Billy Lombardo is the 2011 Nelson Algren Award winner for Fiction. He is the author of four books of fiction – The Logic of a Rose: Chicago Stories, How to Hold a Woman, The Man with Two Arms, and Meanwhile, Roxy Mourns. His novel, How to Hold a Woman was re-issued as Morning Will Come by Tortoise Books in January 2021. 

A high school English Literature and creative writing teacher for 25 years at The Latin School of Chicago, and for nine years at other Chicago-area high schools, he now runs his own writing and editing business called Writing Pros/e.

Billy is the founder of Polyphony Lit, a global literary platform for high school writers and editors, at the core of which is a literary magazine run by an international staff of more than 200 high school editors around the world who comment on every one of the thousands of submissions that come to them every year.

Wendy Bright grew up in the Milwaukee area. She has lived in both Milwaukee and Chicago, and she was a tour guide in both cities. Her podcast, Cream City-Windy City explores the connections between Milwaukee and Chicago. Wendy currently lives in Lexington, Kentucky where she works as the Marketing and Communications Manager at Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, a museum that promotes the legacy of statesman Henry Clay. 

Justin Kaufmann is a reporter for Axios Chicago and part of the ensemble that created Chicago4Real, a new Twitch channel that features great Chicago content. He's also part of Schadenfreude, a Chicago sketch comedy group.

Justin previously worked in Chicago radio, both at WBEZ and at WGN.

Ghian Foreman is the President and CEO of the Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative, a group that works to develop and support South Side communities through a focus on commercial-corridor expansion, sustainable housing, and workforce development. Foreman sits on several boards including serving as President of the Chicago Police Board and member of the Rebuild Foundation. He earned his BS from Florida A&M University, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He lives in Kenwood with his wife Traci and daughter Jade.

In this episode, I speak with Ryan Tova Katz. Ryan is a Chicago-based artist and muralist. In 2009, she started her first custom art and mural company. She has painted murals in hotels, private homes, schools, restaurants, galleries, orphanages, and on buildings in 9 countries.

In this episode, I speak with Caroline MacMillan. Caroline is a tour guide who offers both group tours and private walks around West London. She has also written multiple books about West London that are part of the Wild About series, including books about Hammersmith and Brook Green, Shepherd's Bush and Askew Road, and Fulham.

We talk about why she loves exploring London on foot and giving tours as well as her most memorable experiences as a tour guide.

Monica Eng is reporter for Axios Chicago with a specialty on food, health and the environment.