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At the Grammys, J. Ivy is 2 for 2 in the spoken word poetry category Feb 06, 2024

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Best Spoken Word Poetry Album was a brand new category when Chicago poet J. Ivy won it at the 2023 Grammy Awards. At this year’s Grammys, J. Ivy won the award again, for his poetry album “The Light Inside.”

“When I’m creating an album, I don’t listen to anybody else,” the multi-hyphenate artist said on The Rundown back in 2023. “If I found myself sounding like anybody else, I switch that up real quick.”

Today, we’re bringing you Erin’s conversation with the writer, narrator and poet – about the differences between rap and spoken word poetry, his influences and inspirations, and about how he produced the tracks on his first Grammy-winning album, “The Poet Who Sat By The Door.”

This episode originally aired on March 3, 2023.

Morning News: February 6, 2024 Feb 06, 2024

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The Illinois Emergency Management Agency wants southern Cook County residents to apply for relief funding by the end of the week. A housing advocacy group in the north suburbs has reached a deal in a federal lawsuit against a company that used artificial intelligence to discriminate against renters. After taking a two-week break, Illinois lawmakers are back in Springfield today with some unfinished business to attend to.

Afternoon News: Monday February 5, 2024 Feb 05, 2024

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Metra has still not been able to fix glitches on the Ventra app that have prevented riders from buying tickets. The editorial board of the student newspaper at Northwestern University is urging its parent company to drop criminal charges against two Black students. The Chicago Red Stars continue to rebuild under new ownership.

What’s the future of school choice in Chicago? Feb 05, 2024

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Chicago has had a system of “school choice” for decades. That’s where, instead of sending students to schools in their neighborhoods, families can apply to send their kids to magnet, charter, test-in or even other neighborhood schools across the city. But change may be afoot. The Chicago Board of Education voted to move away from school choice in a resolution passed late last year. Further complicating the matter, the Board is about to pivot from having appointed members to having elected members, which means that voters will have a partial say in the matter this November. So why do some people want to get rid of school choice and others want to keep it? And which students have more to gain or lose if school choice is phased out? WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp explains this “very ideologically contentious issue” and what the upcoming election might mean for the future of school choice in Chicago.

Morning News: February 5, 2024 Feb 05, 2024

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Chicago voters will start to receive their mail ballots this week – with one referendum question that is facing a lawsuit to throw it off. A new report on the racial wealth gap outlines steps for corporations and business leaders. The Latino Policy Forum has selected a new cohort of Chicago leaders expected to build bridges between Black and Brown communities.

Afternoon News: Friday February 2, 2024 Feb 02, 2024

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Lurie Children’s Hospital is working to address a cybersecurity issue. A vigil was held Thursday night in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood to honor the three Senn High School students who were shot this week. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is promoting federal legislation to crack down on social media companies that allow online abuse and mistreatment of children.

How Sufjan Stevens’s music inspired a new musical Feb 02, 2024

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Sufjan Stevens’s 2005 album “Illinois” is the source material for a new musical at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. It’s called “Illinoise,” and it’s the only time you’ll hear us pronouncing the “s” at the end of the state. “I always felt like there was something to discover in a stage work that derives from this album,” said Justin Peck, the director, choreographer and co-writer behind the show. Peck identified the album as part of his own coming-of-age story when it came out in 2005, so it’s fitting that he and playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury adapted the record into a coming-of-age tale for the stage. The story is told entirely through music and movement. In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Peck for a peek behind the curtain in developing “Illinoise.”

Morning News: February 2, 2024 Feb 02, 2024

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A succession of recent fatal shootings of high schoolers has some pushing for violence prevention workers to get into Chicago Public Schools – even if those workers have a criminal record. Chicago-based McDonald’s says it’s looking into a report that the fast food giant is connected to prison labor. A Dallas pastor has succeeded Reverend Jesse Jackson as head of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Afternoon News: Thursday February 1, 2024 Feb 01, 2024

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Chicago Public Schools is proposing a later start date for the school year to avoid overlapping with the Democratic National Convention. Chicago’s top cop says the department is doing a better job solving homicides so far this year. Despite a history of lawsuits and damning assessments by experts, Illinois is re-upping its prison healthcare contract with a private provider.

Even after his passing, Pope.L’s work is ‘still north of the future.’ Feb 01, 2024

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The legendary performance artist Pope.L died in December 2023 at 68, and many of his contemporaries agree it will take years to unpack his work and its influence—if that is even possible. “At the basis of the work, I would say, is a riddle,” said curator Hamza Walker, the director of LAXART. “He was always full of questions.” Walker first met Pope.L in the early aughts and said he found his work both confounding and brilliant. We could dedicate a whole podcast to understanding Pope.L’s work, so in this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Walker to scratch the surface on Pope.L’s life and legacy.

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