Podcasts about There Are No Children Here

Lit Hub's Most Anticipated of 2021.  Winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Award. A year in the life of a Chicago high school that has one of the highest proportions of refugees of any school in the nation. “A wondrous tapestry of stories, of young people looking for a home. With deep, immersive reporting, Elly Fishman pulls off a triumph of empathy. Their tales and their school speak to the best of who we are as a nation—and their struggles, their joys, their journeys will stay with you.” —Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here. For a century, Chicago's Roger C. Sullivan High School has been a home to immigrant and refugee students. In 2017, during the worst global refugee crisis in history, its immigrant population numbered close to three hundred—or nearly half the school—and many were refugees new to the country. These young people came from thirty-five different countries, speaking among themselves more than thirty-eight different languages. For these refugee teens, life in Chicago is hardly easy. They have experienced the world at its worst and carry the trauma of the horrific violence they fled. In America, they face poverty, racism, and xenophobia, but they are still teenagers—flirting, dreaming, and working as they navigate their new life in America.  Elly Fishman's book Refugee High: Coming of Age in America (The New Press, 2021) is a riveting chronicle of the 2017–8 school year at Sullivan High, a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric was at its height in the White House. Even as we follow teachers and administrators grappling with the everyday challenges facing many urban schools, we witness the complicated circumstances and unique education needs of refugee and immigrant children: Alejandro may be deported just days before he is scheduled to graduate; Shahina narrowly escapes an arranged marriage; and Belenge encounters gang turf wars he doesn't understand. Equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring, Refugee High raises vital questions about the priorities and values of a public school and offers an eye-opening and captivating window into the present-day American immigration and education systems. Laura Beth Kelly is an assistant professor of Educational Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy

Lit Hub's Most Anticipated of 2021.  Winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Award. A year in the life of a Chicago high school that has one of the highest proportions of refugees of any school in the nation. “A wondrous tapestry of stories, of young people looking for a home. With deep, immersive reporting, Elly Fishman pulls off a triumph of empathy. Their tales and their school speak to the best of who we are as a nation—and their struggles, their joys, their journeys will stay with you.” —Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here. For a century, Chicago's Roger C. Sullivan High School has been a home to immigrant and refugee students. In 2017, during the worst global refugee crisis in history, its immigrant population numbered close to three hundred—or nearly half the school—and many were refugees new to the country. These young people came from thirty-five different countries, speaking among themselves more than thirty-eight different languages. For these refugee teens, life in Chicago is hardly easy. They have experienced the world at its worst and carry the trauma of the horrific violence they fled. In America, they face poverty, racism, and xenophobia, but they are still teenagers—flirting, dreaming, and working as they navigate their new life in America.  Elly Fishman's book Refugee High: Coming of Age in America (The New Press, 2021) is a riveting chronicle of the 2017–8 school year at Sullivan High, a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric was at its height in the White House. Even as we follow teachers and administrators grappling with the everyday challenges facing many urban schools, we witness the complicated circumstances and unique education needs of refugee and immigrant children: Alejandro may be deported just days before he is scheduled to graduate; Shahina narrowly escapes an arranged marriage; and Belenge encounters gang turf wars he doesn't understand. Equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring, Refugee High raises vital questions about the priorities and values of a public school and offers an eye-opening and captivating window into the present-day American immigration and education systems. Laura Beth Kelly is an assistant professor of Educational Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/education

Lit Hub's Most Anticipated of 2021.  Winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Award. A year in the life of a Chicago high school that has one of the highest proportions of refugees of any school in the nation. “A wondrous tapestry of stories, of young people looking for a home. With deep, immersive reporting, Elly Fishman pulls off a triumph of empathy. Their tales and their school speak to the best of who we are as a nation—and their struggles, their joys, their journeys will stay with you.” —Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here. For a century, Chicago's Roger C. Sullivan High School has been a home to immigrant and refugee students. In 2017, during the worst global refugee crisis in history, its immigrant population numbered close to three hundred—or nearly half the school—and many were refugees new to the country. These young people came from thirty-five different countries, speaking among themselves more than thirty-eight different languages. For these refugee teens, life in Chicago is hardly easy. They have experienced the world at its worst and carry the trauma of the horrific violence they fled. In America, they face poverty, racism, and xenophobia, but they are still teenagers—flirting, dreaming, and working as they navigate their new life in America.  Elly Fishman's book Refugee High: Coming of Age in America (The New Press, 2021) is a riveting chronicle of the 2017–8 school year at Sullivan High, a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric was at its height in the White House. Even as we follow teachers and administrators grappling with the everyday challenges facing many urban schools, we witness the complicated circumstances and unique education needs of refugee and immigrant children: Alejandro may be deported just days before he is scheduled to graduate; Shahina narrowly escapes an arranged marriage; and Belenge encounters gang turf wars he doesn't understand. Equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring, Refugee High raises vital questions about the priorities and values of a public school and offers an eye-opening and captivating window into the present-day American immigration and education systems. Laura Beth Kelly is an assistant professor of Educational Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

Lit Hub's Most Anticipated of 2021.  Winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Award. A year in the life of a Chicago high school that has one of the highest proportions of refugees of any school in the nation. “A wondrous tapestry of stories, of young people looking for a home. With deep, immersive reporting, Elly Fishman pulls off a triumph of empathy. Their tales and their school speak to the best of who we are as a nation—and their struggles, their joys, their journeys will stay with you.” —Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here. For a century, Chicago's Roger C. Sullivan High School has been a home to immigrant and refugee students. In 2017, during the worst global refugee crisis in history, its immigrant population numbered close to three hundred—or nearly half the school—and many were refugees new to the country. These young people came from thirty-five different countries, speaking among themselves more than thirty-eight different languages. For these refugee teens, life in Chicago is hardly easy. They have experienced the world at its worst and carry the trauma of the horrific violence they fled. In America, they face poverty, racism, and xenophobia, but they are still teenagers—flirting, dreaming, and working as they navigate their new life in America.  Elly Fishman's book Refugee High: Coming of Age in America (The New Press, 2021) is a riveting chronicle of the 2017–8 school year at Sullivan High, a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric was at its height in the White House. Even as we follow teachers and administrators grappling with the everyday challenges facing many urban schools, we witness the complicated circumstances and unique education needs of refugee and immigrant children: Alejandro may be deported just days before he is scheduled to graduate; Shahina narrowly escapes an arranged marriage; and Belenge encounters gang turf wars he doesn't understand. Equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring, Refugee High raises vital questions about the priorities and values of a public school and offers an eye-opening and captivating window into the present-day American immigration and education systems. Laura Beth Kelly is an assistant professor of Educational Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

Lit Hub's Most Anticipated of 2021.  Winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Award. A year in the life of a Chicago high school that has one of the highest proportions of refugees of any school in the nation. “A wondrous tapestry of stories, of young people looking for a home. With deep, immersive reporting, Elly Fishman pulls off a triumph of empathy. Their tales and their school speak to the best of who we are as a nation—and their struggles, their joys, their journeys will stay with you.” —Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here. For a century, Chicago's Roger C. Sullivan High School has been a home to immigrant and refugee students. In 2017, during the worst global refugee crisis in history, its immigrant population numbered close to three hundred—or nearly half the school—and many were refugees new to the country. These young people came from thirty-five different countries, speaking among themselves more than thirty-eight different languages. For these refugee teens, life in Chicago is hardly easy. They have experienced the world at its worst and carry the trauma of the horrific violence they fled. In America, they face poverty, racism, and xenophobia, but they are still teenagers—flirting, dreaming, and working as they navigate their new life in America.  Elly Fishman's book Refugee High: Coming of Age in America (The New Press, 2021) is a riveting chronicle of the 2017–8 school year at Sullivan High, a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric was at its height in the White House. Even as we follow teachers and administrators grappling with the everyday challenges facing many urban schools, we witness the complicated circumstances and unique education needs of refugee and immigrant children: Alejandro may be deported just days before he is scheduled to graduate; Shahina narrowly escapes an arranged marriage; and Belenge encounters gang turf wars he doesn't understand. Equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring, Refugee High raises vital questions about the priorities and values of a public school and offers an eye-opening and captivating window into the present-day American immigration and education systems. Laura Beth Kelly is an assistant professor of Educational Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Lit Hub's Most Anticipated of 2021.  Winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Award. A year in the life of a Chicago high school that has one of the highest proportions of refugees of any school in the nation. “A wondrous tapestry of stories, of young people looking for a home. With deep, immersive reporting, Elly Fishman pulls off a triumph of empathy. Their tales and their school speak to the best of who we are as a nation—and their struggles, their joys, their journeys will stay with you.” —Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here. For a century, Chicago's Roger C. Sullivan High School has been a home to immigrant and refugee students. In 2017, during the worst global refugee crisis in history, its immigrant population numbered close to three hundred—or nearly half the school—and many were refugees new to the country. These young people came from thirty-five different countries, speaking among themselves more than thirty-eight different languages. For these refugee teens, life in Chicago is hardly easy. They have experienced the world at its worst and carry the trauma of the horrific violence they fled. In America, they face poverty, racism, and xenophobia, but they are still teenagers—flirting, dreaming, and working as they navigate their new life in America.  Elly Fishman's book Refugee High: Coming of Age in America (The New Press, 2021) is a riveting chronicle of the 2017–8 school year at Sullivan High, a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric was at its height in the White House. Even as we follow teachers and administrators grappling with the everyday challenges facing many urban schools, we witness the complicated circumstances and unique education needs of refugee and immigrant children: Alejandro may be deported just days before he is scheduled to graduate; Shahina narrowly escapes an arranged marriage; and Belenge encounters gang turf wars he doesn't understand. Equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring, Refugee High raises vital questions about the priorities and values of a public school and offers an eye-opening and captivating window into the present-day American immigration and education systems. Laura Beth Kelly is an assistant professor of Educational Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Alex Kotlowitz is known as a chronicler of Chicago, and of lives marred by urban poverty and violence. His books set in the city include “An American Summer,” “There Are No Children Here,” and “Never a City So Real.” Nevertheless, for some 40 years he has returned to a remote stretch of woods, summer after summer. At a young age, he found himself navigating a canoe through a series of lakes, deep in the woods along Minnesota's border with Canada. This stretch of country is known as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Larger than Rhode Island, it is a patchwork of more than a thousand lakes, so pristine you can drink directly from the surface. Now in his late sixties, Kotlowitz finds the days of paddling, the leaky tents, the long portages, and the schlepping of food (and alcohol) harder than before, but he will return to the Boundary Waters as long as he can. Last summer, he took a recorder with him on his annual canoe trip, capturing what has kept him coming back year after year.  This segment originally aired on August 6, 2022.

Chef Sean has an endless passion for music, discovery, people and life. The award winning artist has just dropped his visual for his latest release Runaway, taken from his debut album My Life where he enlisted the help of ASCAP award winner Rodney “Lil Rod”Jones for the project. He is a talented songwriter, producer, rapper and actor. The Chicago native started his career with a feature film debut at the age of 12 alongside Allen Payne, Forest Whitaker and Jada Pinkett Smith in ‘Jason's Lyric'. His most recent acting roles are in a film “Teeth & Blood”, “There Are No Children Here” and ABC Crime series Missing Persons. Chef Sean has had some huge support in America with backing from areas such as The Source and Hip Hop Weekly. Runaway also premiered on Sirius XM. Chef Sean opened at Juicy J's sold out show over the summer during BET week alongside Erica Banks. He has had success on multiple releases and has had features alongside artists such as Jeremih and OG Maco.

Recording Artist Chef Sean stops by to share the latest on his success with his single Runaway. Not to mention he's an entrepreneur with new products on the way.  Who is Chef Sean: Sean Christopher aka Chef Sean made his feature film debut at age of 12 in the MGM/Gramercy pictures drama, Jason's Lyric. Sean portrayed the young Jason starring Allen Payne, Forest Whitaker and Jada Pinkett Smith. Sean is currently starring in the horror film “Teeth and Blood”. He plays the role of Detective Mike Hung. His credits include the television movie, “There Are No Children Here”, for Harpo Productions and “Missing Persons” on ABC. He has also starred in a national advertising campaign. His love for acting is mirrored by his love for music. He is a talented songwriter, producer and rapper who continues to enjoy his success as a hip hop artist. He has written, produced, and performed lead vocals on four albums: LOUD PACK (Independent), STREETS PAY ME (Universal/Bungalow/Star City), BEEN FAMOUS PROJECT(Star City), and BUSTDOWN BUICKS & BOTTLES (Star City). Chef Sean is currently lead hip hop rapper with his own full rock band called “Chef Sean and Blaze”. They feature trap rock music which is a blend of rap lyrics and rock music. He also wrote and performed the “Teeth and Blood” title track on the film's soundtrack, as well wrote and produced additional music. Sean studied acting at Second City Theatre in Chicago, and studied audio recording engineering at Five towns Colleges in Dix Hills, New York.The Chicago native now resides in Hollywood, California. For more info visit www.thechefsean.com Follow Chef Sean on Instagram @therealchefsean

Alex Kotlowitz is known as a chronicler of the city of Chicago, and of lives marred by urban poverty and violence. His books set in Chicago include “An American Summer,” “There Are No Children Here,” and “Never a City So Real.” But for some 40 years, he has returned to a remote stretch of woods summer after summer. At a young age, he found himself navigating a canoe through a series of lakes, deep in the woods along Minnesota's border with Canada. The stretch of wilderness is known as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Larger than the state of Rhode Island, it is a patchwork of more than a thousand lakes, so pristine you can drink directly from the surface. At the age of sixty-seven, he finds the days of paddling, the leaky tents, the long portages, the schlepping of days' worth of food (and alcohol) harder, but Kotlowitz will return to the Boundary Waters as long as he can. This spring, he brought a recorder with him on his annual canoe trip, capturing what has kept him coming back year after year. Plus, Susan Orlean remembers Ivana Trump, who died last month, at the age of 73.

Amanda and Jenn discuss books set in Chicago, love-to-hate-them protagonists, magical realism, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. Feedback Coyotes of Carthage by Steven Wright (rec’d by John) Parallel Lives: Five Victorian Marriages by Phyllis Rose (rec’d by Amanda) What is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi and Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler (rec’d by JB) Questions 1. I would love some recommendations for books set in Chicago. I used to live in the city and have been finding myself missing it lately. Since I won’t be able to travel there anytime soon (thanks, COVID), I’m hoping to read something that will allow me to visit without the actual travel. I usually prefer to read literary fiction, memoir, historical fiction, and narrative non-fiction, but I’m fairly open in terms of genre (would prefer not to venture too far into SFF though). The most important thing is that the books that are Chicago-centric and capture the essence of a particular place and/or time in the city. Books I’ve Already Read Set in Chicago: The Devil in the White City; The Time Traveler’s Wife; Native Son; Divergent; There Are No Children Here; The Warmth of Other Sons; The House on Mango Street; A Raisin in the Sun; Twenty Years at Hull House; Gang Leader for a Day; Never a City So Real; The Good Girl; Becoming; The Story of Jane Thanks, -Sarah 2. I have always been the “fall hard, fall fast” types in a relationship. Me and my boyfriend have been together for almost two years now and I have known since the first day that I was completely in love. He’s more of the “take things slow and enjoy the moment” kind of person. We live together and bought a house together last year. We are in a serious relationship and talk about our future as life-partners, but I can’t get over how much I want to get married. I don’t know what it is about this totally antiquated idea, but I think about it all the time. He used to say he wasn’t sure about getting married due to issues in a past relationship and his fear of getting hurt/loss, but over time we’ve moved into talking about marriage as “when we get married.” Even though he’s evolved, I know marriage is still far-off in the cards for him. I’m looking for recommendations, fiction or nonfiction, to help me be patient while waiting for him to get a place where he’s ready or one that shows me that the future I want is possible or even that partnerships don’t have to be defined by marriage. I’m not looking for anything to criticize my desire to be married (because yes, I know the yearning is ludicrous), but something to keep me hopeful about the future. I love most genres, especially mystery, thriller, literary fiction or the ill-named “chick-lit”. Other than Red, White and Royal Blue, I don’t love romance (though I’m tolerant which I know is really silly considering my question) and don’t love what I would consider “foofy” novels that are all rainbows and butterflies and irrational hope or cheeriness. I like serious plots, in-depth stories and am a sucker for a long book. Hope this isn’t too difficult considering all my caveats and that you don’t take too long, because I’m clearly impatient. (Lol, just kidding.) You guys are amazing and I’m so grateful for your podcast. -Maddison 3. I’m re-watching the TV show House, and Gregory House is one of my favourite characters ever. It got me thinking about how I’d love to read a character like him. An intelligent curmudgeon, sometimes you love him sometimes you hate him and can be humourous and charming. A sidekick like Wilson is a bonus. What books have a love to hate/hate to love protagonist? The character doesn’t need to be male. And please, no Poirot or Holmes. Literary fiction, mystery/thriller and light science fiction welcome. No fantasy please. Thank you and happy reading! -Michelle 4. Hello Ladies! Thank you for the podcast! I have found so many lovely books from listening to your recommendations. I was hoping you could help me with finding more memoirs to enjoy. I am not a big nonfiction reader generally, but have really found that memoirs (or essay collections on personal experiences?) really speak to me. Huge bonus if I can get it in audio, especially if it’s read by the author.  Some that I have read and loved (mostly recommended here or on All the Books) are Black Widow, The Clancys of Queens, You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey, Solutions and Other Problems, Born a Crime, Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?, Educated, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, A Man Without a Country, Marathon Woman, and Furiously Happy (which is truly what started this). I am a long-time listener, so show favorites and more recent recommendations are likely on my list. In writing this I’ve realized that my listing is pretty US-centric and mostly Black or White authors. I’m open to more of the same, but if you have any good recs from authors of other backgrounds/countries, that’d be very welcome too. I am not against graphic novels (I also read and was floored by John Lewis’ March), but I don’t think that’s what I’m looking for. I am also not generally super interested in celebrity memoirs, unless they’re something like Born a Crime which fully stands on its own. Thank you! -April 5. I need y’all’s help finding a lush, whimsical magical realism book. I loved Smoke by Dan Vyleta, The Minimalist by Jessie Burton and Things In Jars by Jess Kidd. I love luxurious, rich writing and am always drawn to the Gothic stories where a house, city, place are a character.  Full high fantasy can be a lot for me, but the fun magic/whimsy/spirits/etc just a touch outside of reality is what I love. I love the show – thanks so much for the help! -Alex 6. So I’ve just finished Reverb by Anna Zabo which Jenn recommended in the Handsell a couple of weeks ago. I devoured the first half of the book so fast—the characters’ chemistry and buildup is just so good—however for the latter part, I consciously took my time and savored each page. I was filled with dread while reading the last couple of pages, I just didn’t want to bid goodbye to these endearing characters. But all good things must come to an end, right? Now I don’t think I can ever find something within the genre that’s as good as this. Those were my running thoughts up until I tuned in to ep 269 today and realised that help is right in front of me, or in my ear or whatever. Just like what you did in the Handsell, I hope you can give me another unproblematic queer contemporary romance fiction that’s as good as Anna Zabo’s or better. Maybe one with loads of angst—the only thing Reverb kinda lacks.  Bibliotherapy helped (and still helping) me cope with the pandemic and our still ongoing lockdown. I’ve been listening to your past and recent episodes every workday since I discovered your podcast 2 weeks ago, really amazing stuff you’ve got going, Cheers! -G 7. I retired late summer 2020 from my job of 15 years.  I had not planned to do so, but budget cutbacks related to COVID, and job frustrations sped up the decision.  I now find myself adrift in my personal life and my reading life as well.  I want a book that reflects my stage of life, re-invention, and moving forward.  I also like quirky characters who find happiness and purpose against the odds.   Some favorites in the past few years.  Brit-Marie Was Here, A Gentleman in Moscow, Hamnet, The Dutch House, Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine.  I really need a book to resonate right now.  Any ideas?   -Karen Books Discussed Chicago by Alaa Al-Aswany The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (tw: domestic abuse) Serena Singh Flips The Script by Sonya Lalli (cw: domestic violence) The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso (tw racism) The Secret History of Las Vegas by Chris Abani (cw: war crimes) Fairest by Meredith Talusan  The Magical Language of Others by E.J. Koh (cw: domestic violence, self-harm, violence against women) What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur Small Change by Roan Parrish (cw: discussion of depression and self-harm) The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Ward (tw: suicide) Dakota Blues by Lynn M Speer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A review of the book "There Are No Children Here" by Alex Kotlowitz which tells the story of residents of Chicago’s Henry Horner projects during the 1980s.   Show notes are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/there-are-no-children-here-book-review.

I recorded this from Chicago as our city was one of many protesting the cruel death of a Black man in this country. Again. I am an entrepreneur, but first and foremost, I am a mom, raising 4 kids in one of the most segregated cities in America. The New York Times Editorial Board wrote three weeks ago: "In Chicago, the difference in average life expectancy for people born at the same time in different neighborhoods is as much as 30 years. Please pause to consider that number." It's my job as a mom to raise citizens of the world, who are aware of societal and global problems and feel a sense of responsibility to use the lottery of their birth in service to others. I don't have answers, but I've had to come up with ways to discuss these issues as a mom. Some friends have reached out to see what we are talking about in our home. I'm sharing resources below to open the discussion and gain wisdom from you. These resources have helped us get to a place where our kids have context for discussing the riots and Black Lives Matter. The 1619 Project: This will blow your mind about race in America. America was built on the backs of slaves, and It affects everything, from business to housing, city planning and schools. It should be required reading in every high school, and it already is in many. My kids 7th grade and up all read it Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi. I'm reading it now. It's intense, but I can't recommend it enough. If you want a version that's less academic and ideal for teens, try the latest book by the same author How to Be an Antiracist. There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz: A true story set in Chicago, your kids will learn what it means to win the lottery of birth. Middle school and up. Becoming by Michelle Obama: Get to know firsthand what it's like to grow up on the South Side and why racist real estate practices and white flight still affect generations of families. A beautiful book on Audible, perfect for a family road trip this summer. A very mature 5th grader and up can appreciate it. This American Life episodes on Harper High School in Chicago. They shadowed Chicago's Englewood school for a full semester, after 29 students had been shot and 8 students were killed in gang-related incidents. Stories of people living on both sides of the divide, and the people trying to unite it from This American Life Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. This focuses on what we should know about people we don't, it goes in depth on policing policies that can lead to racial profiling. It's for high school and up, and be warned that there is a section on the Penn State case that some may find especially disturbing. I'd love for you to continue the conversation to let me know what you're doing to build a better future. It's going to take all of us. Our kids need us to do everything in our power to set the stage for a brighter future than the present they're experiencing.

Guest host, Bob Hercules sits down with the prolific author, journalist and filmmaker, Alex Kotlowitz, who is best known for his books exploring the intersection of poverty, urban violence and race, which includes his landmark book, THERE ARE NO CHILDREN HERE.

Recorded at the Hawthorne barn on May 25, 2019 by Twenty Summers. All Rights Reserved.

Dave Ross speaks with award-winning reporter and author of There Are No Children Here, Alex Kotlowitz, about his newest book, An American Summer. Kotlowitz spent six years embedded in some of Chicago's most turbulent, violent neighborhoods while reporting for this book, and he tells Dave the stories of some of the people he met there, people living on a daily basis in a culture of pervasive gun violence.

Peabody Award- winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Alex Kotlowitz is one of the nation’s foremost commentators on urban violence and community perseverance. He is best known for the seminal but haunting There Are No Children Here, the real-life story of 9- and 11-year old brothers in Chicago’s most crime-ridden public housing complex. […]

Peabody Award- winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Alex Kotlowitz is one of the nation’s foremost commentators on urban violence and community perseverance. He is best known for the seminal but haunting There Are No Children Here, the real-life story of 9- and 11-year old brothers in Chicago’s most crime-ridden public housing complex. (Oprah Winfrey produced and starred […]

Alex Kotlowitz has made a career out of mapping the lives of those who live in what he has called "the other America," in works like his award-winning 1992 bestseller There Are No Children Here, his documentary film The interrupters, and his wide-ranging reporting for newspapers, magazines and radio.  His revelatory, heartbreaking new book An American Summer: Love and Death in Chicago takes up the problem of gun violence with a portrait of a single city over the course of one murder-wracked season.  It probes the nature of the crisis where it tears most persistently into the lives of ordinary Americans placed by poverty and racism into a daily struggle with the aftermath of violence and the fear of more to come. But An American Summer is a tapestry of story – a work about the Chicagoans who opened up their lives and hearts to Kotlowitz; the result is a powerful evocation of grief and endurance, love and loss.  We caught the author in New York, just as An American Summer was being released. He sat down in the studio with B&N's Miwa Messer to talk about how this book started – and what it became.

Author Alex Kotlowitz burst into the public 25-years-ago with his seminal work "There Are No Children Here." Now he's out with its bookend, "An American Summer," about the lives affected by gun violence. Tune in as Alex and Mayor Emanuel share a honest discussion about the causes and solutions of gun violence, along with the stories of love, hope, redemption, and grace that live in between.

Norman D. Golden II AKA Enormus was born in Racine Wisconsin. He moved to California with his family when he was 3 years old. He grew up in the South Bay Area of California. Norman is best known for his co-starring role as Devon Butler in the movie "Cop and a half" with Burt Reynolds. Norman has starred and co-starred in several movies such as, his portrayal of Pharaoh Rivers in the made for television movie "There Are No Children Here" starring Oprah Winfrey, Jim Jam Ween in "On Promised Land" Joan Plowright, Aaron Crawford in "America's Dream": "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black", Wesley Snipes and the remake of "Moby Dick", where he played the role of Pip, starring Patrick Stewart and the late Gregory Peck.Norman has an enormous heart of generosity and believes in helping people to become happy. While on the set of "Cop N Half" he visited the cancer division of a Florida children hospital. He also joined Tatiana Ali, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and other child actors on a Celebrity Cruise to raise funds to help with research for Juvenile Diabetes. He spoke before 1500 young people at the Festival Hall in his hometown (Racine WI) at "Violence No More" events. Norman made several visits to various schools encouraging students to stay in school and make sure they learn how to read. And at six years old he created his very own Public Service Announcement encouraging people to learn how to read!Norman had an incredible career as a child actor; without regret, he took time off from the entertainment industry to concentrate on his education. He received his AA degree in English and is finishing his BA in Liberal Arts with a concentration in creative writing at Antioch University Los Angeles. While on his hiatus, he developed other skills and interests such as music and writing screenplays. Norman is quite a diverse artist and always hard at work, he is continuously working on new film and music projects that are in various stages of development. Norman is now entering the music business as "Enormus"He has collaborated and performed with Grammy-award winning flutist Nestor Torres and has graced the stage with Jazz greats such as Herbie Hancock and Bennie Maupin. Enormus continues to do live performances across Southern California. He released his debut EP entitled SEEDS Vol 1 "Pick of the Litter" with Vol II in development/production.As a child actor Norman burst onto the silver screen where he stole the hearts of many and is preparing to take the hip-hop/spoken word scene by storm as a rapper-poet and producer. Through the measure of time Norman has evolved into an enthusiastic young adult with a dynamic presence expanding his artistry into several areas. Norman's approach to creating this artistry is one of unlimited possibility and straying from what is considered to be the "norm". With experience in hand, and a global vision of sharing his gifts, one can say that, "Norman is truly Enormus"! Meet: Norman Golden II.

“There are two ways I view toughness and the virtue of it.” BuzzFeed News reporter Albert Samaha has a new book out about a young football team in a changing inner city. But clearly it's about so much more than that, too. As for what he thinks will happen to America's most popular sport, Samaha says, “Part of the question is what replaces it.” He also discussed what it's like working at BuzzFeed, shared how he's learned to grab attention online, and announced the topic of his next book. [1:00] The Sunday Long Read with Albert Samaha [1:30] Never Ran, Never Will [18:00] Albert's magazine story about the Mo Better Jaguars [22:00] Jacob's story on baseball in Liberty City [23:00] There Are No Children Here [41:45] Can A School Ban Its Students From Kneeling During The National Anthem? [56:30] Fatal Errors [1:05:00] Looking for Right and Wrong In the Philippines

This week, we're looking back on the lessons we've learned from all of our guests and the books that have changed their lives. To learn more about the books we've mentioned in this week's episode, check out Middlemarch by George Eliot, New People by Danzy Senna, The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman, Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace, Who Will Run The Frog Hospital by Lorrie Moore, There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion, The Karma of Brown Folk by Vijay Prashad, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, and Raymond Carver's Cathedral. You can find transcripts of this episode and past ones on LitHub. This episode is sponsored by Imposter's Lure. You can listen to the new podcast I Love You But I Hate Your Politics on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. You can listen to the new podcast The Girls on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts, and check out Courtney Summers' Sadie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Jeff Hobbs on Alex Kotlowitz’s There Are No Children Here, the art of nonfiction, and a eulogy that got way out of hand. To learn more about the books we discussed in this episode, check out There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz and The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs. Please fill out our survey at bit.ly/butthatsanothersurvey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. A talk by Alex Kotlowitz, award-winning author and journalist. In honor of the 10th Anniversary of the Univeristy of Chicago Human Rights Program, Alex Kotlowitz delievered the second annual Robert. H. Kirschner, M.D., Memorial Human Rights Lecture. Kotlowitz is an award- winning author and journalist. He has written extensively on urban affairs and social policy and is the author of the highly acclaimed book There Are No Children Here. This lecture honors the life and work of Robert H. Kirschner, MD, noted forensic pathologist and a founder of the Univeristy of Chicago Human Rights Program.