Winter in Chicago is ok! (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen talks to local journalist Vee Harrison about her new book called Hood Healing: Interviews with Some of Chicago’s Most Prolific Voices in Media and Black Culture, gives an update on beautifying the North Lawndale Neighborhood, and explores the Secret History of the late blues guitarist Sammy Lawhorn. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Mike Stephen learns about the broken promises of Cabrini-Green from Better Government Association senior investigative reporter Alejandra Cancino and then gets an update on the response of state correctional facilities to the COVID-19 pandemic from Jennifer Vollen-Katz, executive director of the John Howard Association of Illinois. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio

Mike Stephen learns about a people’s history of Uptown through the Dis/Placements project from its co-founders Gayatri Reddy & Anna Guevarra and discovers the Secret History of 1980s alt-rockers Stark. And Mike thinks we should open up the fast food drive-thru lanes to bicycles. What could go wrong? To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Ann Elizabeth Moore talks about her new book and the changing faces of local neighborhoods this week. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen talks to Anne Elizabeth Moore about her new book called Gentrifier: A Memoir, discusses the issues facing hockey culture with Evan F. Moore, the co-author of Game Misconduct: Hockey’s Toxic Culture and How to Fix It, and revisits a segment from four years ago that takes us underneath Read-Dunning Park on the northwest side of Chicago. And Mike gives some love to The Hideout after that venue was vandalized twice in a month. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.