The best writer in Chicago journalism

The only good thing about dying is that Maureen O’Donnell may write your obituary. [READER]( It’s been frequently said that the only good thing about dying is that Maureen O’Donnell may write your obituary—if you’re lucky! OK, I may be the only one to have [said that](. But I say it frequently—so there! Maureen is the obituary writer for the Sun-Times, though that title doesn’t do her justice. She is, in my opinion, one of the best, if not the best, writer in Chicago journalism. A delightful storyteller who really appreciates the significance of a telling detail. Her stories capture the spirit of her subjects and generally leave you with an inspirational boost to help get you through life, or at least the rest of your day. Maureen’s [latest masterpiece]( was an uplifting tale about the life of Golda “Goldie” Indig, who through fierce tenacity, luck, and resourcefulness survived Auschwitz and two other Nazi death camps. After the war, Golda got married, moved to Canada and then the U.S., raised three children, and worked for General Motors for 31 years. “Over the years, she used her GM discount to purchase several Cadillacs, one of them white, one silver.” Just a few of the details that make a story by Maureen so much fun to read. As a woman who nearly starved in those death camps, Golda took great delight in feeding others. Or as Maureen put it, “Golda ‘Goldie’ Indig spoke six languages and could urge you to nosh in all of them." “‘Eat, eat,’'' she'd tell family and friends. “‘“Your soup is getting cold,” my bubbie would say to me—right as she put the plate down,’ her grandson Scott Randel said in a eulogy.” Those details brought tears to my eyes. I know so many women like Golda. From all backgrounds. Jewish people. Black people. Greeks. Italians. I can hear their voices in my ear right now . . . “Eat, Benny, eat . . .” Among Golda’s specialties were homemade chicken soup, schnitzel, blintzes, and latkes. To my delight, Maureen’s story included a recipe for blintzes, one of my favorites. In fact, I once ate four blintzes in one sitting. It’s true. Concord Hotel. 1992. Another story for another time. After texting congratulations to Maureen for writing another gem, I took a picture of the blintzes recipe and sent it to the cooks in my family, hoping one of them would make those blintzes one day. Alas, I got an urgent text back from Maureen . . . “Mayday! Mayday! Mistake in recipe! Repeat, mistake in recipe!” The family had left out the milk. Maureen had corrected the mistake in the online edition, but what about the print? Thus, I now feel compelled to lend a helping hand in the event that there are some old-school Sun-Times readers who still clip articles and send them to their family and friends. And who happen to be reading this. So, here’s the complete list of ingredients for Golda’s blintzes: One cup of flour, two eggs, one teaspoon of sugar, a pinch of salt, butter, farmer’s cheese, jam or preserves or curd (optional), and one cup of milk. Don’t forget the milk! And if by chance you should make these blintzes, as you eat them, please remember Golda ‘Goldie’ Indig, the woman with the fierce tenacity to survive hate and the big heart to radiate love. 🗣️ We are free AGAIN and STILL freaky! The Reader will be owned by YOU, our readers, and no one else. [Invest in our future together by making a donation to #KeepReaderFreeAndFreaky]( The Playbill for [Relentless]( the play by Tyla Abercrumbie, at the Goodman. My way of saying—I saw the play and it’s great! But I wonder, what would [Kerry Reid]( think? [Kerry Reid’s]( review of Relentless [Ben Joravsky]( on Whole Foods leaving Englewood [Achy Obejas]( Susan Nussbaum and the fight for reproductive rights [Delia Ramirez]( end of Roe [Kelly Cassidy and Anton Seals]( rights and economic development in Englewood Listen to [The Ben Joravsky Show]( [Third Coast Percussion rebuild Jlin’s experimental footwork by hand]( by [Philip Montoro]( [Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness]( by [Adam Mullins-Khatib]( [Vortex]( by [Maxwell Rabb]( [Issue of April 28 - May 11, 2022 Vol. 51, No.]( [Download Issue]( [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 © 2022 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616