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Sept 28 - oct 4, 2026 Vol. 34 No. 32

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4 Arts & Entertainment 6 Cover Story: Remembering Dolly Parton Event highlights of the week!

Was there anyone like Dolly Parton? Not even close. Here’s our shiny, rhinestoned gift to you. To honor the legend, who passed on August 25, we are sharing a streetpaperexclusive interview, which originally ran in 2019. In addition, StreetWise vendors share remembrances, and we take a look at the spiritual side of Dolly, and her fans. We Will Always Love Her.

14 SportsWise 15 The Playground

Can both Chicago baseball teams make it to the playoffs?

ON THE COVER: Dolly Parton in a 1977 RCA Records press photo. THIS PAGE: Dolly Parton performs at the Glastonbury Festival on June 29, 2014, in Somerset, England (photo shared by The Big Issue UK). DISCLAIMER: StreetWise publishes perspectives from vendors and contributors to reflect a range of lived experiences and viewpoints. These opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of StreetWise. We are committed to fostering dialogue grounded in dignity and respect, and we do not endorse language or perspectives that harm or dehumanize others.

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StreetWiseChicago @StreetWise_CHI

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Compiled by Dave Hamilton

Life in the Art of a Legend!

‘Prokofiev and the Russian Avant-Garde: Echo and Image’ “Echo and Image” features Prokofiev’s “Piano Sonata No. 5,” which stands apart as his only piano sonata composed entirely abroad. Prokofiev wrote No. 5 in 1923, during his years touring internationally as a pianist and composer before returning to the Soviet Union despite the growing artistic censorship of Stalin’s regime. In contrast, the expansive “Piano Sonata No. 8” (1944) and the enigmatic “Piano Sonata No. 9” (1947), both written after his return to the Soviet Union, reveal a markedly different artistic landscape: more introspective, complex, and shaped by the socio-political pressures of life back home. Together, these three works trace Prokofiev’s life from exile to return, as his compositional language and identity evolved in his final contributions to the piano sonata genre. The evening receives opening remarks from Inna Naroditskaya, Professor of Musicology at Northwestern University, exploring the rarely discussed visual artist Lyubov Popova (1889-1924), contextualizing her use of color within the avant-garde soundscapes of Russia in the early 20th century. Playing September 29 at Guarneri Hall, 11 E. Adams St., 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 at guarnerihall.com.

City on Display!

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘Picturing the Modern Metropolis’ The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, presents “Picturing the Modern Metropolis: Prints and Photographs from The Block’s Collection,” on view through December 6. Bringing together more than 100 works from the 20th century, the exhibition examines how artists pictured the scale, speed, diversity, and public life of the growing American city. Organized in three thematic sections, "Picturing the Modern Metropolis" moves from panoramic skylines and monumental infrastructure to the public life of the street and the visual fragments embedded in the city’s surfaces. Across photography, printmaking, and drawing, artists approached Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh as places of mobility, encounter, and individual expression. For some who came to the United States in response to war, persecution, or political upheaval, the city also represented the possibility of beginning again. FREE.

New Exhibitions!

Wrightwood 659 exhibitions Two very different and equally stimulating exhibitions are on display at Wrightwood 659, 659 W. Wrightwood Ave., Fridays and Saturdays through December 19. Each fulfills Wrightwood 659’s commitment to present socially engaged and compelling art that resonates with our time. “Inner Worlds: Visions from the Hirshhorn Collection” features the work of three trailblazing women artists who rose to international acclaim for their distinct approaches to perception and embodiment: Yayoi Kusama (pictured) (b. 1929), Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002), and Mary Bauermeister (1934–2023). “Everyday War: Yuan Goang-Ming” is celebrated for his starkly poetic video and installation works reflecting the fragmented and surreal nature of contemporary life. "Everyday War" is based on the critically acclaimed exhibition the artist presented at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024. Admission is $20 and must be purchased in advance at wrightwood659.org

We Will Not Forget!

‘Freedom Square: The Black Girlhood Altar’ Red Clay Dance Company stages a reprise of “Freedom Square: The Black Girlhood Altar” at Northwestern University’s Wirtz Center, 1949 Campus Drive, Evanston, from October 1–3, at 7:30 p.m. daily. A post-show discussion will be held in partnership with the Black Arts Consortium on opening night, October 1, moderated by Northwestern University Professor Thomas F. DeFrantz. “Freedom Square: The Black Girlhood Altar” honors the lives, stories and enduring legacy of missing and murdered Black women and girls. The production blends Afrocontemporary dance, storytelling, digital media and immersive design to create a powerful and deeply resonant experience. Tickets start at $42 at redclaydance.com

A Step Above the Rest!

Chicago Tap Summit The 2026 Chicago Tap Summit welcomes participants from Chicago and around the world for three days of dance, discussion and classes celebrating the tap dance community with celebrated instructors at the Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. King Drive, October 2-4. In addition to classes, the event will also have grand performances, lectures, gallery exhibits, and the premiere of the film “Beyond the Shuffle,” a documentary about the history of Chicago dance troupe M.A.D.D. Rhythms. For a full schedule and tickets, visit MADDRhythms.com

Lake of Light!

‘Swan Lake: Symphony of Lights’ Tchaikovsky’s iconic score opens the door to an entirely reimagined world: vivid light design, illuminated costumes, and world-class dancers from around the globe transform the classic ballet into a mesmerizing visual experience. This is more than a performance — it’s an immersion into a story of love and magic, told through light, movement, and music. Each act unfolds like a living art installation, where timeless tradition meets bold contemporary design. Discover “Swan Lake” in a whole new light — a legend reborn with breathtaking imagery and emotional power. One-night-only, October 1, 7 p.m., at the Athenaeum Center, 2936 N. Southport Ave. Tickets start at $34 at athenaeumcenter.org

Hitchcock Classic!

‘Dial M for Murder’ Alfred Hitchcock’s adored thriller gets a modern twist that no one sees coming. A murderous misstep begins a high-stakes hunt for the real criminal as time is quickly running out. This captivating, heart-racing play leaves audiences on the edge of their seats while the mystery unravels before their eyes. Will the clues unlock the right person, or will an innocent victim pay the price? Playing October 2-November 1 at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road, Glenview. Tickets start at $30 at OilLampTheater.org

The Hidden Truth!

‘Vladimir’ In a world where facts are manipulated and fear is currency, the truth becomes dangerous. As a new authoritarian government tightens its grip on Russia, Erika Sheffer's “Vladimir” follows an independent journalist who uncovers a story that could expose the truth behind a nation in transition. But when every headline comes with consequences and every source becomes a target, she must decide how much she's willing to sacrifice for the story. “Vladimir” is a gripping political thriller about what happens when silence becomes complicity. Playing October 2 - November 14 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Tickets start at $20 at SGTheatre.org

Keep Calm & Wear a Tiara!

‘Dead Girl’s Quinceañera’ FACT: Maria was last seen at her Quinceañera. FACT: The party ended early due to an unknown emergency. FACT: Maria has not responded to any messages in 19 hours. Now, her three best friends—armed with confidence, questionable clues and zero adult supervision—are on the case, racing against the clock to find out what happened. The pressures of Latine girlhood punctuate this joyride through the power and pleasure of adolescent friendships—a comic thriller of secrets, sisterhood and solving crime. Playing now through November 1 at Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. Tickets start at $29 at goodmantheatre.org

Exciting Classical Music!

JACK Quartet: ‘Sonare’ and ‘Celare’ Twice GRAMMY Award-nominated JACK Quartet opens Nova Linea Musica’s (NLM) third season with a program titled after a pair of works by Turkish composer Cenk Ergün that bookend the concert: “Sonare” and “Celare,” Latin for “to sound” and “to hide.” Also included in the program are “Treatise on Limited Freedoms: Future Mode” by composer and musicologist Keir GoGwilt, and “Escape Rites” by JACK’s own Austin Wulliman. Rounding out the program is the world premiere of an NLM-commissioned work by Korean-American composer Juri Seo. One-night-only, September 30, 6:30 p.m. at Guarneri Hall, 11 E. Adams St. Tickets are $50 at novalineamusica.org

www.streetwise.org

In April 2004, Dolly Parton promised us that she would never retire. “I hope to fall dead in the middle of some great event or some great song I’m singing,” she giggled to the Associated Press. “Then they’ll say, ‘Oh well, she went happy and doing what she loves’.”

Dolly On Giving Back,

Feminism, & Her Undying Love For Mavis Staples

Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean kept her word, because that’s the kind of lady she was. Right up until her death on August 25, she was still busy sharing her particular, countryfried, entrepreneurial brand of sunshine: preparing the grand opening of not only a new ride at Dollywood, her theme park in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, but also a truck stop named in her honor on her beloved home state’s Interstate 65. For all of us left in her afterglow, her legacy is a gift that will never stop giving – a reminder that, for all our differences and no matter where we’ve come from, everything’s gonna be all right.

It’s also a relief to hear that, at the very end of her large life, Dolly admitted she deserved some peace. Her nephew Brian Seaver announced that relatives had rushed to her Nashville bedside to share her final moments: Dolly told him that “she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.” - Eliza Janssen, The Big Issue UK

In tribute to Dolly, we are sharing a 2019 streetpaperexclusive interview conducted by The Contributor in Nashville. StreetWise originally ran this article in our March 4-10, 2019 edition.

by Holly Gleason / The Contributor / Courtesy of INSP.ngo

“As a writer, I have to leave my heart open,” Dolly Parton begins. “That’s why I have always said I never could harden my heart, even against hurt or anything. Because as a writer, if you harden your heart, you’re not going to feel all that emotion you need to feel, and you won’t be able to write what people feel. “I always say I’ve strengthened the muscles around my heart, but I’ve never hardened it.” In person, Parton is tiny. Lots of blond hair, bright make-up, sparkly clothes and high heels. But what makes the quick-to-joy superstar seem so much larger than life is the way a room lights up when she smiles — and the light that seemingly emanates from her wherever she goes.

With that kind of momentum, it wasn’t long until Jennifer Aniston optioned "Dumplin’." And it wasn’t long after that the producers came calling. Parton, who wisely believed the story of a young overweight girl needed to center on her self-acceptance and discovery, had her own ideas.

“When they called to see if I’d be involved, I said the only way I could without it seeming self-serving and egotistical would be to maybe write a theme song, or be involved with the music.”

No wonder she can hold her own on the movie screen with Jane Fonda, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Lilly Tomlin, Queen Latifah, as well as sex symbols like Burt Reynolds, Sylvester Stallone and Sam Shepard. Her live shows meld frenetic bluegrass to classic country, gosThey asked if Parton would be willing to pel, R&B — and yes, massive country crossover songs "9 To 5" and "I work with Linda Perry, an alternative rocker. Will Always Love You." Parton, whose life is being serialized into a series of Netflix films, had no idea who Perry Equal parts welcoming Mother Goose and wisecracking Mae West, was, but was willing to try. Parton forged fame by writing. Complicated emotions, heartbreakingly clear memories of her Appalachian childhood and the conflicting “I wasn’t even familiar with her 4 NonBlondes realities of being a woman in a man’s world defined her songs, as group,” Parton admits with a corkscrew giggle her empathy, insight and understanding hit people right where they that spins to the ceiling. “I live my life in another needed to feel. world. There was a vague memory of hearing the name, but I didn’t know anything about her. There When YA author Julie Murphy was looking for an inspiration for was only going to be one new song…” her overweight teenage protagonist in "Dumplin'," it was Parton’s songs that provided verve, sass, acceptance and rump kicking. Perry, however, knew everything about Parton. Their For Parton, an avid reader and the founder of the Imagination creativity ignited a flood of writing, a rush of collaboraLibrary, which sends a book a month to children around the tors on the old songs. Plus, Parton had a soft spot for world until they’re 5 years old, her music’s role in the 2015 the characters in the film. novel was a special kind of thrill. “I really tried to teach, to show, to have people think like, “I feel for everybody about everything,” she offers, leaning ‘What are you doing?!’ We’re supposed to love each othacross the small sofa in her manager’s office. “I am everyer. We don’t have to understand all that we know; if we body, all the time. As a writer, I really get involved with look, why can’t we just love each other? what people go through — whether they’re gay, whether they’re lesbian, whether they’re black, or white, or gray. “I’m not a silly person. I know how that goes. But people I know everybody is who they are, and they should be don’t even try.” allowed to be that! So, I just feel for everybody, about everything. And I’m able to express that, because my Growing quiet, she adds, “I think people are just blind without heart is so open to people." knowing it sometimes. If you can open their eyes, and throw a little light in the darkness they don’t even realize they’re in, through Things have a way of turning around for the woman music we can do a lot of things.” who’s won or been nominated for Oscars, Tony Awards, Grammys, American Music Awards, as Parton knows the power of songs. After half a century of truthwell as being inducted into the Country Music telling, she realizes her music can change people’s hearts. Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement honor. BeLeaning a little closer, she almost confides. “I wanted these songs to yond the entertainment world, the East Tentouch people in a way that maybe they haven’t thought of before. All nessee songwriter has received the Kennedy my life, I’ve always loved the underdog. I’ve always been prone to go to Center Honors, the Library of Congress’ Livthe unusual. I love different people. I love the spice of life, the variety. I’m ing Legend Medal and the National Medal of drawn to help people up if they feel down, and I’m prone to stand up for the Arts, all recognizing her contribution to somebody who can’t stand up for themselves.” culture. Story continues on page 10...

Dolly

We Will Always Love

StreetWise Vendors share their admiration

Jimmie Beckless I met Dolly when I was 10. Dolly was in Memphis, Tennessee and she was doing a concert. I’m from Arkansas and my father took me over there; he had business to take care of there. I was 10 years old and I’m 70 now. She’s a great person. Matter of fact, she gave me a big hug. We were passing by a movie theater and she was going in. They were taking pictures and we were trying to figure out what was going on. I was trying to shake her hand. Instead of shaking my hand, she gave me a hug. I watched her “9 to 5” movie and listened to all of her music. I loved her. Everybody thought Dolly was a privileged lady. She was not privileged. She was for the people. She enjoyed people and enjoyed her life. God bless her.

Robert Laine One of the things I really appreciate about Dolly Parton was her charitable personality. She actually went out and did the footwork. She didn’t just throw money at everything. She threw money at charities, but she actually advocated for them. That’s what I most appreciate. Also, I liked her in the movie with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, “9 to 5.”

D’rone Moore She’s a good-looking woman. I love her hair, I love her sense of humor. The total person of Dolly Parton goes beyond her sexuality, her charisma. She’s funny. She’s a businesswoman. You can hear it when she speaks. I used to watch her on Johnny Carson, I love to hear the entertainers tell their stories to other entertainers because you get some really good stories. She’s one of the people who falls in the category of being philanthropic, an altruistic visionary.

John Hagan Jr. She was very down to earth. Most people who gain fame let it go to their head. But Dolly did not. She always gave back to people, no matter what ideology you are, skin color or sex, she always had time to give back, she always had time to say things to people. I wish more people were like her and did not let fame get to their head. She’s going to be missed. I think September 25, “9-2-5 Day,” is very appropriate.

Jacqueline Sanders I liked her movie, “Coat of Many Colors,” about her childhood in Tennessee, because it’s about her rise from poverty to stardom. I like the cake recipes she made, that she promoted books for children.

A. Allen Dolly Parton was known to the world as a singer, songwriter, philanthropist, playwright, actress and a beauty queen with the big hair. You would expect her to say, “It’s all good in the neighborhood, too blessed to be stressed, not getting older but getting better, like fine wine, she gets better with time.” But in May when she announced she would be unable to make her Las Vegas shows she compared herself to a classic car and said, “My transmission is slipping, my oil pan is leaking, my muffler is busted and my shocks and pistons need to be replaced.” That’s a serious condition in a car, so the quote is a beautiful and humorous approach to a bad situation. What a classy way of looking at things.

Kevin Taylor She was a people’s person. I don’t think she had a racist bone in her body. She had a lot of friends in the business and outside the business. She was a real good performer, singer and artist and loved by many. She had an extraordinary career and life. She had a lot of contributions to the world and people and everybody she came across. www.streetwise.org

Perry got it.

the clearest articulation of Parton’s ethos ever recorded.

“We are completely different people,” Parton con“See, I’m old school. I loved the cedes. “So different, yet family, and their music,” Parton we’re almost alike on the says of the Staple Singers. “A creative level. We were just lot of my songs are influenced natural. She’s got a great by their sound and their feel. Like ear for music and has some when I wrote "The Seeker" years great melodies. Because I ago, it had kind of that smothered write my own music, you can soul feel. But this one, too, I wrote kind of get stale — or stuck to to have that feel. where your melodies can only go so far.” “Just to have her next to me, singing, it was one of the thrills Again, the excitement rises of my life, knowing how much I in Parton’s voice. The natural loved her, her Dad with that big brightness lifts in her voice, the old guitar back in the day. I said, lilt bounces just a touch more. ‘You be Mavis! You sing whatever Anything that ignites her music you want, and you dart in on me if makes Parton happy. you want to. You sing under me, all over me, around me. You just “I’ve never worked with a woman sing.’” before! I’ve never worked with a female producer. And she’s gay; Hard to imagine Parton has she’s [a] lesbian, so I’d never enough wonder to still get exworked so closely with anyone like cited by making music with her that on a creative level. It opened peers. It’s that infectious curiosity up a whole lot of — she has her and hunger for life that spirits her own take on how people don’t acforward. It’s the same desire that cept, all through the years.” captured a young girl now transformed into “Red Shoes.” You won’t find Parton preaching, backing political candidates or “It’s my modern day ‘Coat of Many throwing down for causes. Her gosColors’,” Parton enthuses. “Even pel is her life. Her witness is her muthough they refer to the red shoes sic. For "Dumplin’," the new songs in the movie, and in the book… offer hope and aspiration, while the When I was a little kid and we lived classics get recast. Whether it’s a up in the mountain, we had nothstone country trip through "Dumb ing. No electricity, or anything. They Blonde" with Miranda Lambert, a used to send clothes up, boxes of funky horn-punctuated shuffle for clothes from the welfare or just for "Two Doors Down" with Macey Gray poor people — and there was a and Dorothy, a hushed gospel invopair of red high-heeled shoes. They cation of "Here I Am" with Sia or an were high, but I was a little, and I almost emo "Here You Come Again" thought they looked little, and I with 15-year old newcomer Willa Amai, wanted them so bad.” Parton’s songs contain — as Walt Whitman proclaims — multitudes. It’s hard to believe the little girl with hair like corn silk who started singOne listen to "Why" with Mavis Staples ing on WIVK’s "The Cas Walker is a full-on revival. While Perry, movie Show" at 10 being anything other studios, record companies all had their than darling. But self-doubt has its vote for the guests, Parton’s choice was way of preying on what’s missing, the dusky-voiced soul singer. Dobro making it more important than it is. bending notes over a simmering beat, For one of a dozen children, born to the pleasure is palpable on what may be a sharecropper and a homemaker

women in business. But there’ll always be an imbalance unless we try to get a better balance. “So women need to stand up for who we are and be proud of what we are, for our best work and get our best pay. Those are things we should always be fighting for. It’s not just a movement to me… I just love to write about what I know. I promote women in my way. I’m always there, I just don’t have to make it an issue; I live it. “Sometimes you’re better being an example than trying to fight a battle. Although we have to do it all different ways, however we get it across. My way has always been to address it naturally and honestly, just let it be part of my personality. Just be it.”

mother in poor health, she was acutely aware of the material things they lacked, but also empowered by the love and the faith her family put in her.

Parton’s been spinning these kinds of dreams into gold, platinum and kindness for decades. Not dwelling on the past has set her free to run freely into the future, doing the impossible and making music that rings as startlingly true today as her songs always have. Still, she marvels at the ride.

“I’m always amazed by what’s going on now, that I’m still around and That faith pushed her to Nashville, where she that a lot of these people look up to me. You always worry you can’t released "Hello, I’m Dolly" in 1967. She walked be that good, you can’t be all that. You worry people love to lift you away from a successful partnership with Porter up just to slap you down. I am really just a regular person, just doing Wagoner to seek broader horizons in California, my thing – and I’m not trying to do anything but live my life the way and gave the world "I Will Always Love You." I see fit. And if that’s touched people, is an inspiration, then that She anchored her own television show, made ac- makes me feel good.” claimed films, recorded with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris in the late ’70s, then created the The morning is turning to afternoon. There is a recording studio Grammy Album of the Year nominee, "Trio," in 1985. filled with people waiting to hear the tracks, and Parton’s using She bought an amusement park called Dollywood, the time to make final tweaks to "Dumplin’." Having opened her graced the cover of Rolling Stone when it was still heart, though, she wants to give people a glimpse into the power she draws on, and caution them about where they invest their an alternative force and lifted people up all the while. own lives. "9 to 5," her tour de force movie debut, was adapted into a musical. For a woman who isn’t prone to poli- “I’ve always been a religious person, or spiritual, but I don’t like tics, the original showed more about feminism than a idol worship for anybody. In this world, sometimes we worship people — and things. I always ask God just to let me lead peofistful of Ms. magazines. ple to Him. If somebody sees something in me they love, let “We’re still having trouble with equal pay, and with them see it’s that God light to direct them to something better. harassment, and all that… but I think it’s good these things have been brought to the forefront. When they “Don’t lift me up, because I’m the biggest sinner as anybody. asked me to write something for it, I wrote this. It says, I’m not perfect, just trying to be as honest and open as I can ‘I love men, don’t get me wrong/ I’ve always had one be. My whole life has been built on that, positive thinking of my own/ I know there’s some really good ones/ and dreams, just believing that I could do it. That goes back to 'through God, all things are possible, and all things are Then there’s you…’ possible to those who believe.' “It’s tough. I love men, I really do. But, I love all this, this movement. I think women should be allowed to “You can have it if you can believe it.” do everything, but I don’t want them to do it at the exPage 6: A young Dolly Parton in the recording studio in 1966 (photo shared by The Big Issue UK). PAGE 8&9: Possibly the most famous picture of Parton, a 1977 promotional shot from pense of other people. I’ve been married 54 years, and RCA Records. Page 10: Top: Parton at a recording session in Nashville, 1989 (Eagle DJ photo). Bottom: Dolly poses in Sevierville, Tennessee (Sebastian Smith and Anna Hass photo, shared there are a lot of wonderful men who’re supportive of by The Big Issue UK).Page 11: Parton in 2018 (photo shared by The Big Issue UK).

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Dolly Parton was more than a musical idol - for some fans, she was a Spiritual Icon by Sarah Dees

As soon as news broke about the death of beloved songwriter Dolly Parton, I began receiving condolence messages from across the country, and around the world.

Later in her life, though, Parton embraced the label “Christian” – albeit in a way that was very much her own. In the memoir “My Life and Other Unfinished Business,” she explained that “Christianity and its symbols are powerful parts of my life.” However, she diverged from socially conservative elements of her grandThey came from friends, family and colleagues who father’s faith by embracing makeup and flashy fashion, celeknew I’d been working on a biography of the country brating her own sexuality, and speaking up for LGBTQ+ rights. legend – everyone from a conservative Catholic monk to advocates for queer and trans rights. The list reflects She was never interested in proselytizing. People do not have the even more diverse array of fans, people from countto embrace Christianity “to be a decent and worthwhile huless backgrounds, who are mourning her loss. man being,” she wrote. “Spirituality is the most intimate part of a person’s makeup, and it’s strictly up to the individual to The main focus of my project is Parton’s own spirituality, choose how to express it.” starting with her Appalachian upbringing. But it also examines her fandoms, including some people who elevate ‘Gospel of Dolly’ the singer to an almost sacred status. This was the case This openness explains part of Parton’s widespread appeal. before her death – and even more so now. The popular podcast “Dolly Parton’s America,” produced by journalists Jad Abumrad and Shima Oliaee, was based As a scholar of American religions, I teach my students on the premise that Parton is one of the few public figures about practices, texts and beliefs that many of them immeto have fans across the political spectrum. diately consider “religious” – for example, a worship service led by a pastor. However, religion is also found far beyond After her death, President Donald Trump posted a tribthese official times and spaces, including in popular culture. ute on his social media site, TruthSocial, and ordered that According to scholar America Wolff, fandoms resemble reliflags be flown at half-staff for a week. At the same time, gious groups in the way they focus on a single popular figure in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco – a haven who inspires systems of belief, ritual and law. for the queer community – a Pride flag was also flying at half-staff in her honor. Singer’s journey Looking at Parton’s life reveals how a celebrity can incorporate Mourners include Jesuit priest and author James J. religion into their public persona, without ostracizing admirMartin, who thanked Parton for “teaching me about the ers from other traditions. She discussed religion in interviews Christian life,” and numerous Christian musicians who throughout her career, as well as in her 1994 memoir, where looked up to her. “She was the epitome of faith, grace, she recounted her maternal grandfather, a fundamentalist pastalent, beauty and humour,” country artist Carrie Untor, preaching hellfire and brimstone. derwood wrote. “She had a humble heart for Jesus and made everyone around her feel special.” In 1971, for example, she told journalist Gene Guerrero how religion inspired some of her songs: “My mama used to read us But even non-Christians discussed Parton in sacred all the Bible stories. I know the Bible pretty well, and I especially terms: a “secular American saint,” as Vox writer loved the stories.” That same year, she released “The Golden Constance Grady designated her in 2021. Streets of Glory,” the first of her several gospel albums. Beyond her music, these fans admired her philanSix years later, talking with Rolling Stone's Chet Flippo, Parton thropy, from the Imagination Library program that claimed that she wasn’t a Christian. But “I do believe, I know there distributes books to children around the world to is a God and He is still the best friend I got in the world,” she exher US$1 million donation that helped fund COplained. “I talk to Him often, but I’m one of the world’s sinners.” VID-19 vaccine research. They also highlighted

Preserving Chicago’s Heritage, one building at a time.

her support for the Black Lives Matter movement and LGBTQ+ rights. “Dolly Parton is beloved because she has devoted her career to standing for love,” Grady wrote. Even before her death, though, some people idolized her in a saint-like way. In 2011, for example, photographer Alice Hawkins produced a project titled “Dolly Parton is my religon.” Rev. Lindy Vogado, a Presbyterian pastor, likened her to a prophet. “Dolly Parton, through her life and work, inspires us to be better versions of ourselves,” Vogado wrote in 2025. “Just like any good prophet would do.”

Parton had her own personal brand of Christian religiosity, but she encouraged others to find and follow their own paths. I believe this helps to explain the huge outpouring of admiration – from followers of many religious traditions, followers of none, and followers of Dolly herself. Sarah Dees is Associate Professor of American Religions at Iowa State University. Courtesy of The Conversation. Parton at the Grand Ole Opry in 2005 (Cherie A. Thurlby photo).

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Angels and atheists Since her death, the religious language has only intensified. Musician Roseanne Cash referred to the singer as a “goddess” on Instagram, and cartoonist Marshall Ramsey portrayed her as an angel. “Listen, I’m fairly well atheist and have been for decades,” Threads user @cartergoesplaces proclaimed, “but Dolly Parton is in heaven with Jesus now. That’s simply a fact, and I’ll hear no arguments, no matter how vast the cosmos…”

Eric Allix Rogers

In recent years, churches in Illinois, Oklahoma and New York have held services based on “the gospel of Dolly.” I attended the service in New York, which interspersed Parton’s songs with readings from scripture and homilies. Like the other services, the one I attended emphasized Parton’s “teachings”: love, care and acceptance.

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Vendors (clockwise) John Hagan, Robert Laine, A. Allen and Russell Adams chat about the world of sports.

Cubs & Sox: playoff contenders?

SPORTSWISE

John: Both the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs are in serious playoff contention. As of September 8, the White Sox (75-71) are the No. 2 seed in the American League; they lead the AL Central. The National League is much stronger; the Milwaukee Brewers have the best record overall (91-56) in baseball, followed by the LA Dodgers (89-57), the two-time defending world champions, then the Atlanta Braves (8661). In terms of the playoffs, it’s the Philadelphia Phillies (82-65), then the Cubs (8266), Arizona Diamondbacks (78-69), San Diego Padres (78-68). The American League average for six teams is 11 games above 100, while the National League is 22, so it seems like the National League does have better teams. My question is: which team has the better road to the World Series: the Cubs or the White Sox?

Russell: I am anxious to see both Chicago teams in the playoffs, but the Sox need help. Their pitching sucks. They gave up nine runs last night to Pittsburgh for a 9-3 loss. They gave up 20 runs in two games to the Texas Rangers. Allen: The Sox came a long way from losing 100+ games each in three seasons and now looking to the playoffs. They are behind Tampa Bay (87-59) and two games above

Cleveland (74-73 in the AL Central). Robert: The White Sox owned the record for the most losses. If they were to be in the National League Central, they would be behind the Cubs. In a 4-3 debacle against Milwaukee, which we were winning, it was the Cubs’ bullpen that screwed it up. We’re only a half-game behind Philly, (second in the NL East). It doesn’t matter who in the American League goes to the World Series, they all suck compared to the National League. I could take the worst team of the six teams that are going to the playoffs and that team would beat the best team in the American League. The Cubs have a better chance of being in the Series than the White Sox.

John: I disagree. If the White Sox can do something with their pitching, they have a better road to the Series. People aren’t scared of Houston. Boston is consistently inconsistent. Cleveland is barely treading water. Toronto and Texas are both under .500. In the National League, Milwaukee, the Dodgers, Atlanta and Philadelphia are quality baseball teams. The Dodgers have so much depth their second unit could make the playoffs. The Phillies’ starting pitching could be the best in the league. The Cubs are in the wrong, wrong league.

League is very, very strong.

Russell: I agree with John. The Sox have a chance, only because the American League is weak. With better pitchers, they’d be in the World Series. The National

Any comments, suggestions or topic ideas for the SportsWise team? Email StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney at

Allen: I agree with Russell. The Sox are off to a great start compared to the last two years, let ’em adjust, even if they don’t make the World Series this year. Robert: The White Sox are on the way to a World Series, it’s just not going to be this year. They have the pieces. The Cubs are in better shape. They have been building the team for several years. John: Realistically, I don’t think either team will make the World Series, but the Sox have a better chance.

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the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the s 1 to 9.

Streetwise 9/13/21 Crossword

Sudoku

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Crossword Across

60 Defense’s excuse 61 Knight ﬁght 62 Tempo 63 Brewer’s need 64 They, in Trieste 65 Storm center Down 1 Breastbones 2 Chubby 3 Sleep disorder 4 Jai ___ 5 Daughter of Cronus 6 Auth. unknown 7 Pooch, to some 8 It’s a wrap 9 Wolf’s sound 10 Sea eagle

11 Broke bread 12 River to the Mississippi 13 Spot 20 Falchions, e.g. 21 Historical period 24 Crow 25 Paddles 26 Bubble source 29 Tackle 30 ___ el Amarna, Egypt 31 Cherish 32 Kind of collar 33 Periphery 34 Wedding vows sites 35 Finito 36 From the top 37 Thai river

38 Winner’s cry 39 Recipe amt. 42 Routing word 43 Present from birth 44 Wiggle room 45 Give expression to 46 Slow on the uptake 48 Characteristic 50 ___ du Dales, cycling event 51 Watch chains 52 ___ Kringle 53 Annexes 54 Musical mark 55 Articulate 56 Draft choice 57 Soccer star Hamm

answers last week's edition Sudoku Solution Solution

Sudoku Solution

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1 One of the Arkins 5 Ceremonial splendor 9 Light source 13 Paul Bunyan’s ox 14 Common carriers 15 Oscar winner Kazan 16 Poet ___ Wheeler Wilcox 17 Ocean 18 Moving vehicles 19 Atkins ___ 20 “Indubitably” 21 Tool holders 23 Gardener’s need ©2021 PuzzleJunction.com 25 Drawn butter 26 Trembling trees 53 Atomizer 4 “All in the Family” 31 29 Golf maneuver nickname output 32 33 Swindle 57 Turkish dough 5 Blender button 34 34 Pianist 6 Elevator inventor 58 ___ so often Templeton 7 Calendar abbr. 60 Shevat 38 35 Epoch 8 Medium follower 36 Complex unit 9 Embankments 61 Stick-to39 37 London’s Big 10 Wistful word itiveness 41 ___ 11 Money maker 62 Stair part 44 38 “Behold!” 12 Bridge call 63 “A Doll’s 40 Dashed 14 Chasm House” wife 45 41 Exploit 64 Commotions 22 In the know 46 42 Fem. suffixes 24 Savvy about 65 Petticoat 48 43 Islands of 25 Capital of East junction 49 Alaska Flanders 66 Meager 50 46 Humorous 26 Capital on the 51 work Bight of Benin Down 52 47 Unguent 27 Sand bar 54 48 Angel’s 28 Tubular pasta 1 Under the headwear 29 Fresh from the covers 55 49 Costello’s shower 2 Bunuel 56 straight man 30 Port-au-Prince’s collaborator 52 Yoga class item 3 Qualified land 59

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