J.R. Jones
Bio:
I'm the film editor for the Reader, where my writing on the arts has appeared regularly since 1996. My story "Prove It All Night" was anthologized in Da Capo Best Music Writing 2000, and my film reviews have twice been honored in the annual awards of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. Over the years I've also contributed to the Kenyon Review, New York Press, East Bay Express, and ABCNews.com. When I think about all the stuff I’ve published in the Reader, my head hurts, but a few pieces stand out: “The Actor’s Letter,” about the Chicago years of film noir icon Robert Ryan; “Out of the Wreckage,” a personal reminiscence of novelist Richard Yates; “The Pope Who Found Jesus,” about the spiritual awakening of punk-pop musician Josh Caterer; “Ska’s Lost Cause,” which looks at the racial history of Chicago ska; and “Friends of Bill,” about my visit with William S. Burroughs.
I'm the film editor for the Reader, where my writing on the arts has appeared regularly since 1996. My story "Prove It All Night" was anthologized in Da Capo Best Music Writing 2000, and my film reviews have twice been honored in the annual awards of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. Over the years I've also contributed to the Kenyon Review, New York Press, East Bay Express, and ABCNews.com. When I think about all the stuff I’ve published in the Reader, my head hurts, but a few pieces stand out: “The Actor’s Letter,” about the Chicago years of film noir icon Robert Ryan; “Out of the Wreckage,” a personal reminiscence of novelist Richard Yates; “The Pope Who Found Jesus,” about the spiritual awakening of punk-pop musician Josh Caterer; “Ska’s Lost Cause,” which looks at the racial history of Chicago ska; and “Friends of Bill,” about my visit with William S. Burroughs.
- News & Features, Feature, Oct 6, 2011
-
-
Our guide to the 2011 Chicago International Film Festival
Escape the ubiquity of American movies with 150 features from nearly every corner of the world
- News & Features, Feature, Dec 20, 2010
-
-
Good Prose From the Past
An introduction to the wild literary ride of Clifford J. Doerksen.
- News & Features, Feature, Oct 29, 2009
-
-
The Actor's Letter
A reminiscence from film noir icon Robert Ryan, newly unearthed by his daughter, sheds light on his Chicago childhood—and his family's connection to a tragic chapter in the city's history.
- Movies, Movie Feature, Oct 8, 2009
-
-
The Reader's Guide to the 45th Chicago International Film Festival: Week One
Selected films making their Chicago premieres at the festival through Thursday, October 15
- News & Features, Feature, Jan 6, 2005
-
Our Lists, Ourselves
The ubiquity of Sideways on year-end lists says more about critics than about the movie--and so does the backlash against it.
- News & Features, Feature, Jan 1, 2004
-
The View From Across the Aisle
Another Top Ten
- News & Features, Feature, May 11, 2000
-
The Pope Who Found Jesus
After chasing stardom with his band, the smoking popes, Josh Caterer traded life in the spotlight for a spot in the choir.
- News & Features, Feature, Dec 9, 1999
-
Mix Master
Recording engineer Jim Reeves manned the sound board for some of the biggest stars of the rock era, but he's finally found his own balance working out of his Evanston studio.
- News & Features, Feature, Apr 29, 1999
-
Prove It All Night
It's late, the bar's deserted, and they've played this song a million times before. When fame and fortune are out of the question, what keeps a band onstage?
- News & Features, Feature, Jul 23, 1998
-
Ska's Lost Cause
What do Jamaica's "freedom sound" and Chicago's third-wave ska scene have in common? Not much.
- News & Features, Feature, May 15, 1997
-
Salvage Love
Is Stuart Grannen a preservationist or just a ruthless scavenger?
FEATURED CLASSIFIED
