Stories by Linda Qiu

Jack Yonover is one of an increasing number of kids who have to watch what they eat to avoid potentially life-threatening nuts. The Wilmette teenager is also a budding filmmaker and has created an impressive documentary about the dangers of nut allergies from a kid's perspective. Yonover tells us about his documentary that is already drawing attention from health professionals and film festivals.

Hundreds of Chicago area dogs have gotten sick and a number have died from what is believed to be an especially virulent "dog flu." A Chicago veterinarian tells us what the disease is, why it's especially bad, and offers advice about what loving dog owners should and should not do.

Best-selling author Erik Larson who shot to fame with his classic, Chicago-inspired book, The Devil In the White City is once again using his celebrated storytelling skills to recount the shocking last voyage of the Lusitania.

An exhibition at The Field Museum looks at City Windows, the papercut artwork of Chinese artist Qiao Xiaoguang now on display at two locations in Chicago. We get a preview.

An Adler Planetarium astronomer tells us whether earthlings may, at long last, be hearing from other intelligent life in the universe.

Erin McKean founded the world's biggest online dictionary, Wordnik. A graduate of The University of Chicago, she has also written books on weird words and given TED Talks about the subject. She joins us to talk about the latest word trends and linguistic gymnastics. Take a quiz on weird words.

Best-known for the movies Ray and An Officer and a Gentleman, director Taylor Hackford is in Chicago directing a musical stage show about the legendary Vegas husband and wife team, Louis Prima and Keely Smith. We get a preview.

Chicago Sun-Times Theater Critic Hedy Weiss reviews the latest from the Goodman Theatre and much more.

It's Brain Awareness Week -- a global campaign designed to highlight the importance of brain research. University of Chicago neuroscientist Peggy Mason is here to enlighten us all. Take a Brain Quiz!

Painter Archibald Motley created a revealing body of work that captured Chicago people and nightlife during the Jazz Age. We visit the new Motley exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center.

An artist revered in her home country of Colombia has made a strong impression on the international art world. We visit the MCA Chicago for the opening of Doris Salcedo's first-ever retrospective.