.org) conducts 85 different walking, bus and boat tours throughout Chicago. Oct 1516: Insider access to over 125 of the city’s most interesting buildings. Chicago Botanic Garden (1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe/ 847-835-5440/chicago botanic.org) presents 24 spectacular gardens on 385 acres. Celebrate Halloween at Hallow Fest; Trains, Tricks & Treats; Spooky Pooch Parade. Oct 21, 22, 23, 29, 30, 31. Wonderland Express starts Nov. 25. Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St., Chicago/312-744-6630/explore chicago.org) presents Write Now: Artists and Letterforms through April. 10 CHICAGO LIFE
Chicago History Museum (1601 N. Clark, Chicago/312-642-4600/ chicagohs.org) presents Lincoln’s Chicago; Out in Chicago. Charles James: Genius Deconstructed opens Oct. 22. DePaul Art Museum (935 W. Fullerton, http://museums.depaul.edu/artwebsite/) The DePaul Art Museum’s new $7.8 million home presents “Re: Chicago.” The exhibition, which will run through Feb. 2012, examines the careers of Chicago artists over more than a century. Field Museum (1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago/ 312-922-9410/fieldmuseum.org) hosts Whales: Giants of the Deep through Jan. 16. Hyde Park Art Center (5020 S. Cornell Ave., Chicago/ 773-324-5520/hydeparkart. com) presents Kay Rosen: Don’t Look Back through April 15. Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center (9603 Woods Drive, Skokie/ 847-967-
4800/ilholocaustmuseum.org) presents The Art of Gaman: Art and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camp, 1942-1946 through Jan. 15.
Top left clockwise: Dan, Tom Van Eynde, 2011, archival inkjet print in Plexiglas, 45.75” x 43.75” Linda Warren Gallery; New York (follow up), Teo Gonzalez, acrylic/household paint on paper, 22” x 22”., 2011. Roy Boyd Gallery; The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Jessica Honor Carleton., Photo by Sandro. Steppenwolf Theatre.
Office Partitions
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For more information, call (312) 494-9494, or visit our showroom conveniently located on 221 West Ohio Street, Chicago, IL 60654, or log on to; www.ilslidingdoor.com
SOFA CHICAGO + The Intuit Show at Chicago’s Navy Pier Nov. 3-6 In its 18th year, SOFA CHICAGO + The Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art features more than 80 international art galleries, and showcases glass, wood, jewelry, ceramics, furniture, sculpture, mixed media, objects and functional art. Established artists like Dale Chihuly and Lino Tagliapietra are alongside emerging new talents in a variety of cutting edge mediums. SOFA CHICAGO will again feature special exhibits by renowned museums, universities and arts organizations, as well as an extensive lecture series, all included in the admission price. For times and tickets info go to sofaexpo.com
SOFA, Purple Red, John Kiley, 2011, Traver Gallery, Seattle WA
SOFA, Moths (Strata Series), Gareth Mason, 23” h, porcelain, Mindy Soloman Gallery, St. Petersburg FL
Loyola University Museum of Art (820 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago/ 312-915-6394/luc. edu/luma) presents Pilgrimage and Faith: Buddhism, Christianity and Islam through Nov. 14. Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University (40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston/847-491-4000/blockmuseum. northwestern.edu) presents Tango with Cows: Book Art of the Russian Avante-Garde, 1910-1917 through Dec. 11. Morton Arboretum (4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle/ 630-968-0074/mortonarb.org) presents Nature Unframed: Art at the Arboretum through Nov. 27. Museum of Contemporary Art (220 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago/ 312-280-2660/mca chicago.org) presents The Language of Less (Then and Now), Oct. 8 through April 8. Museum of Contemporary Photography
(600 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago/ 312-6635554/ mocp.org) presents Crime Unseen, Oct. 28 - Jan. 15. Museum of Science and Industry (600 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago/ 312-663-5554/msi chicago.org) presents Smart Home: Green & Wired through Jan. 8; Tornado Alley through Dec. 31. Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (2430 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago/ 773-755-5100/ chias.org) presents Architecture by Birds and Insects through Oct. 23. Eww! What’s Eating You? Oct. 22 – Feb. 12 CHICAGO LIFE
SOFA, Blue Raven Ladle, glass, 23” h, Preston Singletary, Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe NM
Smart Museum of Art (5550 S. Greenwood Ave., Chicago/ 773-702-0200/smartmuseum. com) presents Vision and Communism through Jan. 22. Spertus Museum (610 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago/312-322-1700/spertus.edu/ museum) presents Uncovered & Rediscovered: Stories of Jewish Chicago through Dec. 2012.
Theatre American Theater Company (1909 W. Byron, Chicago/773-409-4125/atcweb.org) presents The Amish Project through Oct. 23. Apollo Theater (2540 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago/773-935-6100/apollochicago.com) presents the Million Dollar Quartet. Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago/800-
982-ARTS/auditorium theatre.com) presents The Joffrey Ballet-Don Quixote Oct 12-23; David Sedaris Nov. 12. Briar Street Theater (3133 N. Halsted Street, Chicago/ 773-348-4000/blueman.com) presents a new and updated Blue Man Group showcasing technogeek ingenuity. Broadway in Chicago (312-977-1717/ broadwayinchicago.com) is a touring company that presents a large selection of musicals and play in the Chicago Theater District. Love, Loss and What I Wore through Oct. 23. Chicago Dramatists (1105 W. Chicago Ave,
Chicago/312-633-0630/chicagodramatists.org) presents The Kid Thing through Oct. 16; Blizzard 67 Jan. 15-Feb 12. Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier (800 E. Grand Ave., Chicago/312-5955600/ chicagoshakes.com) presents Follies through Nov. 6. Chicago Theatre (175 N. State Street/ 312902-1500/thechicagotheatre.com) presents Chicago Live! through Nov. 10; Ray Davies and His Band through Nov. 11. Court Theatre (5535 S. Ellis Ave, Chicago/ 773-753-4472/courttheatre.org) presents The Comedy of Errors through Oct. 17; An Illiad Nov. 10 - Dec. 11. Drury Lane Theatre 630-530-0111/ 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, Oak Brook/ drurylaneoakbrook.com) presents Sound of Music Oct. 20 - Dec. 23. Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago/312-443-3800/goodmantheatre.org) presents Red through Oct. 23. Harris Theater (205 E. Randolph St., Chicago/ 312-334-7777/harristheaterchicago. org) presents a world-class repertoire of music and dance—see website for full schedule. Lookingglass Theatre (821 N. Michigan Ave./312-337-0665/lookingglasstheatre.org) presents The Great Fire through Nov. 20. Marriott Theatre (10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire/847-634-0200/ marriottheatre.com) presents Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Oct. 19 - Jan. 1. Mercury Theater (3745 N. Southport Ave., Chicago/773/325/1700/mercurytheaterchicago.com) presents The Christmas Schooner Nov. 16 - Dec. 31. Northlight Theatre (9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie/ 847-673-6300/ northlight.org) presents Snapshots through Oct. 23. The Paramount Theatre (23 E. Galena Blvd, Aurora/630-896-6666/paramountaurora. com) presents Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Nov. 2-20. Porchlight Music Theatre (2814 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago/773-325-9884/porchlighttheatre. com) presents Sunday in the Park with George through Oct. 31. Profiles Theatre (4147 N. Broadway, Chicago/ 773-549-1815/profilestheatre.org) presents A Behanding in Spokane through Dec. 4. Raven Theatre Company (6157 N. Clark St, Chicago/773-338-2177/raventheatre.com) presents Bus Stop Oct. 11- Dec. 11. Royal George Theatre (1641 North Halsted, Chicago/312-988-9000/royalgeorgetheatre. com) presents MAESTRO: The Art of Leonard Bernstein Nov. 1 - Dec. 30. Steppenwolf Theatre Company (1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago/312-335-1650/steppenwolf. org) presents Clybourne Park through Nov. 6. TimeLine Theatre (615 W. Wellington, Chicago/773-281-8463/timelinetheatre.com) presents The Pitmen Painters through Dec. 4. Victory Gardens (2433 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago/773-871-3000/victorygardens.org) presents Ameriville Jan. 27 - Feb. 26. Writers’ Theatre (325 Tudor Court, Glencoe/847-242-6000/writerstheatre.org) presents The Real Thing through Nov. 30.
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Galleries Aaron Galleries (2011 Tower Drive, Glenview/847-724-0660/aarongalleries.com) presents Kurt Meinecke—Paintings (Color & Space) Oct. 14-Nov. 14. Ann Nathan Gallery (212 W. Superior Street, Chicago/312-664-6622/annnathan gallery.com) presents figurative art and realism. The Arts Club of Chicago (201 E. Ontario, Chicago/312-787-3997/artsclubchicago.com) presents Bertrand Goldberg: Reflections. Carl Hammer Gallery (740 N. Wells, Chicago /312-266-8512/hammergallery.com) presents From Struggle Came Power through Oct. 23. Catherine Edelman Gallery (300 W. Superior Street, Chicago/312-266-2350/edelman gallery. com) presents Kelli Connell, Double Life, through Oct. 29. Carrie Secrist Gallery (835 W. Washington Blvd, Chicago/312-491-0917/secristgallery. com) presents David Lefkowitz Oct. 22- Dec. 3.
Hinge Gallery (1955 W. Chicago/ Chicago/ 312-291-9313/hingegallery.com) presents work by Jeffrey Forsythe and Dan Tague, through Oct. 30. Judy A. Saslow Gallery (300 W. Superior, Chicago/312-943-0530/jsaslowgallery.com) presents Daniel Kim & Rebecca Kinkead through Oct 29. Ken Saunders Gallery, Ltd (230 W. Superior St., Chicago/312-573-1400/ kensaunders gallery. com) presents Lino Tagliapietra through Oct. 31.
Chicago Art Dealers Association
(chicagoartdealers.org) presents First Thursdays. Galleries open till 7:00 pm, River North. Douglas Dawson Gallery (400 N. Morgan St/Chicago/312-226-7975/douglasdawson. com) specializes in ancient and historic art from Africa, Asia and the Americas. Echt Gallery (222 W. Superior, Chicago /312440-0268/echtgallery.com) presents paintings on glass by Gregory Grenon through Oct. 22. Gallery KH (311 W. Superior Street, Chicago / 312-642-0202/gallerykh.com) presents Amy Cannady: Poetry in Paint. Jean Albano Gallery (215 W. Superior Street, Chicago/312-440-0770/jeanalbano gallery.com) presents contemporary painting, sculpture and mixed media. 14 CHICAGO LIFE
Top clockwise: Portrait Blue Blue Drip, Ed Valentine, LInda Warren Gallery; Phase, color shifting enamel on hand-carved Plexiglass, Steve Hough, Zg Gallery; Beverly Mayeri, SOFA, Perimeter Gallery; Visceralab, Alison Petty Ragguette, International Museum of Surgical Science; Kugler, Ed Paschke, 1971, oil on canvas, 46 X 42 inches, Russell Bowman Art Advisory; piano; Daria Rabotkina, piano, pianofortefoundation.org; Doyle & Debbie Show, The Royal George cabaret.
EXTENDED THRU DECEMBER! “GREAT AT BALL BALLS B LS OF FIRE HERE’S A HIT.TT. A PPALPABLE HIT!” CHICAGO TRIBUNE
“WHIPS THE CCROWD ROWD IN INTO NTO A
Victor Koretsky, from Vision and Communism, Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago.
FRENZYY!” FRENZY!
Linda Warren Gallery (1052 W. Fulton
The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago (5811 S. Ellis Avenue,
Bergman Gallery, Chicago/773-702-8670/renaissancesociety.org) presents vanguard art. Rhona Hoffman Gallery (118 N. Peoria, Chicago, 312-455-1990/rhoffmangallery.com) presents Adam Pendleton, Rendered in Black and Rendered Oct. 19-Nov. 21. Roy Boyd Gallery (739 N. Wells, Chicago/ 312-642-1606/royboydgallery.com) presents Teo Gonzalez: New Paintings through Oct. 25. Russell Bowman Art Advisory (311 W. Superior, Chicago/312-751-9500/bowmanart. com) presents Ed Paschke: Early Paintings & Drawings through Oct. 29. Schneider Gallery (230 W. Superior Street, Chicago/ 312-988-4033/schneidergallery.com) presents contemporary photography. Zg Gallery (300 W. Superior Street, Chicago/ 312-654-9900/zggallery.com) presents Steve Hough “Solid State Liminal: “New Paintings” through Oct. 29. Zolla/Lieberman Gallery Inc. (325 W. Huron Street, Chicago/ 312-944-1990/zolla liebermangallery.com) presents Buzz Spector, Selected Group Exhibition of Gallery Artists through Oct. 22.
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Market, Chicago/312-432-9500/lindawarren gallery. com) presents Ed Valentine, “Untitled”; Tom Van Endye—in the Project Space through Oct. 22. Packer Schopf Gallery (942 W. Lake, Chicago/312-226-8984/packergallery.com) presents contemporary art. Maya Polsky Gallery (215 W. Superior Street, Chicago/ 312-440-0055/mayapolsky gallery.com) presents Gabriela Morawetz, “Connected Isolations” through May 31. Noyes Cultural Art Center Gallery (927 Noyes Street, Evanston/847-448-8620) presents Midstream: the Chicago River photographs by Richard Wasserman through Nov. 12. Perimeter Gallery (210 W. Superior, Chicago/ 312-266-9473/perimetergallery.com) presents Beverly Mayer; Vanessa Smith (ceramics) Oct. 14-Nov. 12. Printworks Gallery (311 W. Superior Street, Chicago/312-664-9407/printworkschicago. com) presents James Mesple through Oct. 15; Carole Harmel Oct 21-Nov. 26.
800.982.2787 BLUEMAN.COM/CHICAGO CHICAGO LIFE 15
ON ART
RE: CHICAGO THE NEW DEPAUL ART MUSEUM early 20th century who was mentally ill. Chicago’s Hairy Who artists are prominent in the exhibition as well as artists such as Ellen Lanyon and Ralph Arnold and contemporary artists such as Suellen Rocco. There are stunning installations including one by Marie Krane Bergman & Cream Co. Short explanations are given by the nominators and visitors are also given the opportunity to express themselves on computers in the gallery. A quirky aspect of the museum is a second-floor window that allows the museum to interact with commuters on the “L” through messages and artwork. The space also allows for class use, programs and other events, all consistent with DePaul’s commitment to the the direct interactions of artists and viewers in new and novel ways. Tours and a film festival will be held throughout the run of the show until February 2012. o
T
he handsome new building next to the Fullerton “L” stop is the new of home of the DePaul Art Museum, a $7.8 million, 15,200 square foot energy-efficient structure that offers exhibitions free to the public. The building has a partial green roof and other water-efficient features. ....“Re: Chicago” is the opening exhibit, a wonderful collection of about 50 pieces of art that examines the careers and artistic reputations of Chicago artists for more than a century. The art was chosen by critics, artists and scholars BY KARI BURNS in the Chicago art world who were asked to name a famous artist—or one who should be famous—that leads to often surprising results. Some of the artists’ work is recognizable, like Ivan Albright’s Self Portrait from 1934. Others are more obscure like Margaret Ianelli, a graphic designer from the
16 CHICAGO LIFE
Top right: Ralph Arnold (American. 1928-2006). Who You/Yeah Baby, c.1968. Oil and collage on canvas. Bottom right: Tony Fitzpatrick, The Winter Tiger, 2010. Archival pigment print.
Lorraine Peltz Dazzling and Bright Extended through Saturday, Oct 29th
Chandelier Green Stripes, Lorraine Peltz, 2010, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 40” x 40”
Peltz is a featured artist in Chicago Artist's Month
Packer Schopf Gallery 942 W. Lake • Chicago, IL 60607 312.226.8984 www.packergallery.com packer@packergallery.com UPCOMING SHOWS AND EVENTS.... Friday, November 4th, 5:00 - 8:00 PM Artists' Reception: Altered Books by Brian Dettmer Machined Metal Sculpture by Chris Bathgate Facebook Embroideries by Kathy Halper Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 AM to 5:30 PM
December 1 – 4 Pulse Miami, Booth E- 407 Embroidered X-Rays by Matthew Cox Altered Books by Brian Dettmer Stripe Paintings by Betsy Stirratt www.pulse-art.com
ON ART
FALL oF possibiLities
M
ay of 2010 marked the beginning of construction for the University of Chicago’s Reva and David Logan Center for Creative and Performing Arts. A year later in May of 2011 the university celebrated the last beam that marked the point when the 10story tower had reached its intended height, and by May of 2012 the modernist design glass-and-stone Logan Center is scheduled to open. The Logan center is designed with teaching and presentation spaces for dance, music, cinema and media, theater and performance, and visual arts. Acclaimed architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, a husband-wife team based in New York, created technically sophisticated interiors that take advantage of natural light and integrate with dynamic outdoor spaces for students and faculty to work on painting, sculpture, and theatrical scenery. In anticipation of the opening of the Logan Center, internationally acclaimed Seattle-born artist Jessica Stockholder (b. 1959) has recently joined the UniBY SIGALIT ZETOUNI versity of Chicago faculty as a Professor and chair of the Department of Visual Arts (DOVA). Stockholder, an artist whose work has transformed the traditional conception of sculpture, had come to the University of Chicago after more than a decade of teaching sculpture at Yale University. About her move Stockholder said: “The [University of Chicago] community seems really dynamic and full of conversation and energy. I am excited and happy to be part of the effort to bring more energy to the practice of the arts at the University,” (Artist Jessica Stockholder to join faculty and become the new chair of DOVA, by Susie Allen, “arts.uchicago.edu”, April 6, 2011) Stockholder’s work has been shown at museums and galleries 18 CHICAGO LIFE
worldwide. Her intricate installations invite viewers to walk and discover. Her works are often sitespecific extending to the floors, ceilings, and walls that are inside and outside the exhibiting space. Stockholder employs familiar found objects such as household furniture, rugs, stuffed animals, plastic bags, fake fur, pillows, plastic bowls, extension cords, lumber, light fixtures and light bulbs. A master colorist, Stockholder paints her objects with spectacular colors and constructs environments of living paintings through careful composition and lyrical choreography. In a 1992 interview, Stockholder discussed her process: “Building the pieces is sometimes not much fun. There isn’t the same pleasure that comes from looking at them. Building them is usually a struggle. I’m irritable, grumpy, upset, and worried. It’s difficult. Then looking at the piece afterward, there is still some of that, there are always difficult places in the work that make me uncomfortable. But, to the extent that the work is successful, I’m Peer out to see, Jessica Stockprovided an experience that is not there while buildholder. Palacio ing it. It’s an experience of being really wonderful de Cristal. Parque de El Retiro. 2010. or exciting. It keeps me moving just the right way; Photo by Joanquin Cortes/ that is something that is very particular to its being Roman Lores. finished. The static and timeless experience is in Museo Nacional Centro de Arte contrast to our own temporality. The static experiReina Sofia. ence is an imaginary one and as such, full of possiCourtesy Mitchell-Innes & bility.” (Jessica Stockholder by Stephen Westfall, Nash, New York. BOMB 41/Fall 1992) In conjunction with the currently ongoing “Chicago Artists Month” Stockholder will give a talk that features a presentation of her work at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 27 at the University of Chicago’s International House, Assembly Hall 1414 East 59th Street. Each year, Chicago Artists Month spotlights a group of artists who embody the range of talent and diversity of the community. More than 45 neighborhoods are participating in this celebration, showcasing artists living and working in Chicago. Throughout this month there are many exciting events, ranging from exhibitions to open studio tours and neighborhood art walks presented by museums, galleries, cultural centers and arts organizations throughout the city. One of this year’s featured artists is Vivian Visser who creates sculptures using natural materials including branches, leaves, and wool. Visser’s work is part of a show entitled “Form In Flora” at the Lincoln Park Conservatory that includes nature-inspired works created by members of Chicago Sculpture International. “Forms In Flora” runs through November 4. Chicago Artists Month is presented by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture. For a complete calendar of events visit www.chicagoartistsmonth.org. o
OUR COLLECTION
ON ECONOMICS
TAXES AND TOuChDOWNS LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD IN COLLEGE ATHLETICS have to wear XXL clothing is not an externality; and the jury is still out whether the heavyset are like smokers and offset part of their societal costs by dying young.) If these four sin taxes now on the table are acceptable, let me suggest a fifth item: college football games. Yes, I am advocating that we impose steep taxes on all intercollegiate football advertising, television broadcasts, logo merchandise sales, and gate receipts. Why? About 100 universities will field football teams at the Division I level this year; they will play 12 or more games each, plus from December 2011 through mid January 2012, 70 of these programs will also play in bowl contests. These games generate hundreds of millions of dollars—for the networks, coaches, athletic departments and institutions—but virtually nothing for the young men on the field (except for room, board, tuition, a walking-around allowance, and a souvenir tshirt or cap; and because institutions and the NCAA have gone out of their way to label these players, largely African-American youths from inner-city neighborhoods and s almost a matter of course, federal and state govmodest family circumstances, “student-athletes” not employees, if inernments now tax commodities that are broadly jured they are not eligible for workman’s compensation and other deemed “sins.” Tobacco products and alcoholic legal redresses). beverages fall under this heading. The rationale, Only a small fraction of these thousands of college football players other than elected officials always grubbing for will ever earn a living in the NFL, and less money, is that consumpthan half of them, in spite of being steered to tion of these items imBecause automobile traffic causes air meaningless “gut” majors and wink-wink inposes, in economics jargon, “negative pollution, contributes to congestion and structors, will ever earn a degree from the externalities”; that is, it affects people not creates accidents, levies on gasoline universities they represent on Saturdays. party to the transaction and/or imposes costs serve the same purposes as with Although these athletes are amateurs only on society as a whole. tobacco or alcohol. under the most twisted definition of the With regard to cigarettes, apart from secword, some fans, college peers, and the genond-hand smoke concerns and litter, inhaling eral public may arguably have some qualms about paying them leads to lung cancer and other diseases and thus the smoker may salaries. (I do not have any such qualms.) Why that is remains somemake disproportionate use of our health-care resources. (That the what of a mystery because few seem to object to paying run-of-thesmoker pays steep cigarette taxes during his or her lifetime, then mill coaches $2 million a year in base salary plus generous perks. tends to die around age 65 without collecting much in the way of SoLet’s impose a sin tax on the revenues intercollegiate football and cial Security benefits, probably means that smokers are actually paybasketball generate for everyone but the players. This money could ing their own way through life—and death.) be set aside to provide funding for the ex-players to return to earn a Taxes on alcohol are similar. They are levied to produce revenues degree, enter a graduate program, and/or start a small business. that offset domestic violence and help defray the costs of alcohol-reFans and universities benefit enormously from this exploitation. It lated traffic accidents. (There is BY ALLEN R. SANDERSON is no stretch to treat this as in the same category as smoking, drinkample evidence that these taxes are generally set too low to “internalize the externality”—maybe because ing, gorging ourselves on hot dogs and nachos, most of which we do in the stands or our family rooms while these exploited workers toil more politicians drink than smoke?—and thus should be raised.) for our entertainment and the coach’s yacht. As citizens we should be Currently gasoline taxes are the third sin item. Because automobile above having our entertainment whims sated on the backs of these traffic causes air pollution, contributes to congestion and creates acyoungsters. Will it put an end to the cesspools at Ohio State, Oregon, cidents, levies on gasoline serve the same purposes as with tobacco Miami, USC, Auburn, LSU and ...? No, but it’s time to draw a halt to or alcohol. The fourth sin category—fat or sugar—involves our conthe current arrangements. And for economists, raising the price is cerns about obesity and has led some officials and jurisdictions to try generally a good place to start. o to tax fast-food and sugary soft drinks. (That those who are obese
A
20 CHICAGO LIFE
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ON STYLE
REACHING NEw HEIGHts
Tsubo Osuga boot
Give boots a standing ovation this fall. We’ve been through seasons of jewelry that make statements and handbags that announce our arrival on the scene. Now boots are doing all the talking. Just listen: Perhaps the most interesting tale is the wondrous diversity of offerings. Boots have reached new heights, ranging from barelythere booties to thigh-high armaments. Heels go from flat to wedges to platforms to stilettos, although skyscraper spikes are usually found on the shortest and tallest of silhouettes. Color, texture and ornamentation are
Dietra Men’s Boot by Donald J Pliner
Rune boot
essential elements. We see practical boots to carry us through the coldest, slushiest days of winter as well as artistic creations to bedazzle us. Major themes to mention are Western and riding influences, reptile and safari skins, and hardware galore. One of the more engaging trends is trompe l’oeil, with a boot BY PAMELA DITTMER MCKUEN appearing to be something other than a boot. Special effects from Mui Mui include black suede or silver glitter booties seemingly wrapped with a peep-toe sandal. Prada optically slips a Mary Jane pump over a kneehigh python or suede shaft. Many a casual boot is designed with a crochet top that scrunches and folds to resemble sagging leg warmers. From the Donald J Pliner collection, “Vasha” presents casual glam ($650). It’s a black suede ankle boot embellished with silver chain, mesh, and crystals—and a favorite of
22 CHICAGO LIFE
cr creative director Lisa Pliner. “It is the perfect rockstar shoe—wear them with a pair of cigarette jeans, basic t-shirt and boyfriend blazer, allowing the heels to steal the show,” she says. You could go bold with a fire-engine red knee-high. If you’re feeling cautious, start out with a crimson stiletto bootie. But it’s okay to make an even smaller investment in hue, perhaps tights with a glimmer finish. Remember that shorter boots are an opportunity for color-blocking or contrast leggings. Keep your feet comfy and cool all day with Bootights, an all-in-one sock and tight by Leg Up. Leave those tube socks for the gym.
So which do you buy first—the outfit or the Vasha Boot by boots? Wardrobe consultDonald J Pliner ant Susan Mowder of The Style Principle in Chicago advises: “If you want a head-to-toe look, buy the outfit. But if you fall in love with a great pair of boots, there is no problem. We can always make an outfit around them.” Men’s boots focus on tradition, authenticity and rugged good looks, say Adam Beltzman and Jerry Kahmi, partners in the Haberdash stores in Old Town and River North. Many of the brands are hand-sewn. Many are accompanied with long histories. “The aesthetic is classicism with a little twist,” says Kahmi. “Sometimes you’ll see a mix of genres, like a traditional dressy upper with a crepe sole.” In November the duo is opening Haberdash EDC (Every ,...Day Carry), an accessories boutique plus barbershop and apothecary. A gent needs three pairs of boots, the haberdashers say. The first will be leather, perhaps with wingtip stitching, to pair with a suit or dress khakis. The second will be a hardier model with a heavy sole for casual looks such as slim jeans with rolled cuffs. And the third? Something practical and waterproof like duck boots. Haberdash favors the Sorel collection. One of the hottest heritage styles for men is the “Indy” boot, leather-crafted by Alden and made famous by Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones ($435). A new generation of young men has discovered the iconic workboot and is making it their own, says Beltzman. o
IT WORKED FOR HER. IT CAN WORK FOR YOU.
FASHION DESIGNER ANNA FONG COLLECTION ANNA FONG B.A. ’01
PHOTO: DREW REYNOLDS (BA ’97)
Columbia College Chicago believed in the power of Fong’s creativity, and is proud that she chose to pursue her education at Columbia—the largest, most diverse private arts and media college in the nation. Columbia’s rigorous liberal arts education prepares the creative and motivated student to be part of the world’s next generation of innovators and artists.
UNDERGRADUATE OPEN HOUSE
GRADUATE OPEN HOUSE
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ON EDUCATION
MAY LUCK FOLLOW YOU LiKe YOUr ALUMni MAgAzine
T
hose of us who have pursued higher education all know that if we were marooned in the heart of Conrad’s Africa, or alone and icebound in Ultima Thule, our college alumni offices would manage to track us down—and ask for money. It’s one of the constants in the universe.......... ....For all the nation’s colleges, from Harvard and William and Mary, both founded in the seventeenth century, to our newest post-millennial institutions, “the alumni association” is an entity of great importance, a campus’s lifeblood. Indeed, in a tight economy, universities are depending more than ever on the generosity of their graduates. Happily, campuses remain a frequent beneficiary of philanthropic largesse. According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, nearly half of the 65 gifts of $5 million or more made in the United States in 2010 went to colleges or universities, most commonly to the alma mater of the donor (cited in Charlotte Allen’s “Why Do the Big Donors Give?” in Minding the Campus, April 25, 2011). Most of us, of course, give smaller sums. And while we don’t get a building named after us, or an endowed chair, these days we do receive significant benefits in exchange, if we choose to take advantage of them. The range of what alumni associations offer to their members has expanded enormously in the last ten or fifteen years. Some have actually set up as dues-paying clubs. At the University of California at Davis, for example, one of the ten campuses in California’s university structure, alumni now pay an annual $50 ($700 lifetime) for membership in the alumni club. According to Rita Lundin, Assistant to the Executive Director, in exBY JULIE WEST JOHNSON change for their dues alums receive a library card valid at any of the ten Cal campuses; discounts on hotels, car rentals, and Disneyland; the opportunity to participate in seminars, dinners, trips, and webinars. Stanford University offers a
24 CHICAGO LIFE
similar array of benefits to alums who pay $95 annually ($595 lifetime) for membership in its association; 90,000 alumni have chosen to join. Most alumni associations, however, do not require dues. Northwestern University maintains 70 clubs around the world, and according to Amanda Sloan, NU’s Director of Alumni Clubs, members pay no dues; individual groups meet as often as ten times a year for cultural and educational outings, such as the Washington, D.C. branch’s recent tour of the Ethiopian embassy. Other major schools in the Chicago area—the University of Chicago, Loyola, DePaul, and the University of Illinois—have also avoided the dues approach and grant any alum automatic membership. Current offerings for alums at these local universities certainly reflect trends in the larger culture. For one thing, the schools have all rushed to use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as instant ways to stay in contact with graduates. Colleen Fashing, Associate Director of Alumni Relations at DePaul, notes that DePaul currently has 145,000 alumni, one-third of whom live in other states and in 80 countries around the globe. Electronic media make it possible to stay in quick touch with these people and to offer them online experiences. Kathy Quinlan, Director of Operations and Strategy in the alumni office at Northwestern, points out that this also saves an alumni office a great deal of money on postage. The most striking development in recent years may be the vast array of job counseling and networking opportunities alumni offices now offer their graduates, necessitated by the economic downturn. Nicole Meehan, Director of Alumni Relations at Chicago’s Loyola, stresses that at Loyola demand for these services has led to a proliferation of career-related courses in continuing education, as well as to an assortment of webinars and employment services. Along the same lines, DePaul in 2009 began a program called “Corporate Connectors,” which taps into alumni in the work force, calling upon them to provide information, interviews, and networking experiences for other DePaul alums. According to Colleen Fashing, the program has been so successful that it now involves alumni in over 300 companies around the world, all of whom have agreed to help other DePaul alums with career issues. Alumni trips are yet another trend of recent years. According to Kathy Quinlan, Northwestern offered around 50 organized travel opportunities last year, most featuring faculty speakers and guides. Among University of Chicago and Loyola alums, too, such trips are popular, both for their educational worth and for the background bond participants know they share with their fellow travelers. In addition, the local campuses all offer university library cards to their alums (though frequently not with borrowing privileges) and sometimes insurance deals. Northwestern, for example, offers its graduates competitive prices on medical, homeowner’s, and longterm care insurance. NU also has its own credit card program. Alma mater, in Latin, means “fostering mother.” When campuses continue to nurture their graduates, they reap the monetary contributions that keep them thriving. It’s a fine symbiosis. o
She needed more to get where she wanted to go...
‌and now she’s going places she never imagined.
Kristina Davis has watched her career skyrocket since graduating from Benedictine’s dual master’s degree program in Public Health and Nutrition/Wellness. She is at the forefront of solving a growing national problem. As a research specialist, she manages and supports interventions to reduce hospital acquired infections. Saving lives is a side effect she can deal with.
Read the rest of Kristina’s story at www.ben.edu/chicagolife.
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DINING GUIDE
Adobo Grill, 1610 N. Wells, 312-266-7999. A casual, sophisticated atmosphere with upscale Mexican cuisine. Adobo is known for its margaritas and fresh, “made-at-your-table” guacamole. Alinea, 1723 N. Halsted, 312-867-0110. One of the restaurants that make Chicago a world-class restaurant town, the degustation menus are priced at $145 and $225. Award-winning cuisine, extensive wine list and elegant atmosphere are the course of the day. Art Institute of Chicago-Terzo Piano, New Wing, C O U N T I N G D O W N T O T H E D AY 312-443-8650. This simple gourmet restaurant is the W E E L I M I N AT E M U LT I P L E M Y E L O M A spot for dining after viewing the Modern Wing. Unusual, creative offerings, including spaghetti squash appetizer, sesame-crusted Lake Superior whitefish with eggplant, JOIN US IN OUR MISSION TODAY! and trout with fingerling potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Avec, 615 W. Randolph, 312-377-2002. Seasonal www.321cure.org • (203) 229-0464 fare is featured as a group experience in a boisterous atmosphere. Simply prepared contemporary tapas are fabulous, and fresh dishes can be accented with fine European cheeses. Avenues, The Peninsula Chicago, 108 E. Superior, 312-573-6754. Just reading the menu is an exercise for the imagination. The melding of unusual ingredients makes this fine dining establishment a unique experience. Bice Ristorante, 158 E. Ontario, 312-664-1474. The rushed, crowded atmosphere of this Gold Coast restaurant only adds to its charm. Pizza, pasta and salads are popular choices for dining in or taking out. Bistro Campagne, 4518 N. Lincoln, 773-2716100. An authentic French bistro, this charming spot with a private outdoor garden is perfect for an intimate dinner. The primarily organic menu offers a small number of perfectly prepared fish dishes as well as traditional farmraised chicken and steak frites. Bistro Margot, 1437 N. Wells, 312-587-3660. If you’re in the mood for authenic French bistro cuisine like patés and grilled salmon, Bistro Margot offers up French fare at reasonable prices. Bistro 110, 110 E. Pearson, 312-266-3110. Hungry shoppers and tourists, as well as neighborhood foodies appreciate the hearty portions and great prices of this comfortable bistro. 7XHVGD\ 6DWXUGD\ DP SP Blackbird, 619 W. Randolph, 312-715-0708. Classic simplicity at its best, both in food and décor. Brazzaz, 39 N. Dearborn Street, 312-595-9000.
3, 2,1: Cure
26 CHICAGO LIFE
This popular Brazilian steakhouse offers meats carved at your tableside, a fabulous salad bar and excellent grilled shrimp. Save room for the flan! Boka, 1729 N. Halsted, 312-337-6070. Nice ambiance with a sleek, high-tech look. Don’t overlook the cheese plate or the sticky pudding. ...Cafe Des Architectes, 20 E. Chestnut, 312-3244063. Sofitel’s restaurant sheds the mediocrity of many hotel restaurants, with fawning service and upscale cuisine. Cafe Spiaggia, 980 N. Michigan, 312-280-2750. The food comes from the same kitchen as Spiaggia, just in a more reasonably priced, toned down atmosphere. Cape Cod Room, Drake Hotel, 140 E. Walton, 312-932-4615. The ultimate, classic seafood restaurant has been serving up fish dishes since 1933. Carnivale, 702 W. Fulton Market, 312-850-5005. This trendy nightspot encompasses a huge space broken up into different dining areas. The menu is an offering of dishes from South America and the Caribbean. Charlie Trotters, 816 W. Armitage, 773-248-6228. The internationally renowned showcase for chef Charlie Trotter is known for its degustation menu and pricey, rare ingredients—perfect for a celebration. Chicago Chop House, 60 W. Ontario, 312-7877100. Lined with photos from Chicago’s meatier days, the restaurant chronicles gangsters, mayors and movie stars. Chicago Diner, 3411 N. Halsted, 773-935-6696. This fun place offers vegetarian fare from home-made soups and gigantic salads to tofu re-creations of more standard omnivore dishes. Try the raw blueberry cheesecake. Cibo Matto at The Wit Hotel, 201 N. State, 312239-9500. Located in a boutique hotel right in the middle of State Street downtown, the Italian restaurant features a 2,000-bottle wine vault, a 30-foot-high ceiling fresco and a 10-foot-high cheese case. Club Lucky, 1824 W. Wabansia, 773-227-2300. Faux old-fashioned Italian neighborhood spot gives Bucktown a place for casual, basic and ample fare. Coco Pazzo, 300 W. Hubbard, 312-836-0900. The River North mainstay remains consistently popular, featuring reliable seasonal Tuscan cuisine, wood burning oven, house-cured meats and fish, vegetarian friendly, allItalian wine list and the best risotto in Chicago.
Enjoy Chicagoland’s Finest Seafood in an Elegant Setting
Dinotto Ristorante, 215 W. North, 312-202-0302. This Italian restaurant never fails to engage the senses— from the calamari appetizer to the pumpkin ravioli to the tiramisu. Duke of Perth, 2913 N. Clark, 773-477-1741. The authentic Scottish pub has fish and chips, Wednesday and Friday fish fry, and 75 kinds of single-malt whiskey. Try the Hebridian leek pie. Erwin, 2925 N. Halsted. 773-528-7200. Simple design and excellent service is complemented by finely prepared entrees. Leave room for the sour cherry pie with vanilla ice cream. Firefly, 3335 N. Halsted, 773-525-2505. The wildly popular Boystown French bistro is known for its late-night dining. Flatwater, 321 N. Clark, 312-644-0283. Excellent global food choices are served at river level. The restaurant has a popular 54-foot indoor-outdoor bar. Flemings Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar. 25 E. Ohio, 312-329-9463. This is a perfect place for steak lovers as well as business lunch meetings. Fogo de Chao, 661 N. LaSalle, 312-932-9330. All-you-can-eat meat sliced at your table Brazilian style is the menu at this River North restaurant. Other patrons go for the popular salad bar-only option. Frontera Grill, 445 N. Clark, 312-661-1434. Famous chef Rick Bayless’ devotees gratefully stand in line for hours for chili relenos, margaritas, guacamole and other Mexican fare. Gene & Georgetti, 500 N. Franklin, 312-5273718. Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope used to come here for steaks when in Chicago. The steakhouse opened in 1941 and still offers quality food. Gemini Bistro, 2075 N. Lincoln,773-525-2522. The tweed and leather booths and historic lighting create a unique atmosphere for elegant dining and enjoying wine by glass or their signature cocktails. Greek Islands, 200 S. Halsted, 312-782-9855. The biggest Greek restaurant in the neighborhood offers traditional Greek dishes. Green Zebra, 1460 W. Chicago, 312-243-7100. Almost entirely vegetarian, this upscale spot features the best cuisine has to offer from many cultures. Green Dolphin Street, 2200 N. Ashland, 773395-0066. Jazz club, nightclub, private event venue. It has an extensive seafood selection on its eclectic menu. Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, 1028 N. Rush, 312266-8999. For the martini and steak crowd, the restaurant has testosterone to spare. Hunt Club, 1100 N. State, 312-988-7887. This popular sports bar and grill offers nightly $5 drink and food specials, Monday night football fun and dancing until 5 a.m. on Saturdays. Japonais, 600 W. Chicago, 312-822-9600. This trendy hot spot features contemporary Asian French dishes like the rainbow carpaccio with yuzu dressing. Jack’s On Halsted, 3201 N. Halsted, 773-2449191. Incorporating Asian, Mediterranean and New World flavors, Jack’s serves excellent, healthy food. Kamehachi, 1400 N. Wells, 312-664-3663. This Old Town mainstay used to be one of the only places for sushi back in the ‘70s. Quality fish and presentation have kept this a popular destination for decades. Karyn’s Cooked, 738 N. Wells, 312-587-1050. Enjoy simple, vegan, gourmet fare that never fails to deliver. The lasagna with smoked spinach is flavorful. Try the German chocolate and the banana coconut cakes. Keefer's, 20 W. Kinzie, 312-467-9525. This venue serves some of the finest steak, seafood French bistro dishes in the area. Kiki's Bistro, 900 N. Franklin, 312-335-5454. Urban French cuisine is very popular with the lunch crowd. Try the smoked salmon pastrami sandwich. Kitchen Sink, 1107 W. Berwyn, 773-944-0592. This charming establishment offers coffee, espresso, specialty sandwiches, and pastries from local bakeries from early morning to early dinner. Le Colonial, 937 N. Rush, 312-255-0088. Authen- tic Vietnamese French cuisine coupled with elegant atmosphere. Try Chao Tom, a grilled shrimp delight. Mercat a la Planxa, Blackstone Hotel, 638 S. Michigan, 312-765-0524. Spanish tapas, wines and cocktails served in wild décor make for a fun night.
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Choose from 15 excellent tapas, from seafood to steak. Mista, 2931 N. Broadway, 773-698-6688. Try the Margherita pizza with a very thin, crispy cracker crust with tomato sauce, basil and fresh tomatoes. Lou Malnati’s, 439 N. Wells, 312-828-9800.If you are dying for fabulous deep dish pizza, you’ve found the perfect spot. Highly recommended: “The Louâ€? with cheese, spinach, mushrooms and tomatos. McCormick & Schmick's, 1 E. Wacker, 312923-7226 and 41 E. Chestnut, 312-397-9500. Topnotch seafood heads the menu with steak offerings for meat-eaters. Try the outstanding pike. Morton’s the Steakhouse, 1050 N. State, 312266-4820. Steaks and wines are the draw here in the original Morton’s location. Save room for dessert. Naha, 500 N. Clark, 312-321-6242. Seasonal Mediterranean taken to new levels of sophistication and artistry. The Wild Black Cod is recommended. N9ne Steakhouse, 440 W. Randolph, 312575-9900. Steak and seafood head the menu at this sister restaurant of N9ne Las Vegas. The upstairs Ghostbar has a cool, futuristic theme. NoMi, Park Hyatt Chicago, 800 N. Michigan, 312-239-4030. Upscale and sophisticated, the international spot is known for its elegant presentation, distinctive cuisine and extensive wine list. North Pond, 2610 N. Cannon Dr.,773-4775845. The ducks in the lagoon provide a glimpse into nature.The menu is simple, with a good selection of fresh fish. O’Brien’s, 1528 N. Wells, 312-787-3131. This Old Town restaurant features well-prepared fish, steaks and burgers. The outdoor garden is bustling. Oceanique, 505 Main St., Evanston, 847-8643435. From its charming French decor to the bouillabaisse, Oceanique is an intimate, tony restaurant for any occasion. It features an extensive fresh seafood menu, thoughtfully prepared, and desserts like the day and night cake with layers of chocolate mousse. Parthenon, 314 S. Halsted. 312-726-2407. Ooompah! From the delicious Greek specialties to the tasty galaktoboureko and phyllo pastry shell with light vanilla custard, this authentic spot is not to be missed. Pensiero Ristorante, 1566 Oak Ave, Evanston, 847-475-7779. The pasta and fresh fish specialties are excellent in this popular Italian restaurant. Phil Stefani’s, 437 N. Rush, 312-222-0101. Quality beef and seafood with traditional Italian pastas is the menu of the day for bigger appetites. Piccolo Sogno, 464 N. Halsted, 312-4210077. The influence of many areas of Italy is represented in this reasonably priced restaurant that has a stunning view of the skyline from the patio. Pizzeria Uno, 29 E. Ohio, 312-321-1000. The deep-dish pizza can’t be duplicated anywhere else except for Pizzeria Due across the street. Province, 161 N. Jefferson, 312-669-9900. Enjoy farm-to-table dishes with Spanish and South American influence in a certified Gold LEED-EB building. Pops for Champagne, 601 N. State, 312-2667677. This new version of the popular venue has a raw bar, champagne bar, jazz lounge and outdoor spaces. The Publican, 837 W. Fulton, 312-733-9555. The focus is on beers and heirloom pork in this Warehouse District venue backed by some of the biggest names in Chicago food circles. Quince at the Homestead, 1625 Hinman Ave, Evanston, 847-570-8400. Enjoy contemporary American cuisine with the best ingredients of the season in a lively and comfortable setting. Rhapsody, 65 E. Adams, 312-786-9911. If you are going to the symphony after dining, you need reservations. Enjoy this wonderful spot offering unusual preparations of fish and vegetables. RL Restaurant, 115 E. Chicago, 312-4751100. The Ralph Lauren restaurant features American food with country-clubby, old-money dĂŠcor. The lobster club sandwich is the best in the city. Rosebud, 1500 W. Taylor, 312-942-1117.
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Where better to dine on sumptuous Italian fare than in the old Italian neighborhood? This original restaurant was so popular, multiple Rosebuds opened up throughout the city and suburbs. Russian Tea Time, 77 E. Adams, 312-360-0000. When you are taking in the cultural sites at the Art Institute or symphony, this bustling old world restaurant is a must. Vegetarians can enjoy an array of unusual appetizers. There are excellent meat dishes, as well. Rustic House, 1967 N. Halsted, 312-929-3227. The weathered barnyard and burlap wall coverings are as authentic as the excellent fresh farm-to-table ingredients of their dishes. Salute, 46 E. Superior, 312-664-0100. This cafe and wine bar offers an extensive wine list and Italian small plates in a Victorian-era atmosphere lending an aura of romance. Sapori Trattoria, 2701 N. Halsted, 773-8329999. The linen tablecloths and exposed brick walls evoke an atmosphere of old Italy. On Tuesday nights— tapas night—you can enjoy live jazz and sample tasty, innovative combinations. Try the lasagne or salmon. Seasons Restaurant, Four Seasons,120 E. Delaware, 312-649-2349. Enjoy an elegant Old World feel above Michigan Avenue. Try the salmon and smoked caviar. Tasting menus change often. Sepia, 123 N. Jefferson, 312-441-1920. A great choice in a former print shop serves a seasonal contemporary American menu and extensive wine list. Shanghai Terrace, Peninsula Chicago, 108 E. Superior, 312-573-6744. Experience upscale Chinese food in an elegant hotel. Enjoy Sunday dim sum brunch. Signature Room, 875 N. Michigan, 312-7879596. Go for the views at this elegant spot on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building. The fare is excellent. Smith & Wollensky, 318 N. State, 312-6709900. Known for its excellent dry-aged beef and giant steaks, the restaurant also offers a few lighter options. Tavern at the Park, 130 E. Randolph, 312-5520070. The all-day eatery in Prudential Plaza has an upscale menu of sandwiches, salads and entrees. Enjoy panoramic park views from this spot. Texas de Brazil, 51 E. Ohio, 312-670-1006. This Brazilian steakhouse offers meat-lovers a sizzling time. That Little Mexican Cafe, 1010 Church St., Evanston 847-905-1550 and 1055 W. Bryn Mawr 773-769-1004. Both locations of this long-time favorite offer guacamole made tableside as well as excellent classic Mexican dishes such as duck enchiladas with mole sauce and fresh mango salad. Trattoria D.O.C., 706 Main St., Evanston, 847475-1111. This Evanston favorite is known for its creative pizza combinations prepared in their wood- burning oven. But the other offerings, such as marinated grilled squid or linguine with lobster meat, cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic and white wine, are just as delicious. Trattoria Isabella, 217 N. Jefferson, 312-2071900. Another excellent and creative Italian spot in the Warehouse District, Trattoria Isabella has floor-to-ceiling windows and a giant patio for nice weather. Twin Anchors, 1655 N. Sedgwick, 312-2661616. This Old Town rib joint remains the place to kick back and enjoy some baby back ribs. Veerasway, 844 W. Randolph, 312-491-0844. This is the place for Chicago modern Indian cuisine, from the vegetable samosas to the masala pan-roasted scallops and the organic papaya and mango salad. Vermillion, 10 W. Hubbard, 312-527-4060. Latin-Indian? Somehow it works in an extensive tapas menu and entrees like you’ve never before tasted. Vivere, 71 W. Monroe, 312-332-4040. With a wine cellar of over 2000 selections, Vivere pushes the limits of “new” Italian cuisine with unusual ingredients. The black truffle gnocchi is excellent. For dessert, try the chocolate and hazelnut tiramisu. Vinci, 1732 N. Halsted, 312-266-1199. The warm, comforting atmosphere and consistently excellent Italian selections has made it a neighborhood favorite and pre-theater spot for years. Yoshi's Cafe, 3257 N. Halsted, 773-248-6160. The casual atmosphere is deceptive. This is haute cuisine with an eclectic menu combining French, Japanese, Italian and American influences. o
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16800 Oak Park Avenue Tinley Park, Illinois CHICAGO LIFE 29
ON SENIOR LIVING
Hope for fAmilies coping witH AlzHeimer’s And dementiA
A
doctor suffering from Alzheimer’s believes that he is still practicing medicine but in reality he lives in a dementia care facility. A charismatic former politician refuses to go to the dining room for meals. A lonely woman sits quietly throughout the day gazing out the window............................. . In the recent past these people might have been controlled with medications or supervised without real engagement. But senior care professionals are learning that real communication is possible and people suffering from cognitive impairment can still find joy, participate in life, and feel productive. And that knowledge is available to anyone impacted by a loved one stricken with some form of dementia. BY MARILYN SOLTIS Silverado opened its 21st licensed freestanding dementia care community in Lake Zurich this year. Empowering the staff to create a loving, positive environment and family engagement is the goal of every day. “We start every morning meeting with a success story,” says Pam Bradley, Administrator of Silverado. 30 CHICAGO LIFE
It starts with a happy, involved staff. “We incorporate the children and families of our associates, the caregivers, cooks, and maintenance people. Even pets. Our housekeeper brings her son to help us with arts and crafts and exercise. The kids think it’s a great place. Older people love them. Some pets have moved in. Already we’ve adopted four cats, two dogs and some guinea pigs,” she says “With Alzheimer’s it doesn’t matter if you have memory impairment or can’t walk to feel love. We feel that having Alzheimer’s does not mean the end of living.” Sliverado’s goal is to reduce medication, if possible, and help people regain some independence, improve behaviors, and prevent falls and injuries. A sense of feeling productive is crucial to some people with the disease. The doctor who thought he still practiced? The Silverado staff gave him a small office and the responsibility of taking the blood pressure of many of the associates. The politician used to give eloquent speeches in his former life. At dinnertime he is told it is time for his speech. He makes a short speech and sits down to enjoy his dinner.
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Carol Johnson symphony subscriber, always looking for a new adventure
VIBRANT LAKEFRONT LIVING WITH A COMPLETE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE THROUGH LIFECARE. Welcome Center | 1055 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 7 | Chicago, IL 60660 (773) 433-1800 | www.Admiral.Kendal.org
And the lonely, quiet woman‘s life improved when she adopted two cats. “She’s so proud and excited to be taking care of two cats. We knew she would flourish. She had her hair done and is walking taller,” says Bradley. Living at Home—With Help
A
Mild Cognitive Impairment
W
hen memory, language and other cognitive abilities are impaired, many people can still function with proper support. As baby boomers age, MCI will increase. As many as 10 to 20 percent of those aged 65 and older have the condition and nearly half of those will progress to dementia in
person diagnosed with dementia can live for seven to 18 years. In-home care is possible in many cases and is more affordable than the cost less than five years. of a nursing home............................................... Belmont Village’s Circle of Friends program was developed to ...Senior Helpers, an in-home care company for boost cognitive reserve in assisted living patients and was awarded an seniors, with 300 franchises across the country, Honorable Mention with the 2011 George Mason University Healthprovides a variety of care such as bathing seniors, care Quality Improvement Award. The program is a seven-day-amonitoring medications, running errands, cooking meals, or simply week program of socialization, maintaining keep the senior company. The average cost for in-home, non-medical cognitive function and boosting self-esteem “We’ve moved care is $19 per hour. Four hours a day for five days a week comes to and confidence. Exercises are designed to away from the $19,760 per year, giving family caregivers a much needed break. engage the hippocampus, which is the area leisure model for inThis fall the company is rolling out a new training program for of the brain that controls memory, and the dependent and astheir employees and developing a CD for families to help them propfronto-temporal regions of the brain which sisted living. It turns erly care for their elderly loved ones. The Senior Gems Program is control reasoning and judgment. out that if you just based on the teachings of Alzheimer’s and dementia care specialist, “We’ve moved away from the leisure relax and play Teepa Snow, and breaks down the stages of the disease into six promodel for independent and assisted living. It cards and shuffle gressive stages and how to better understand ways of communicating turns out that if you just relax and play cards board, it’s not good and relating. and shuffle board, it’s not good for you,” for you,” says Christina Chartrand, Vice President of Training and Staff Developsays Beverly Sanborn, a dementia specialist Beverly Sanborn. ment at Senior Helpers says that Snow’s approach changed her entire with Belmont Village. She says there are process of looking at client’s needs. “I thought it was a memory issue steps that research suggests can delay sympbut it’s really brain failure. At mid-stage they lose one in four words toms. “The brain is compensating for loss of cells and building new so you can use more visual clues. Hold up pictures of hamburger or neuro-connectors. Our goal is to maintain. The surprising thing is lasagna. Folding laundry is a productive some people actually improve.” activity in the middle stage. It keeps them Sanborn relays some important actions active and makes them feel good,” she says. people can take to maintain and even imCost of Care Her previous way of thinking was much prove cognition: different. “There was a baker with demenNursing Homes: Provides skilled nursing tia who got up every morning at 5 am and • Exercise—Work out with weights three care, 24 hours a day. Average Cost: he would want to go downstairs. So we to four times per week. A recent meta$78,000/year. blocked the stairs. He was very agitated— study showed that the average woman he needed to make donuts,” she says. “We over 70 years of age cannot lift 10 lbs. Independent Living Facilities: Provides could have just given him flour and water with one hand. “If you don’t go to a gym, house, meals, personal care and 24 hour sufor donuts. How much more meaningful it get some resistance bands and a CD and pervision. Average cost: $42,000/year. would have been for him to have somejust follow the instructions,” says Santhing for the day.” born. “Exercise for balance and core musAssisted Living: Provides “hands-on” perOne phrase the company is teaching cles. You should be able to get up from sonal and medical care for those who are not their staff to eliminate is “you don’t rethe chair without holding on to the sides.” able to live by themselves, but do not require member.” Little things like that can make Top it off with 45 minutes of aerobics a constant care. Average cost: $39,000/year. a difference in a day. day such as elliptical, rowing machine, Chartrand stresses the urgent need to wake exercycle and treadmill. Continuing Care Communities: Require a up and talk about dementia and to get early contract in advance for a lifetime commitment diagnosis. “It’s a devastating disease that no • Diet—Emphasize colorful fruits and from the community to care for the senior. one wants to talk about. Remember Ronald vegetables. You don’t have to be a vegeEntrance fees range from $20,000 to more Reagan? He disappeared,” she says. tarian but have minimal red meat and than $400,000. In addition, seniors pay a buyEducation is needed to understand the focus on creatures that swim and fly. in fee to the community and monthly maintedifference between aging and dementia. nance fees. Chartrand says, “It’s okay to lose your car • Mental fitness exercise—Exercise the keys, search all over, and then find them brain in specific ways. Learn something Source: Genworth Financial 2011 Cost of right in front of you. I’d worry if they’re new like a language or a computer proCare Survey, journal Health Affairs (July 2011) in the freezer.” gram. Follow complicated cooking 32 CHICAGO LIFE
‘‘We choose Belmont Village.” recipes. Do any kind of craft that requires multiple steps. Learn to square dance—you have to memorize the steps and do them when you hear the music. Play bridge and poker and word games like Scrabble. • Exercise long term memory—This is more than reminiscing. Get books on historical trivia. Quiz yourself on how much you remember.
Chef-prepared, restaurant-style dining Free scheduled transportation daily Fitness and social activities Medication management Housekeeping and laundry Assistance with daily living
Licensed nurse on-site around the clock Award-winning Circle of Friends® memory program
Short-term stays available Specialized Alzheimer’s care
• Socialize—Don’t be a hermit. • Do the math—Try some math analysis games and games that involve logical analysis. National Memory Screening Day—November 15 Last year over 60,000 people had free, confidential memory screenings on National Memory Screening Day, an annual event held by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America in collaboration with local organizations and healthcare professionals across the nation. They are hopeful that even more people will get screened this November 15. There are an estimated 5.2 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and the number is expected to triple by 2050, with 11,000 Baby Boomers turning 65 every day in this country. It’s a disease most people don’t want to discuss. We don’t know how to talk about our cognitive decline,” says Eric J. Hall, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Foundation. “We’re not very good at describing it. The screening takes seven to ten minutes to get a sense of cognitive capacity. Many causes are reversible. We’re not even looking for Alzheimer’s but it’s an opportunity to get educated.” Some mild, cognitive impairment may be caused by conditions that are more easily treated like vitamin B12 deficiency, depression, underactive thyroid or medication side effects. There are many other causes like Parkinson’s, stroke, brain tumor to name just a few. The screeners do not attempt to diagnose anyone. The screening will simply indicate whether a person would benefit from a more extensive exam or alleviate the fears of others. It’s also an opportunity to share muchneeded educational materials. It’s completely confidential. “We started this in 2003 and we have no follow-up statistics. There
Buffalo Grove (847) 537-5000 Carol Stream (630) 510-1515 Glenview (847) 657-7100 Oak Park (708) 848-7200 SC 47845, 47829, 47837; AL 5102238 © 2011 Belmont Village, L.P.
The Community Built for Life ® www.belmontvillage.com
Services Available Nationwide
500 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60611 Phone: (312) 329-9060 790 Frontage Road, Northfield, IL 60093 Phone: (847) 441-4388 CHICAGO LIFE 33
Call today! RSVP for our Elementary/MS tour November 1
Studies
Discover Chiaravalle How you learn shapes who you are
Parent/Infant · Parent/Child · Toddler · Early Childhood 3-6 · Elementary · Middle School
What do we value in education? Knowing the right thing to do. Getting it done. Doing it with others. Doing it creatively. Doing it better. There’s a gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn and what they need for 21st century communities and workplaces. What’s our solution? A Montessori education: flexibility and adaptability, self-direction and initiative, social and cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability, leadership and responsibility. What’s a parent to do? Discover Chiaravalle Montessori School in Evanston. We serve children from 16 months through 8th grade.
• A spray of insulin deep into the nose was found to temporarily show improvement in the memory of Alzheimer’s patients in a small study of 104 people published in the Archives of Neurology. • People with diabetes and prediabetes are at higher risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s, according to researchers. • A recent baby boomer study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy showed that 60% worry about their ability to pay for healthcare in general and long-term care in particular; two-thirds of those surveyed said they couldn’t afford more than three months of care.
Chiaravalle Montessori School 425 Dempster, Evanston, IL (847) 864-2190 www.chiaravalle.org
• Scandinavian research scientists at SINTEF, an independent research organization, are developing a technological social media interface that is simple enough for people with dementia to use. Constant simple contact to relatives and support services can improve security for elderly with dementia. • A UCLA study found that caregivers who live with their care-giving recipients spend nearly 36 hours of time on care-giving. They also found that 62 percent of caregivers work full or part time as well. • According to researchers at the University of New South Wales, humor therapy can be as effective as anti-psychotic drugs to reduce agitation for those with dementia. More than 70 percent of people with dementia suffer from agitation.
For more facts, figures and recent developments in the field of Alzheimer’s and dementia go to www.chicagolife.net
34 CHICAGO LIFE
are no records or names on the score cards,” says Hall. “We’re not testing fast enough. With better education there is more diagnosis taking place. People need to understand that treatments are available that can slow the progression. Early diagnosis is critical for a family. They can be thrown into turmoil and early diagnosis gives families a chance to plan,” he says.
Memory screenings are held at Alzheimer’s Agencies, doctors’ offices, hospitals, senior citizen centers, houses of worship, pharmacies and community organizations. For information about National Memory Screening Day, including screening sites, visit www.nationalmemoryscreening.org or call 866-AFA-8484.
Finding Support “If I had one message to convey,” says Hall, “it would be that folks need to know they are not alone.”
“There is a vast amount of suffering. For every person with Alzheimer’s, there are one to four primary caregivers. There are so many people who need so much more in the way of support. If I had one message to convey,” says Hall, “it would be that folks need to know they are not alone. We have a hotline and infrastructure of 1600 member organization. We can ease the burden of the journey and we can give support every step of the way.”
Alzheimer’s Association—Illinois Chapter
“Over 70 percent of people with dementia live in a community with family or alone,” says Melanie Chaven, VP of Program Services at the Illinois chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association which serves 68 counties through six offices in Chicago and collar counties. There are 210,000 people afflicted with Alzheimer’s in Illinois. The organization oversees between 80 and 100 support groups for caregivers and people who have family members with the disease. “There has been so much research that talks
about the burden of the caregiver, especially those caring for someone with dementia. They are dealing with multiple losses and financial stress. Caregivers often end up neglecting themselves,” says Chaven. Peer support can help immensely. While there are many online resources with message boards and chat groups, Chaven says there is almost always a need for the caregiver to get out of the house and sit with other people. “Talking to a professional is one thing—it’s a whole other level of people who have walked in their shoes,” she says. The association also offers a wealth of information through its website about the kinds of care options, planning ahead, coordinating care and other support and resources. As the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research, alz.org has a summary of the latest research presented at the international conference as well as updates on all of the latest scientific findings. “Call the 24/7 helpline if you are overwhelmed or just need support,” says Chaven. 800-272.3900, alz.org. o
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CHICAGO LIFE 35
BOOKS CONTINUED
Reviews Cont. Continued from page 38 weapons disclosure and inspections. When asked why, Albright said it was just her way of sending a message. In 1996, she showed her anger and sorrow over the killing of four Cuban-American fliers with a head-down blue bird brooch. Albright had begun wearing the pins that would become Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box. As the years passed and her title changed to U.S. Secretary of State, she built the collection of pins that became an extension of her diplomatic statements. Albright writes candidly about her first pins from family and friends as she remembers her marriage and motherhood. Then, when she entered the larger arena, she acquired her own jewelry and received gifts from admirers world-wide. One came with the simple words, “My mother loved you,” as the son of a Hurricane Katrina victim gave her a precious memento that had been his mother’s. Exquisite photos detail every fascinating piece and a “Pindex” provides a thumbnail guide to the objects mentioned throughout the book. The collection will also be on exhibit at selected venues in the United States and around the world. Read My Pins ties the feminine with strength and power: the history of jewelry and brinkmanship goes back to Cleopatra. Ultimately, it shows how something personal—a heart pin made by a five-year old daughter—is also universal, reflecting “one of the indispensable purposes of jewelry: to bind families together and connect one generation to the next.”—Christine S. Ricker Two Among the Righteous Few: A Story of Courage in the Holocaust by
Marty Brounstein (Tate Publishing; $12.95). This is a special book that tells a remarkable story of courage and hope. In lively prose, the author tells the tale of how Frans and Mien Wijnakker saved the lives of at least two dozen Jews in southern Holland during World War II. They were Catholics who led a simple life in a small town with their children, but they took risks and displayed bravery to help others in dire need.
36 CHICAGO LIFE
Two Among the Righteous Few reminds me very much of the Diary of Anne Frank. One can hardly imagine these events are happening. In addition, the book provides lots of interesting facts and uncovers rich historical background. One of the heroic acts performed by Frans and Mien was taking on a baby born to a young Jewish couple so that she could be saved. It turns out that she is the wife of the author of this book and instrumental in helping him to reconstruct the story. Nestled in the hills on the western side of Jerusalem is a museum called Yad Vashem. A section of the museum is dedicated to those who carried out acts of courage to save the lives of Jews during the Holocaust. Remembered there are Frans and Mien Wijnakker—or as the author refers to them: mensches—good quality people. —Kathleen Welton The London Train by Tessa Hadley (Harper Perennial, $14.99) In The London Train, Tessa Hadley’s fifth novel, the writer takes us into the lives of Paul and Cora, two seemingly unrelated characters. The novel takes place in contemporary UK, in London and Cardiff. It has a divided structure, the first half entitled “Only Children,” is about Cora and (as we learn further) about their encounter and subsequent affair. Hadley deals with issues of social significance and realism, such as the loss of a parent, middle age, extramarital affairs, and disappointments. There is a lot of narrative exposition of thoughts as well as actions. Very early on, we learn about Paul’s mother’s death, marital discord (in his second marriage with Elise), and about his daughter Pia, from his first marriage. Paul is a writer and critic living in Wales with his second wife and two small children. The story moves from the recent loss of his mother, to the news that Pia is missing. Paul searches for her, finally making contact with her in London. She is pregnant and living under shady circumstances with a Polish man named Marek and his sister. In a rundown flat, Paul weirdly lives with them for
some time, but when he cannot convince Pia to go home, he heads back to Wales, where he gets a cold reception from his wife. Later, he gets a surprise visit from Pia, who leaves the Polish boyfriend, and reveals the baby’s father is none other than a boy next door, James, who is as surprised as everyone else. Paul goes back home to his house after leaving Pia with James and his family, and tries to work things out with Elise, who seems more receptive now, though changed. “…. massaging her shoulder, though, Paul felt her disappointment and humiliation…He felt as if he hardly knew her, this wife and mother of his children.” Cora is not mentioned at all in this first part of the book, showing us sides of Paul outside of his relationship with her, which we will see later. The second part of the book introduces Cora, also unhappy in her marriage to a civil servant; she is childless. She meets Paul in a chance encounter on a train and there is an attraction. They have an affair, and he meets her regularly and in secret, in her deceased parents’ home in Cardiff. Cora becomes deeply invested emotionally with Paul. “She felt herself laid open in the bleaching light of his attention.” The affair does end, however, but not until she learns of a pregnancy, something she has been thus far unable to achieve in her marriage. This liaison, which arises, from the “collision” of their two separate lives on the London train, is echoed by the two part structure of the novel. Paul and Cora’s distinct perspectives give color and variation to their illicit union. Hadley fleshes out her characters with ease, adding details and information until the final picture comes through. The London Train is a light and satisfying read, though one wishes it was more heavily nuanced with details and descriptions that would give it more weight.—Vimi Molhotra We welcome your review. If we publish it, we will send you a gift certificate for dinner. E-mail to editorial@chicagolife.net or mail to Chicago Life Reviews, P.O. Box 11311, Chicago IL 60611-0311. o
Hattie Kauffman, Nez Perce. National network news correspondent, Emmy速 Award-winning reporter, traditional beadwork artist, marathoner.
Reservations can have an 85% unemployment rate. But a year after graduating, 91% of our students are working or pursuing a higher degree. For more on tribal colleges, call 800.776.3863 or go to collegefund.org.
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Reviews
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
Muriel Barbery, translated by Alison Anderson. (Europa Editions, $15.00) What can Renee, the widowed and unschooled concierge of a fashionable Parisian apartment building have in common with Paloma, the precocious 12-year-old younger daughter of a wealthy “caviar left” family, who finds life so lacking in meaning that she plans to commit suicide on her thirteenth birthday? The self-described “short, ugly and plump” fiftyish Renee is a self-taught lover of Tolstoy, philosophy, classical music, and Japanese film, who hides her intelligence and sophistication from her tenants to avoid their curiosity and because she feels life will be easier if she appears to conform to their stereotypes. Paloma has her own bitingly cynical observations about the haute bourgeoisie, including her own family, and in particular her older sister, a shallow and materialistic university student. Her class-consciousness is more than equal to Renee’s. She, too, is profoundly affected by beauty, and, surprising in one so young, perceives that a great part of beauty lies in its ephemeral quality. Although their paths often cross, the two do not really connect until the building’s penthouse is purchased by Mr. Ozo, an affluent Japanese businessman, who sees through Renee’s prickly exterior to the soul it disguises. She is initially intrigued by him because he has the same surname as her favorite Japanese director. Mr. Ozo, with much effort, lures Renee out of her shell. Renee in turn attempts to show Paloma that all people are not shallow and avaricious, and that she can find value in living. The chapters, alternating between the two protagonists, are in journal form. Renee reflects on her one friendship, with a Portuguese cleaning woman, Manuela, who is the only person aware of Renee’s interior life, and on her observations of the building’s residents. She describes the great lengths to which she will go to maintain her privacy, such as turning on an inane television show when she hears a knock on her door. The irony of Renee’s life is that she knows everything about the residents of the building, but 38 CHICAGO LIFE
they know absolutely nothing about her. Paloma’s diaries dwell on her family in the manner of any bright twelve-year-old girl, and on cynical social commentary which displays some typical teen angst, but she also muses on the meaning of movement and other philosophical questions. Barbery, born in Algeria but raised in France, is a professor of philosophy, and her many references to various philosophers may be esoteric and obscure for many readers. However, she manages to write a popular novel that both engages and flatters the intelligence of the reader. The Elegance of the Hedgehog was a monumental best seller in Europe, and there is a lyrical quality to this novel well served by Alison Anderson’s sensitive translation.—Cynthia Taubert In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson (Crown, $26.00) With
In the Garden of Beasts, Erik Larson, best selling author of The Devil in the White City, again uses his journalistic talents in paralleling historical event with ordinary life. In his latest nonfiction work, Larson coincides prewar Germany and Hitler’s rise to power with the country’s arrival of William E. Dodd, newly-appointed U.S. ambassador to Germany by President Franklin Roosevelt. The story’s two protagonists, Dodd and his young and beautiful but promiscuous daugh-
ter, Martha, a woman more inclined to dining and dancing and married lovers than to the realities of the dark historical events evolving around her, meet head on with Hitler’s sinister regime. Though smitten with the beauty and excitement of Berlin, the Dodds gradually begin to realize that, amid the constant round of gala parties and banquets and superficial charms of the Nazi officers, looms an all-pervasive danger. All too soon they begin to feel an uneasiness, fearfulness even, with the paranoia and frightening back and forth of mindgames and denunciations taking grip of the population, German and Jewish alike. An agreeable but ineffective politician, Dodd’s attitude in regard to the Nazi mistreatment of Jews is often incongruous; on the one hand he is quick to warn of Hitler’s ever-growing sway over the German population, his tactics of falsely filling the German population with exaggerated accounts of treasonable acts by the Jews against Germany, but, then, and just as quickly, he insists that Nazi mistreatment of Jews is on the wane. As the persecution escalates, however, and as so many fail to see it or simply choose not to see it, choosing instead to mollify Hitler’s crafty genius, the story moves inexorably to its violent and fatalistic end. And Larson, as he propels us slowly but most provocatively—“Outside, cigarettes twinkled in the park, and now and then a large, open car whooshed past on Tiergartenstrasse” and “In the park, insects speckled the halos cast by lamps, and the brilliant white statues in the Siegesallee gleamed like ghosts”—to a final and terrifying night of fear, evil, and capricious arrests and assassinations, proves himself once again a master in writing narrative nonfiction. —Barbara Weddle Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box by Madeleine Albright
(Harper: Melcher Media, $40.00) It started with a serpent. A serpent pin, added to the jacket of United States UN Ambassador Madeleine Albright in 1994, to respond to Saddam Hussein’s noncompliance with Continued on page 36
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The Gateway for Cancer Research’s annual gala, Cures 2011, helps make it possible for us to continue funding leading treatment innovatorsSM who are working hard to find breakthroughs that can help cancer patients feel better, live longer and be cured—TODAY. This year’s gala is being held on October 22nd at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park. For more information or to find out how you can support the Fund Cures portion of the evening by making a donation or to join our movement to save lives now, visit demandcurestoday.org.
Together we can make it happen. Donate or get involved at www.DemandCuresToday.org