A half century of award-winning journalism, from best feature story of 1974 (Chicago Newspaper Guild) to more than half-a-dozen consecutive annual column and profile honors (Northern Illinois News Association).
Walking with Dr. King
Evanston RoundTable, Feb. 5, 2026 Along with 400 or 500 other people, I marched around the block from First United Methodist Church at 516 Church St. on Jan. 19 as part
On turning 80: Lessons on a milestone birthday
Evanston RoundTable, Jan. 7, 2026 They say with age comes wisdom. (Added author Oscar Wilde archly, “But sometimes age comes alone.”) Wise or not, I turned 80 on Dec. 31.
Gloria Boyell at 99 — Busy as ever
Evanston RoundTable, Nov. 27, 2025 At an age when most people are dreading the Grim Reaper, Gloria Boyell says the only thing she’s afraid of is being bored. No chance
Evanston’s oldest firms
Evanston RoundTable, Nov. 13, 2025 The two oldest businesses in Evanston — Cahill Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, founded in 1890; and Lemoi Hardware, founded in 1895 — have been
On playing the Shostakovich 5th symphony
Evanston RoundTable, Jan. 15, 2025 Riveting and profound music that meant life or death I’ve written about the Shostakovich Fifth Symphony before. It’s one of the masterworks of the classical repertoire,
‘The Mikado’ gets a makeover in latest Savoyaires production
Evanston RoundTable, Sept. 25, 2025 The most famous and beloved of the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas — The Mikado — has had a bumpy time of it since 2014, when a Seattle production
Solti’s legendary assistant
Evanston RoundTable, Sept. 4, 2025 If Georg Solti put Chicago on the world culture map, as Time magazine raved in a 1973 cover story about the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, longtime
Pet Peeves
Evanston RoundTable, Aug. 14, 2025 Who knew so many people were bursting to share their pet peeves? I periodically post stuff on my Facebook page, and sometimes I get a
Life’s big questions
Evanston RoundTable, July 31, 2025 I used to think that as one got older, the fog that obscures life’s Big Complexities would lift, life’s Big Puzzles would become clear and