I’m going to take a counterintuitive approach to Nisha Ganatra’s The High Note. As written by Flora Greeson, this is a formulaic romantic comedy that makes no bones about the fact that it’s a formulaic romantic comedy. Be that as it may, I contend that it’s a rather daring proposition to make something so predictable. […]
Newsletter – Event
Posted inArts & Culture
Illinois Symphony Orchestra
Pour yourself a glass of wine, enjoy some dinner and tune in to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s YouTube channel to experience the new Sunday at Six Recital Series from the comfort of your own home. The series will run every Sunday through June 28. Each recital will be followed by a Coda Conversation via Zoom […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Dismal Inheritance no gift
Since movie theaters have shut down across the country, I’ve been sent a great many films to watch that were never meant to get a theatrical release, destined to go straight to video-on-demand platforms. Watching more of these movies than I normally would, I’ve come to value the product produced by Hollywood studios. To be […]
Posted inNews
Art Association adapts
Springfield Art Association members recently met to seek suggestions about their latest work. One showed she had been experimenting with a variety of mediums since the pandemic began: collage, acrylic landscapes, art journaling. Another asked for help in sketching out a scene from a photo of the Grand Canyon she had taken while on vacation. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Knives sharp as lightning
While living in France in the late 50s, Paul Childs recalled hearing his wife, Julia, cry out: “Goddamnit! I’ve never yet gone into a private French kitchen where the knives are sharp! How the hell do these people think they’re going to cook when they can’t even slice through a tomato?” Julia Childs had such […]
Posted inMusic
Close to live music
Welcome everyone, to another week of coronavirus life in lockdown. We send out our best to all at the forefront of the battle and to those directly in contact with the thing. From what news I have gleaned from reliable sources, we’ve done fairly okay in self-isolating and are headed toward some kind of post-pandemic […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Foot traffic
Not long after Illinois issued a stay-at-home order in March, my neighbor’s adult children were home, their college and work lives on hold for the moment. Almost every day they were on the driveway or in their yard playing soccer, shooting baskets or drawing chalk art with their younger siblings. It wasn’t clear yet how […]
Posted inNews
Old Capitol Farmers Market opens
Hannah Tomlin’s family farm dates far back enough the road it’s on in Pleasant Plains shares her last name. “My great grandfather actually bought the farm where we live. And so it’s a Centennial Farm. And my dad’s really proud of that because he grew up here too, and his dad was a farmer.” Tomlin’s […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Less is more in poignant Driveways
Andrew Ahn’s Driveways is a quiet little movie, one that sets out to tug at your heartstrings and succeeds in doing so. Thankfully, it accomplishes this without laying on the sentiment too thick. Instead, a trio of subtle performances wind up getting under the viewer’s skin, turns that prove effective because they lack grand pronouncements […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Keeping Suttill’s Gardens in the family
While the rest of the world is innovating to rethink the global food system, Caitlyn and Jacque Suttill Simpson are buckling down on the basics. The mother-daughter team own and operate Suttill’s Gardens, a five-acre produce farm located just a quarter mile east of Southeast High School in Springfield. Caitlyn is the fifth generation to […]
Posted inMusic
Music goodness
Onward we go into the bizarre world of a global pandemic with empathy and compassion for those most closely affected by a direct connection to COVID-19, plus thoughtfulness and care for the rest of us, however touched by this worldwide concern. In this column about live music, we can rest assured that musicians playing in […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Will trade minestrone for a place to park
A few years ago I was at my campsite at Summer Camp Music Festival when a young man approached me carrying an empty grocery bag and asked if I had any charcoal I could spare. I had plenty so I put some in his bag. He thanked me and then asked if he could possibly […]
