Ben Joravsky
Bio:
I moved to Chicago in 1981 and have been writing about local politics ever since. I started freelancing for the Reader in the early 1980s and became a full-time staff writer in 1990. Since 2003, I've zeroed in on larger citywide matters, with a special interest in exposing municipal financing scams, most notably Tax Increment Financing and the the city's proposal to bring the Olympics to Chicago. I've also written dozens of profiles and features, including my year with the Roosevelt High School boys basketball team, which was included in the Best American Sports Writing Anthology. Over the last few years, Mick Dumke and I have collaborated on investigations exposing everything from the parking-meter-sale ripoff to our costly and unfairly enforced marijuana laws. I've written five books, including Hoop Dreams and The Greens, which I co-wrote with Rick Stone. I've won many journalism prizes, including the 2010 Chicago Journalist of the Year Award from the Chicago Journalists Association and the 2010 Illinois Journalist of the Year Award from Northern Illinois University. Last but not least, I also write for The Third City, a daily humor blog that "rarely lies to the American people."
I moved to Chicago in 1981 and have been writing about local politics ever since. I started freelancing for the Reader in the early 1980s and became a full-time staff writer in 1990. Since 2003, I've zeroed in on larger citywide matters, with a special interest in exposing municipal financing scams, most notably Tax Increment Financing and the the city's proposal to bring the Olympics to Chicago. I've also written dozens of profiles and features, including my year with the Roosevelt High School boys basketball team, which was included in the Best American Sports Writing Anthology. Over the last few years, Mick Dumke and I have collaborated on investigations exposing everything from the parking-meter-sale ripoff to our costly and unfairly enforced marijuana laws. I've written five books, including Hoop Dreams and The Greens, which I co-wrote with Rick Stone. I've won many journalism prizes, including the 2010 Chicago Journalist of the Year Award from the Chicago Journalists Association and the 2010 Illinois Journalist of the Year Award from Northern Illinois University. Last but not least, I also write for The Third City, a daily humor blog that "rarely lies to the American people."
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Sep 9, 2004
-
Rod Gives 'Em the Shaft, Part II
Another old pal of the governor is denied a job merely because he's a felon.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Sep 2, 2004
-
Go Home and Play!
The neighborhood parks have never looked better, but we're paying for it in staff and program cuts.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Aug 26, 2004
-
The Price of Milk in East Village
Alderman Manny Flores is on the hot seat again, this time over a giant Dominick's that would replace Edmar Foods.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Aug 12, 2004
-
Don't Ask, Wont Tell; Union Park Gets Its Weight Room
The Park District was only tring to clean up a toxic playlot, but bad communication poisoned relations with the neighbors.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Aug 5, 2004
-
How to Kill an Ordinance, One Vote at a Time; There's Mold in Them Thar Walls
Activists are pressuring the City Council to set aside housing for the poor. But aldermen take their orders from a higher authority.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Jul 29, 2004
-
Let Them Lift Cake
The Park District can't afford $800 worth of equipment to keep a west-side weight room open? That's less than the price of a plate at last week's Millennium Park fund-raiser.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Jul 22, 2004
-
There Goes Another School
Daley says he wants more of them--so why's the city tearing this one down?
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Jul 15, 2004
-
Public Promises, Private Cuts
While Mayor Daley trumpets this year's school fixes, he's quietly undoing last year's.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Jul 8, 2004
-
Think You're Safe From the Boot? Think Again.; Suckered on the South Side
You may still be boot eligible even if you no longer have three unpaid parking tickets.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Jul 1, 2004
-
Maxwell Street, the Musical; So Long, Sweet Caroline
The neoghborhood's gone, but a multimedia cottage industry has grown up to ensure it won't be forgotten.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Jun 24, 2004
-
The Wrong Kind of Activist; Blago Blows It
Why the city didn't want the wiseacres of Break the Gridlock at its pro-bike rally.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Jun 17, 2004
-
School's Out Forever
Certain poor black schools are sitting on some mighty promising real estate. How convenient that enrollment's down too.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Jun 10, 2004
-
Try City Hall, Sherlock
The sheriff's guys can't track down an alderman?
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Jun 3, 2004
-
When Aldermen Attack
Without Daley telling them how to vote on the Wal-Mart issue, the aldermen began to turn on each other.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, May 20, 2004
-
Stone Rocks the Boat; Somebody's Gonna Be Mad
A Daley stalwart rebels. Could it be the influence of his son the talk-show host?
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Apr 22, 2004
-
Whole Lot of Nothing
This sunken eyesore is hard to miss--unless, apparently, you're an alderman who could do something about it.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Apr 15, 2004
-
Fighting Chances
Andra Medea wrote the book on how to deal with bullies.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Apr 1, 2004
-
Gas Attack
Citizens Utility Board researcher David Kolata dug through thousands of dull documents to find what may be explosive evidence of wrongdoing at Peoples Energy.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Mar 25, 2004
-
Shot in the Dark
It's been nearly a year since Barry Cunnane was inexplicably gunned down, but his friends haven't given up on finding the killer.
- News & Features, Neighborhood News, Feb 26, 2004
-
Orange Alert
Orange designation doesn't protect historical buildings after all--not when Burton Natarus and the Plan Commission approve demolition.
FEATURED CLASSIFIED
