Early Birds and Unlucky Worms

Deadlines are my caffeine [READER]( In my early years working in journalism, in part because of the technology but also due to limited staffing, I would often work two or three days in a row without sleep. For a few years I lived in the apartment right behind my office, and other years, an uncomfortable couch was my bed a few hours most nights. But I loved it. I have never had a cup of coffee because deadlines are apparently my caffeine. Not having a deadline is my kryptonite. So I’ve been on deadline since I was ten. No complaints, because I love what I do. My favorite time of day is early morning, before the rest of the staff comes in, when I can check email and get set for the day. The early bird gets the worm and kills off those emails. What’s interesting at the Reader is that because there is a strong separation between editorial and business, I don’t have to stay Tuesday nights as the paper is going to press. It’s actually pretty odd for me. And I have a bit of deadline separation anxiety. It discombobulates my system. I still have deadlines— for advertising, grant applications, events to go to. Certainly, I never have a concern about staying busy. But not seeing those final page proofs is strange. The bonus is I get to enjoy the paper alongside our readers each week. Check out the great work of our editorial team at [www.chicagoreader.com](. And if you can, please donate to [keep the presses rolling]( [Reigning Sound blend vintage soul and folk-rock textures into infectious garage rock]( By [James Porter]( [Funky psychedelic prog band Nektar returns with a light show to scramble your brains]( By [Steve Krakow]( [Chicago’s Ratboys become the toast of the national indie scene with Printer’s Devil]( By [Leor Galil]( [@imLeor]( [The Chicago Flamenco Festival 2020 showcases the allure of a quintessentially Spanish art form]( By [Catalina Maria Johnson]( [@catalinamariaj]( [Lipstick Lobotomy]( at a Kennedy tragedy]( JFK's eldest sister pays the price for nonconformity in Trap Door's production. By [Dmitry Samarov]( [Kiev reveals the murky depths of a family's guilt.]( Aguijón's U.S. premiere of Sergio Blanco's Cherry Orchard update is dark and chilly. By [Kerry Reid]( [@kerryreid]( [A winning Queen of Spades]( Deal yourself in for Tchaikovsky's operatic exploration of obsession at Lyric. By [Deanna Isaacs]( [@deannaisaacs]( [Redlined tells story of one of the last white families in West Garfield Park]( Linda Gartz's memoir also offers some insight into the blindness of neighborhood residents to racial discrimination and disinvestment. By [Tanner Howard]( [@tanner_howard]( [Issue of Feb 20-26, 2020 Vol. 49, No. 20]( [Download Issue]( (PDF) [DONATE]( [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2020 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Ste 102Chicago, IL 60616-3228 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](