The Louder Than a Bomb teen poetry festival wrapped up its annual competition last week, so today we’ve got a gem from one of their performances. Brooklyn native Aja Monet envisions herself on Bedford Ave. as a parade of deceased neighborhood icons saunter by. Presented by Young Chicago Authors.

Panelists assembled at the Goodman Theater discuss the way that people of color are portrayed in film and television. It's not always pretty, and in fact, can drive a director like Coya Paz to just turn off the TV. Featuring Vaun Monroe, Coya Paz and Shilpa Bavikatte. Recorded in February 2010.

Julie Hochstadter, founder of Chicago's online cycling community The Chainlink, says yes. She tells the story of the moment she realized that cycling was both a valid form of transportation and a radical political act. Recorded at the Chicago Humanities Festival in November of 2010.

Do labor unions ruin everything? You'd think so from watching the way Wisconsin's Republican governor is going after them. But Charles Payne of the University of Chicago says not so fast.

Race has long been a factor in Chicago elections. Harold Washington's opponents rallied their supporters with the racially charged slogan "Before it's too late." But how will it play out this time around? A group of historians convened by the Society of Midland Authors tackles the question.

Smoque BBQ's Barry Sorkin wasn't always a barbecue impresario. Here's the story of how he went from a no-nothing amateur griller to the chef of one of Chicago's most popular BBQ joints. Sponsored by Culinary Historians of Chicago.

What do flea circuses have to do with Amiri Baraka? If you’re poet Roger Bonair-Agard, the answer is: Everything. A striking and funny poem by Bonair-Agard from the June edition of Young Chicago Author's Encyclopedia show.

Writer Karen Abbott reveals the secrets of Gypsy Rose Lee - America's greatest burlesque star. Taken from a talk at the Newberry Library in January.

Finding a job can be hard. Finding a job when you're disabled can be even harder. Writer Beth Finke, who lost her job when she lost her sight in the 1980s, knows this first hand. She did find another gig eventually, but it was one she never expected to land.

Foodie and reality tv host Louisa Chu tells the story of how she went from location scout to on-air personality for the very first episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations." From a talk given to Chicago Culinary Historians in 2008.