Author: Geoff Pettys

I’ll admit, I don’t always read the books that I spotlight in these blog posts. Oftentimes I just pick books that seem interesting to me in hopes that someone will check them out and find them enjoyable. I am currently reading this book, however, and I cannot express how much

Sonia Sotomayor’s biography seems as though it were written as a screenplay; a life ready-made for a film adaptation. Raised in a housing project in the Bronx by an alcoholic father who died when she was nine, and diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at a young age, Sotomayor worked through her

I know I’m not the first person to say it, but The Wire is the best television series ever made. And while this may be a bold claim, it would be difficult to name another program that evokes more thought and emotion in viewers. The series demands a lot from

I love classic country music. I also love photography. As such, I thoroughly enjoyed paging through Honkey Tonk, a recently published collection of Henry Horenstein’s historic photographs. From Bill Monroe to Dolly Parton to Waylon Jennings, Country music fans are sure to enjoy these intimate portraits of some of the

From gospel spirituals, to folk music, to punk, and beyond, music has a long and storied history with social movements and human struggle. Over the past few decades, hip-hop has emerged as the genre of choice for many contemporary movements the world over. The blend of poetry and rhythm makes

If you’ve lived in Chicago for a while, or are a fan of poetry, you may have heard of “Louder Than a Bomb,” the annual youth poetry slam hosted by the nonprofit organization Young Chicago Authors every spring. Founded in 2001 by local celebrity and poet-extraordinaire Kevin Coval, the competition

From the video game, Plants vs. Zombies, to the book, Pride and Predudice and Zombies, to the hit series, The Walking Dead, zombies seem to be everywhere. It is really quite fitting that zombies have become such a pop culture phenomenon in recent years; with the seemingly endless economic crisis,

Like countless others, I grew up reading, and loving, Dr. Seuss. Yet unlike other childhood favorites, I never really grew tired of his books. There is something irresistible about his whimsical prose, and his stories have a subtle complexity that resonates with all age levels; they can simultaneously be simple,

The Wire’s creator was recently awarded a MacArthur “genius” grant. Many critics consider it the greatest television program of all time. Harvard and Yale offer courses on the show. Yes, it’s that good. The DePaul Library has long carried season one, and I am delighted to announce that we now

I admit it: I am absolutely hooked on the “Popular Culture and Philosophy” book series. Every volume I’ve read has not only been fascinating, but has also provided an intellectual excuse for why it’s ok to procrastinate by, say, watching Dexter, instead of working on whatever it is I should