Space to rejuvenate yourself

I am at least bouyoud by the promise that comes at the beginning of a new calendar year. [READER]( How are you holding up? I'm a bit overwhelmed. I typically relish this time of the season, and luxuriate in the calmness that comes with the final days of a year. But now the Omicron numbers bring me back to the anxiety that colored the beginning days of the pandemic. Now I find myself debating what kind of mask I should wear in order to pick up a couple books I have on hold at the library. I do not have the energy nor the time to fully articulate my feelings about what we're all facing. But who does? I just hope you are able to get some space to rejuvenate yourself, that you're able to share some moments with the people you love, and that you're able to do all this safely. The next time I write one of these newsletters it will be 2022. And as difficult as the past year has been, as challenging as the road ahead continues to be, I am at least bouyoud by the promise that comes at the beginning of a new calendar year. I'll likely readjust my expectations and ambitions between now and January 1, but just dreaming of the days ahead is giving me a nice nudge in the right direction. Now I just need to make some time to get to the library before it closes for the day... Sincerely, [Best of Chicago bonus round nominations have started]( Tell us who should win in additional categories we should have included in the first round of nominations but didn’t—as nominated by first-round participants, from today until January 5, 2022. ["The Future is Not Only Useless, it's Expensive,"]( by Dan Brooks (Gawker) ["Movies, malls, and Musicland: How Minnesota fueled the '80s soundtrack album boom,"]( by Michaelangelo Matos (The Current) Worst Party Ever, [Dartland]( The Deals, [Clear And Severe]( Le Ren, [Leftovers]( Juice WRLD, [Fighting Demons]( We've wrapped up season one of CQN! Listen back on all ten episodes [here]( or wherever you get your podcasts. [Give the gift of the Reader this holiday season!]( Shop timeless gifts for the alternative media enthusiast on your list. From quality totes and t-shirts to groovy button packs and masks, we’ve got you covered. Store purchases are another way to support our community nonprofit newsroom this holiday season and beyond! [Five jokes, two hours]( The Play That Goes Wrong falls apart at Broadway Playhouse. by [Irene Hsiao]( [Van Paugam, City Pop evangelist and DJ]( “These songs aren’t from my youth—it’s almost like I’m reliving my past through the lens of a different culture and time. It has a really mellow, warm vibe—this very sincere aspect.” by [Micco Caporale]( [The year of the mogul]( Wirtz, Reinsdorf, and Ricketts battle Bluhm to see which mogul the mayor and council love the most. by [Ben Joravsky]( [Issue of Dec 9 - Dec 22, 2021 Vol. 51, No.]( [Download Issue]( (PDF) [DONATE TODAY!]( [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 © 2021 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616