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John Lillig

@jclillig2.bsky.social
409 followers 573 following 2.5K posts

English Teacher, Loyola Academy Advisory Board, Chicago Literary Hall of Fame A.B., English (Georgetown), M.A., English (DePaul), J.D. (DePaul Law) Visiting Student (University of East Anglia) Sport & Athletics Bluesky: @jclillig.bsky.social

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John Lillig @jclillig2.bsky.social · 8h
"From this day forward, I no longer shall tinker with the machinery of death. . . . I feel morally and intellectually obligated simply to concede that the death penalty experiment has failed." Callins v. Collins, 510 U.S. 1141 (1994) (Blackmun, J., dissenting)
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Philadelphia Magazine @phillymag.com · 13h
Your guide to the best pies in the city, from classics to newcomers and everything in between.
phillymag.com
The Best Pizza in Philadelphia
A list of some of the best pies in the city -- both the classics and the newcomers.
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Michael Li (李之樸) @mcpli.bsky.social · 12h
Washington, D.C. mural to suffragette Mabel Ping-Hua Lee (李彬華), who campaigned for women to get the right to vote even though she herself was unable to vote because of the Chinese Exclusion Act.
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Lynn Becker @cmgiulini.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
On October 5th, World Architecture Day, the Chicago Architecture Center is launching a second location in the Marquette Building, to be open five days a week. Makes sense as it will offer a starting point for tours much closer to Loop landmarks than their Wacker Drive flagship. www.architecture.org
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John Lillig @jclillig2.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Looks like a great event this Sat. 10/3 3pm at the Nighthawk, 4744 N. Kimball with @profpetercole.bsky.social & @etoddbreland.bsky.social in conversation with @dannypostel.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social, discussing the politics of public art with a focus on Chicago's monuments.
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1981 / 1986 News @40yearsago.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
[February 21st, 1981] During a Saturday Night Live sketch, cast member Charles Rocket utters the word “fuck” on live television, the first such incident on the show, leading to his firing weeks later.
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Injustice Watch @injusticewatch.org · 29/09/2026
See you Monday! 🎉
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Injustice Watch @injusticewatch.org · 29/09/2026
Why do we have retention elections for judges, anyway? 🤔 We’ve got answers to your commonly asked questions about judicial elections in Cook County. buff.ly/X6haOZK
buff.ly
What are Cook County judicial retention elections?
Why we vote to retain judges and your other questions answered.
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Rachel Cole @rmartincole.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Found while flipping through CTA Transit News v. 38 no. 9, 1985 today: the product model for the classic "Mr. Clean" campaign was an employee of the @chicagocta.bsky.social. We've digitized these volumes and you can flip through them yourself in the Internet Archive: archive.org/details/ctat...
Article from CTA Transit News 1985 v.38 no.9 titled "Mr. Clean" with a photo of the classic Mr. Clean ad campaign and a headshot of the model, CTA employee Bob Ryan. Text describes Ryan's role in the ad campaign and as a special projects employee for the CTA.
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National Library of Ireland @nlireland.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
🌍 Ballybeg Goes Global | Join us at NLI for an international celebration of #BrianFriel’s work with scholars + performers exploring how his plays have travelled across languages + cultures With performances in French & te reo Māori, Senegalese music & more 📅 2 Oct | 2–8pm ow.ly/Gqxy50ZPImZ
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Red Emma’s @redemmas.org · 29/09/2026
Continuing our quest to promote book events without the computer, this month with a beautiful bonus essay about Baltimore on the flipside from @margaret.bsky.social
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Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
An hour or thereabouts of footage here: U2 - Surprise Concert Grafton St 2026 www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5X5...
youtube.com
U2 - Surprise Concert Grafton St 2026
YouTube video by BONO TV
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Criterion Channel @criterionchannl.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Happy birthday to the great John Sayles! 📽️ 💙
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1981 / 1986 News @40yearsago.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
[February 20th, 1981] Today's issue marks the historic first-ever edition of the Washington City Paper, which originally launched under the simple title 1981.
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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 28/09/2026
You can demolish a rapid transit branch with just a day’s notice, but it takes 20 years to build a new one, if you’re lucky
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Working Class History @workingclasshistory.com · 28/09/2026
#OtD 28 Sep 1985 two days of rioting erupted in Brixton, London after police shot and paralysed Dorothy Groce, an innocent Jamaican mother, in her bed. The police did not apologise until 29 years later stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/1006...
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rickkogan.bsky.social @rickkogan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
After Hours with Rick Kogan Monday Podcast: Talking Tony with Max Fitzpatrick: wgnradio.com/after-hours-...
wgnradio.com
Tony Fitzpatrick’s son, Max, on new short film ‘Driven’
Rick Kogan chats with Max Fitzpatrick, son of the late great Tony Fitzpatick, about the short film ‘Driven’, which he co-directed and co-wrote with his sister Gabrielle. Max remembers the life of h…
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Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Whenever you see a pollster or consultant give a take like this, it’s always worth following the money. In this case, Emanuel has paid Anzalone’s firm nearly $300k (maybe more but that’s what I found so far). A consultant class is devouring the Dem Party www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisc...
John Anzalone &
@JohnAnzo
X.com
Underestimate @RahmEmanuel at your own risk.
He knows how to win. He knows how to fight.
And he knows how to message.
And no one will out work him. Regardless of whether he wins the Democratic nomination in 2028 he will make an impact on the race. You can be sure of that. Don't take your eyes off of him. At the minimum, learn from him.
Rahm Emanuel Makes His 2026 Play
Rahm Emanuel Makes His 2026 Play
From nytimes.com
6:47 AM • 9/26/26 • 274K Views
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Urban Milwaukee @urbanmilwaukee.com · 27/09/2026
Finding Balance On Wisconsin’s First Certified Forest Bathing Trail
urbanmilwaukee.com
Finding Balance On Wisconsin’s First Certified Forest Bathing Trail
From stroke recovery to factory burnout, visitors say Tara Lila offers a rare mix of calm and alertness.
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Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Jack B. Yeats
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The 14th Amendment Center @the14thcenter.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
An important lesson. White supremacy is a form of democratic nihilism. Every institution, norm, and value of democracy will be sacrificed for it. calendar.eji.org/racial-injus...
calendar.eji.org
Sep. 27, 1958 | White Little Rock Voters Choose to Close Public Schools Rather Than Integrate
Learn more about our history of racial injustice
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South Side Weekly @southsideweekly.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
A Slow and Steady Disaster As Chicago’s Black population has steadily declined, the South Side of our parents’ generation is shifting beneath our feet. ✍️: Eve L. Ewing. 🎥: Rose Blouin
southsideweekly.com
A Slow and Steady Disaster
Schools, Jobs, and Safety: Why Black Folks Are Leaving Chicago
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Baltimore Banner @thebaltimorebanner.com · 27/09/2026
Leon’s is coming back: Baltimore’s oldest gay bar to reopen this week
buff.ly
Leon’s is coming back: Baltimore’s oldest gay bar to reopen this week
Leon's is reopening on Wednesday. Baltimore’s oldest gay bar that opened in the 1950s closed its doors in July following the death of its owner Ron Singer.
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Lynn Becker @cmgiulini.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
… Robert Reich, who actually got to see Rahm close up when they both served in the Clinton Administration, would like a word… robertreich.substack.com/p/the-rahm-b...
robertreich.substack.com
The Rahm Bomb
He’s the single worst Democratic hopeful now (almost) running for president. Democratic midterm candidates be warned: stay away from him.
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1981 / 1986 News @40yearsago.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
[September 26th, 1986] CBS aired the final episode of the original daytime run of the popular game show "Press Your Luck" www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXUJ...
youtube.com
Press Your Luck #755 - September 26, 1986 (Series Finale w/ Original Ads)
From September 1986 - by this point only a small fraction of stations were airing the show. This wound up being the last episode of the original Press Your Luck with Peter Tomarken produced (or at…
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1981 / 1986 News @40yearsago.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
[September 26th, 1986] "Crocodile Dundee", a romantic action-adventure comedy film directed by Peter Faiman and starring Paul Hogan as the namesake character and American actress Linda Kozlowski as reporter Sue Charlton, premieres in the United States.
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Kelli Marshall @kellimarshall.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Whoa. A silent-era Chicago film, produced by Essanay Studios and featuring the actual Chicago Fire Dept, has been newly discovered and restored. More on the 20-min. movie, called "An Unbeliever Convinced" (1917), here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCD2...
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Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The major platforms—Facebook, YouTube, and X—are all refusing to show the trailer for the upcoming documentary that eviscerates the ridiculous pest Elon Musk. So I guess we have to do our part to make sure it is seen. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY_8...
youtube.com
Musk | Official Trailer | Bleecker Street
YouTube video by Musk
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MidCenturyCinema @midcenturycinema.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
9/26/69: The Beatles w/Abbey Road Lennon nails Come Together in '72 [w/ awesome "Stop The War!" @ 3:08: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo_H... More: @douglaswolk.bsky.social: www.rollingstone.com/music/music-... @jeffslate.bsky.social: ultimateclassicrock.com/beatles-abbe...
ultimateclassicrock.com
'Abbey Road' at 50: Peak Beatles
A look at the Beatles' 'Abbey Road' on its 50th anniversary, including an interview with Giles Martin.
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1981 / 1986 News @40yearsago.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
[September 26th, 1986] Cathy Evelyn Smith, a former rock backup singer, was sentenced to three years in prison. She was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and administering dangerous drugs related to the 1982 death of John Belushi.
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Baltimore Banner @thebaltimorebanner.com · 26/09/2026
“The Wire” was named No. 2 on The New York Times’ list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century, based on votes from hundreds of actors, showrunners and other TV industry experts. buff.ly/Zff2taS
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WAMU 88.5 @wamu.org · 26/09/2026
Chef Patrick O’Connell knows how to build something out of nothing. He’s the founder, proprietor, and chef of The Inn at Little Washington – a world-renowned hotel and restaurant in a small Virginia town about 90 minutes west of D.C.
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Laura Lippman @lauralippman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I just assume everyone wants to see this ranking: 8. We Own This City 7. The Plot Against America 6. The Deuce 5. The Corner 4. Show Me a Hero 3. Treme 2. Generation Kill 1. The Wire
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The James Joyce Centre @jamesjoycecentre.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The James Joyce Centre was delighted to lead a unique week-long literary tour of Dublin organised by the University of Chicago Graham School on 14-19 September. The tour was an immersive series of seminars, performances and adventures throughout Dublin. graham.uchicago.edu
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Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Ctrl-F “Laquan McDonald” <Not found>
nytimes.com
Rahm Emanuel Makes His 2026 Play
The longtime Democratic insider has emerged as a behind-the-scenes force in his party’s push to win back Congress. After that, he’ll think about 2028.
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Leventhal Map & Education Center @bplmaps.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Settlement workers produced some of the first detailed maps to study socioeconomic and demographic conditions—the most famous of which were the Hull House maps of Chicago. In Boston, the South End House created similar maps documenting multi-ethnic, working-class neighborhoods.
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ResistMap @resistmap.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Masked ICE agents brutalized a Black U.S. citizen for no reason on Sunday. The agents said they thought he was a fugitive. He wasn't. But that didn't stop the agents from pinning the innocent man to the ground with a knee, punching him, and injuring his head, neck, and teeth.
ICE agents detain a man on the ground near an SUV.
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Lady Topham Catt @ladytophamcatt.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I wrote about the long history of Roseland's Greater Tabernacle Cathedral, an architecturally stunning building that has witnessed profound neighborhood change in the nearly 140 years that it has commanded the intersection of 113th & King Drive.
southsideweekly.com
Best Beacon of Community Strength: Greater Tabernacle Cathedral
Best of Roseland
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Crooked Marquee @crooked-marquee.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
'Three Days of the Condor' hit theaters on this day in 1975. It was one of the all-time great conspiracy thrillers: buff.ly/HThdFHX
buff.ly
Classic Corner: Three Days of the Condor — Crooked Marquee
Sydney Pollack's Watergate-era spy picture is a series of fascinating contradictions and none-too-subtle historical references.
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1981 / 1986 News @40yearsago.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
[February 19th, 1981] Prince Andrew celebrated his 21st birthday as a midshipman and trainee naval pilot. Instead of a lavish party, he spent the day on duty attending lectures and flying helicopters. The highlight of his royal birthday was a dinner of french fries.
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Injustice Watch @injusticewatch.org · 25/09/2026
Judges have a hand in all kinds of decisions — including the length of someone’s sentence and whether or not someone gets evicted from their home. Before you vote, find out who's making those decisions in Cook County. buff.ly/jpBxfAa
buff.ly
Cook County November 2026 Judicial Election Guide
Injustice Watch's guide to the November 2026 Cook County judicial elections.
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Oak Park Climate Action Network @opcan.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Please join us for the next Clean Energy Open House on Sunday, October 4th. You can read a preview about the event here: www.oakpark.com/2026/09/24/c... And sign up here: opcan.org/openhouses #cleanenergy #electrifyeverything #oakpark #oakparkil
oakpark.com
OPCAN will hold an open house tour in Oak Park
Concerned about climate? Volunteers tell how to retool your home. Open house shows impact of incremental changes and overhauls
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Bill Savage @rogersparkman.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/cinema/2026/... Hey, y'all: Chicago fans and Algren fans. In Chicago: City on the Make, Algren refers obliquely to a documentary about the city that was suppressed by Richard J. Daley's minions. That film, not seen in Chicago in 60 years, will be screened at NU.
blockmuseum.northwestern.edu
Listening to Chicago: Denis Mitchell and Studs Terkel: Block Museum - Northwestern University
Denis Mitchell’s controversial Chicago documentary, unseen here since 1966, screens with a rare 1975 film profile of Studs Terkel in a program about listening to the voice of the city.
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WXPN @wxpnfm.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Just announced! The voting has begun for the theme for 885 Countdown this year: The 885 Greatest Songs from Movies & TV. Get your lists together and vote!!! xpn.org/885-countdown/
xpn.org
Vote for the 885 Greatest Songs from Movies & TV!
The 885 Countdown is back… to the future! Ok, sorry for that ham-fisted reference. But it is relevant to this year’s countdown theme! (Back to the Future Part III takes place in 1885.) We’re asking yo...
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Creative Writing at NEIU @neiu-cw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
authorsguild.org
Remembering Annie Dillard, 1945–2026
The Authors Guild is saddened at the passing of longtime member Annie Dillard. She was the youngest woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, which she received in 1975 for her book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, a ...
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Historical Marker Ahead @historicalmarker.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Hey Chicago South Siders (and others): please go to rhschallenge.square.site and help the Ridge Historical Society hire an archivist to go through the massive piles of history from the Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods. @sorenspicknall.bsky.social @suesswassersee.bsky.social
rhschallenge.square.site
Ridge Historical Society: $10,000 Matching Challenge
An anonymous donor has generously provided a $10,000 matching grant to help us preserve that history—help to unlock it!
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Sweater Weather @pastrystout.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/24/r...
chicagotribune.com
Ridge Historical Society hopes to hire archivist to get ‘full grasp’ of backlog of thousands of items
The Ridge Historical Society in Chicago has thousands of artifacts and boxes of unsorted material it wants to make more accessible.
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Andy Oler @andyoler.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Literary Landscapes, Vol. 19, is live and ready for your perusal! Essays on Ross Gay, Stuart Dybek, Justin Hamm, B.H. Fairchild, and James Whitcomb Riley. Please enjoy! newterritorymag.com/literary-lan...
newterritorymag.com
Literary Landscapes | The New Territory Magazine
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South Side Weekly @southsideweekly.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Author and civil rights attorney Flint Taylor sat down with former Representative Bobby Rush and former Black Panther Ann Campbell-Kendrick to discuss the assassination and its aftermath. Author ✍️: Max Blasidell and Hyde Park Herald Read more here:
southsideweekly.com
New Haymarket Book Rewrites the Narrative of Fred Hampton’s Murder
Author and civil rights attorney Flint Taylor sat down with former Representative Bobby Rush and former Black Panther Ann Campbell-Kendrick to discuss the assasination and its aftermath.
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John Lillig @jclillig2.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
New "Literary Landscapes" feature by Izabella Kimak about Stuart Dybek's old building on 18th Street, from The New Territory & @andyoler.bsky.social:
newterritorymag.com
Stuart Dybek – Chicago, Illinois | The New Territory Magazine
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