In May 1861, Mary Lincoln posed for what was likely her first official portrait as first lady with the highly respected Washington, D.C., photographer Mathew Brady. He would become renowned for stark Civil War battlefield photos. Before that he was known for photographing America’s leaders and well-known figures. Mary chose a black silk dress embroidered […]
Arts & Culture
Posted inIT Picks
Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon
SPORTS | Run where Lincoln walked on Saturday This annual event immerses runners in Lincoln history unlike any other race! The race starts and finishes at the Old State Capitol where Lincoln gave his House Divided speech and near his former law office. The course also goes by his home, through Oak Ridge Cemetery and […]
Posted inPoetry
Lord of the Rings
I sought and found a certain grave in North Oxford. J.R.R. Tolkien’s headstone read simply “Beren” and his wife’s read “Luthien.” I found a pair of those special dice some of you will know well, hidden in the leaves, a gift from another pilgrim. 2026 Jacqueline Jackson
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Garden serendipity
Last Sunday, Christians around the world celebrated Easter by joining Mary in the garden outside the empty tomb and proclaiming the day of resurrection. The Bible begins and ends with garden imagery. The creation story in Genesis 1 presents the cosmic garden with all the light and darkness across the universe coming into being through […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Josh Sabo interview
Josh Sabo, executive director of Heartland HOUSED, sits down with Tony Stang of The Mosaic Project for an extended conversation about the unhoused community in Springfield.
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Are we making progress on efforts to address homelessness?
In 2020, our community began to take tangible steps to evaluate gaps in services to address homelessness and chart a new way forward. Community leaders, service providers, people with lived experience of homelessness and community members gave input about challenges related to homelessness and shared their hopes for what could be. The result was the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Less is more at Gallery 1624
If you’re passing by the corner of West Laurel Street and Holmes Avenue in Springfield, you might happen to notice what looks like a miniature house with windows and solar panels standing on a post in the yard of 1624 Holmes Ave. A closer look will reveal an intricate, dollhouse-like interior, designed to showcase tiny […]
Posted inFilm
Super Mario Galaxy Movie disappoints, Fantasy Life is aimless and predictable
Galaxy simply goes through the motions I have yet to be blessed with grandchildren. Still, that doesn’t prevent me from casting my thoughts toward future events I hope to share with them. I look forward to birthday parties in which my wife and I will spend far too much money celebrating their arrival; I see […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
“The finest thing ever done in Springfield”
The news last month about the sale of BUNN brings to mind stories about the Bunn family’s influence on Springfield’s development, dating back to since Abraham Lincoln lived here. It is only coincidental that 100 years ago, in 1926, four children of Jacob Bunn Sr. followed what he believed to be a moral obligation to […]
Posted inPoetry
Gone but not Forgotten
I am alas, losing some memory, agingcan cause this sometimes! I am nowtrying to remember the people I can’t remember.Hmm…..who did you say you were again? 2026 Jacqueline Jackson
Posted inThe Mosaic Project
Karen Conn interview
Karen talks about listing her businesses for sale and why she still believes in the potential of downtown Springfield.
Posted inIT Picks
Author to talk about living in a Wright house in New York
Ever wonder what it would be like to live in a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright? Here’s a chance to find out. Kim Bixler, the author of Growing Up in a Frank Lloyd Wright House, will speak at the April 17 annual dinner of the Dana-Thomas House Foundation. Bixler’s family owned Wright’s 1908 Edward […]
