Arts & Entertainment
Architect Louis Sullivan
A new book atempts to shed new light on the master architect
He was brilliant and passionate, hot-tempered and egotistical, and he altered the course of American architecture. Louis Sullivan's life story is like a Greek tragedy. And his buildings are works of great art. In the mid-twentieth century, many of his buildings were torn down and Sullivan himself was nearly forgotten.
In their new book, Louis Sullivan: Creating A New American Architecture, author Patrick F. Cannon and photographer James Caulfield attempt to shed new light on a master architect who was once underappreciated and some would say nearly forgotten, but is now celebrated and widely studied. They join us to discuss the book on Chicago Tonight at 7:00 pm.
Check out a slideshow of Sullivan's architecture below.
For more information on the book, click here.
For more on Louis Henry Sullivan, click here.
Arts & Entertainment
Cabin Fever
The clash between nature and technology can be all too familiar these days. One man from suburban Chicago has set off to rediscover balance with nature, and explore a modern interpretation of Henry David Thoreau. Tom Montgomery Fate, author of Cabin Fever: A Suburban Father’s Search for the Wild, joins us on Chicago Tonight at 7:00 pm.
The following is an excerpt from Fate's book:
One sunny afternoon a few years ago, I drove to southwest Michigan
to build a cabin in the woods. It was spring break, and I had
just reread Walden, Henry David Thoreau’s nineteenth-century account
of his life in the woods at Walden Pond. The famous hermit philosopher
had again inspired me, but it was different from
the first time I had read it: I was not an idealistic nineteen-year old
college freshman, but a harried and married forty-six-year-old
father of three in suburban Chicago. Different things mattered.
The book called me with more urgency—from my distracted
middle-class, middle-aged life into the wild solitude it conjured.That same morning, before leaving, I discussed the weekend
with my wife, Carol, packed food and clothes, and then went
to the garage to look for tools. When I pushed the remote and
the garage door hummed open, I abruptly recognized my life: a
wild tangle of bicycles and strollers and grilling utensils and patio
furniture and wet cardboard boxes full of moldy books and kids’
clothes. Amid the clutter, I found an old spade, two sawhorses, a
metal tool box, and a post-hole digger, all of which I tossed into
the back of our minivan. On the two-hour drive to Michigan that
day, I recited Thoreau’s mantra—“Simplify, simplify”—as a kind
of prayer, thinking it might offer me some guidance. But it never
really did.
We finished the cabin in two years—or at least stopped working
on it then. Cobbled together with the help of family and
friends, and with more patience than expertise, we built it on a
fifty-acre plot of woods and meadow we own and share with six
other families, friends from our old church. They bought the land
cheap thirty years ago—a farm abandoned after a fire. It has since
been slowly restored: the stone farmhouse rebuilt, thousands of
pines and oaks planted, a large garden dug. And we maintain a
network of walking trails that wind throughout the property.Were he alive today, Thoreau might have little interest in our
experiment in Michigan. But he might be a bit curious. He did,
after all, anticipate those readers who would naively aspire to his
ideals. In the first chapter of Walden, he addresses the relevance of
his stint in the woods for the interested novice: “I would not have
anyone adopt my mode of living . . . but I would have each one be
very careful to find out and pursue his own way.”From: Cabin Fever: A Suburban Father’s Search for the Wild by Tom Montgomery Fate
Copyright © 2011 by Tom Montgomery Fate
Reprinted by permission of Beacon Press, Boston
http://www.beacon.org/productdetails.cfm?SKU=0096
Click here to visit the author's website.
Arts & Entertainment
Architect Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan altered the course of American architecture. We hear from the author and photographer of a new book on Sullivan that attempts to shed light on a master architect who was once underappreciated and some would say nearly forgotten.
Arts & Entertainment
Modern Day Thoreau
One local man has set off to rediscover balance with nature, and explore a modern interpretation of Henry David Thoreau. We speak with the author of Cabin Fever: A Suburban Father's Search for the Wild.
Science & Nature
Emerald Ash Borer
The hungry insect in question is the emerald ash borer which is devastating the area's ash trees. Jay Shefsky introduces us to some researchers who are trying to understand the bug well enough to find an ash tree that can co-exist with this pervasive pest.
Politics
Mayor Emanuel and Labor Unions
Mayor Emanuel challenged organized labor to partner with him in solving a $30 million budget shortfall or face the loss of 625 city jobs. But city labor leaders say there have been absolutely no negotiations between the city and organized labor. Elizabeth Brackett has the story.
Politics
Cameras in the Courtroom
The Casey Anthony murder trial is big news across the nation, and cameras have been there to capture every moment in the courtroom. Cameras are not currently allowed in Illinois Federal court, but should they be? We take up the issue.
Trending
2026 Chicago Summer Festival Guide
Chicago US Attorney’s Office Reviewing Past Grand Jury Proceedings After Another Case Tied to ‘Broadview Six’ Prosecutor Falls Apart
Chicago’s Sidewalks Aren’t Accessible for People With Mobility Challenges, Lawsuit Argues. The City Wants the Case Dismissed
Cook County Announces $20M for Community Violence Intervention Services
Chicago Advocates Call for New Gun Violence Prevention Efforts After Mass Shooting, Trump Response
Sign up for the WTTW News newsletter