Chicago magazine January 2023

ELLY FISHMAN HAS A MESSAGE FOR young journalists: You never know where you’ll find a story idea. The former Chicago senior editor, who is now a freelance writer, was at her book club when a woman mentioned that her father-in-law was an expert in repairing Stradivarius violins. “I was like, ‘What did you just say?’” recalls Fishman. Fishman had a particular interest in the story of John Becker (“The Violin Doctor,” page 58). “Growing up, I played viola in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra,” she says. “I spent years coming in and out of the Fine Arts Building and had no idea that John was on the 10th floor doing this work, with some of the world’s finest violinists visiting his shop. It was right under my nose.” The highlight of her…

FORMER SUN-TIMES PICTURE EDITOR Richard Cahan and his collaborator, Michael Williams, have long admired street photographer Jay King. The duo even published some of his shots in their 2017 book Chicago: Classic Photographs. So they were thrilled when King reached out to say he’d returned to the darkroom to print never-before-seen images that dated back more than half a century. Meeting with him at the Evanston Public Library, they were awed by not only the pictures (“The Lost Photos of Jay King,” page 68) but also his memory. “I was surprised how much Jay remembered of every shot that he took,” Cahan says. “This is his diary, in some ways.” —JACK McGANN PRETTY PLATES There’s a lot more to food photography than, well, the food. Jeff Marini, who shot “Our 30 Favorite…

Go Chez [Smith] and Gyrls in the HOOD! You made a perfect choice, Chicago mag. @msmareneb via Instagram Thank you for shining a light on these change makers. Our city is lucky to have them all. @hollytothedangerzone via Instagram KUDOS TO A RAPPER FOR GETTING CLEAN Saying he had the opportunity to learn from his mistakes shows that [Vic Mensa] takes his sobriety and mental health in a more serious manner [“‘I Didn’t Care About My Life,’”November]. He’s a survivor, and I look forward to hearing his next project. @citizen_sim via Twitter BEARS ON THE MOVE Wishing no ill will to the Arlington Heights taxpayers, I am happy that the Bears have targeted a government other than the City of Chicago to hold hostage [“Too Much to Bear?,” December]. Sports organizations trade in fan “loyalty” and…

@andrewofchi In October, during Open House Chicago, Andrew Ing, an HR recruiter and a lifelong Chinatown resident, visited 333 N. Michigan Ave. with his Fujifilm X100V camera. “I was able to go to the 26th floor and get that beautiful view [of the Wrigley Building],” says Ing, who made the image black and white to “focus on the details and clock tower.” Ing, who has dabbled in architectural photography for six years, gravitates toward shooting Gothic and art deco designs: “The Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower stand out in the city and country.” —JACK McGANN WE ALSO LOVED … @chicagomatt @piotreksenkow NEXT CONTEST Post your best high-resolution shot of tacos on Instagram by January 15. Follow and tag @chicagomag and include #chimagcontest on your story or post to be considered. The winner will be featured in…

1 The SAFE-T Act, which Darren Bailey made an issue in the governor’s race, goes into effect Jan. 1. It ends cash bail and bans police from using chokeholds and military weaponry. 2 When state reps are sworn in Jan. 11, Democrats will have a superdupermajority in the House: 78 of 118 seats—more than they ever held under former speaker Michael Madigan, and more evidence Illinois has become a one-party state. 3 Cubs Convention is back, coming to the Sheraton Grand Chicago Jan. 13–15, after two years of COVID cancellations. South Siders will have to wait till next year, though: SoxFest has been called off for the third straight winter. 4 Politics never ends in Chicago. Early voting for the Feb. 28 municipal elections starts in late January–two and a half months after…

MUEZE BAWANY, WHO IS RUNNING FOR ALDERMAN OF THE 50TH WARD, IS A HIGH school teacher, a son of Pakistani immigrants, and a Muslim who keeps a prayer rug in his campaign office, a converted used-car showroom on Western Avenue. If he succeeds in his campaign to unseat Alderman Debra Silverstein, though, it may not be because of any of those qualities, but because he has the support of the Chicago chapter of Democratic Socialists of America. Every Sunday, in a tactic borrowed from the machine, a dozen socialists from around the city knock on doors in West Ridge for Bawany. In 2019, six democratic socialists were elected to the City Council, tying Chicago with New York City for the largest such municipal caucus in the nation. This year, in the…