Good morning, Chicago.
Did you know there’s a very specific reason we have a fall book season?
It’s not the only reason, but it’s the reason that set this cultural cycle in motion. Long story short: As New York and Philadelphia became hubs for publishing in the United States, there was a need to sell more books to a burgeoning Midwest — Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland. The problem was the Susquehanna River and Erie Canal, the industry’s primary shipping routes. They were frozen roughly from Christmas to Easter. So starting in the mid-19th century or so, publishers would wait until the big thaw, particularly autumn, to release their big titles, ensuring new department stores like Chicago’s Marshall Fields and Detroit’s Hudson’s had plenty of books for holiday gifts.
“Geography is destiny,” Napoleon supposedly once said.
If the new fall book season looks overwhelming — Al Pacino’s memoirs, and a new Haruki Murakami epic? — if you’re about to triple your To-Be-Read pile, I guess blame the Erie Canal. Also blame a great time for biographies. An explosion of diverse voices. A horror renaissance. And no shortage of legendary authors waiting to break the ice.
See 44 picks to add to your To-Be-Read pile from the Tribune’s Christopher Borrelli.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
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JD Vance touts deportation plan in Wisconsin city where tensions flared over refugee resettlement
The flaring tension over the resettlement of refugees in Eau Claire has been repeated in many other midsize communities across the U.S. And it served as a backdrop to a campaign rally Tuesday with Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance, who has focused on immigration and anti-immigrant rhetoric as he and former President Donald Trump campaign.
Harris condemns Trump’s rhetoric, says voters should make sure he ‘can’t have that microphone again’
Vice President Kamala Harris decried Republican Donald Trump for inflammatory rhetoric about migrants in Springfield, Ohio, and on other topics, saying voters should make sure he “can’t have that microphone again.”
Sitting down for a rare extended campaign interview Tuesday with a trio of journalists from the National Association of Black Journalists, Harris said her heart breaks after threats of violence have disrupted the city following comments amplified by Trump and his running mate alleging, without evidence, that immigrants are kidnapping and consuming people’s pets.
Jury now weighing whether former AT&T exec accused of bribing Madigan played politics or committed crime
Former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in October 2022 with conspiracy, federal program bribery and using a facility in interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity. The most serious counts carry up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
EPA investigates whether carbon dioxide leak at ADM storage complex in Decatur violated water regulations
Agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland’s massive underground CO2 storage facility — a showcase for a growing but controversial industry — has experienced a leak that is drawing scrutiny by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Aldermen delay decision on Pilsen’s St. Adalbert Church landmarking
A hot-blooded neighborhood fight will continue to boil after the City Council’s Zoning Committee voted Tuesday to put off a decision on whether Pilsen’s St. Adalbert Church should gain landmark status.
The four-building church complex was on track to finally gain the status soon after the Commission on Chicago Landmarks recommended the protective designation in June.
Chicago school board to vote on 5-year strategic plan aiming to create more ‘equitable’ district
The Chicago Board of Education will vote today to finalize a five-year strategic plan to address what the district calls “long-standing issues of equity” and “opportunity gaps” in the city’s public schools.
Ford Heights officials testify at Mayor Charles Griffin’s corruption trial
Six years after Ford Heights Mayor Charles Griffin was charged with stealing nearly $150,000 from the village for personal use, a trial resumed this week with testimony from Griffin’s son, a past and current village clerk, and Griffin himself.
A Chicago woman has been imprisoned in China for 10 years. Her family is calling on the US to bring her home.
Dawn Michelle Hunt, a Chicago native, is serving a life sentence in Guangdong Women’s Prison. She’s the victim of an elaborate drug trafficking scheme, according to her family, who’ve been trying to bring her home since she was arrested a decade ago.
Her brother Tim Hunt is scheduled to make his first public plea for his sister’s return at a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C., today.
Legislators say they’re still skeptical about public funding for new White Sox stadium after team-sponsored cruise
Illinois lawmakers said they remained unmoved over the prospect of public funding for a new White Sox stadium a day after the team and real estate developers hosted an event that included a Chicago River cruise to the proposed site for a new ballpark.
Chicago Blackhawks media report: WGN Radio adds Charlie Roumeliotis and CHSN sets preseason schedule
WGN Radio has hired former TV analyst Charlie Roumeliotis to host the station’s pregame, intermission and postgame shows for Blackhawks games.
The former NBC Sports Chicago reporter and NHL correspondent also will host a weekly “Blackhawks Live” show.
From Nova Scotia to Montreal: Driving solo (and on a budget) in a ‘relocation’ RV rental
Travel by RV took off during the pandemic as North Americans discovered the convenience and privacy of taking a home on the road. This maiden RV journey was an adventure in driving, a test of self-sufficiency and an introduction to slow-lane travel.
Review: ‘The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk’ at Northlight Theatre is the love story of the artist Chagall and his Bella
The Belarusian city is back on the marquee, this time at the Northlight Theatre in Skokie, writes Tribune theater critic Chris Jones. “The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk” is a very small, 80-minute musical by Daniel Jamieson with music by Ian Ross.
6 Midwest culinary road trips for fall: Where to eat and stay, from Michigan to Iowa
Road trips are always more fun with a mission, and when you live in the Midwest — known for its gorgeous summer-to-fall days, vast dining landscape and preciously short windows of seasonality — it seems only fitting to pack up the car in quest of culinary treasure.
