Ryan Smith
Chicago Reader
Chicago, IL, United States
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Past articles by Ryan:
The Jason Van Dyke case showed the danger of being ruled by fear
The murder of LaQuan McDonald isn’t a just a story about one man’s exaggerated fear. It shines a light on the fear that drives much of Chicago's and America's politics and criminal justice. → Read More
An ESPN podcast documentary gets a first-of-its-kind premiere party in Chicago
An ESPN audio documentary about former MLB star Jose Canseco will make its world premiere in front of a live audience in Chicago. → Read More
In praise of autumn, time for guilt-free staying in
Sometimes Chicago summers can feel like New Year's Eve stretched out for four months. → Read More
America, start bowling again
Fall is all about those spares, splits, and strikes. → Read More
Deadpool jumps from the silver screen to the silver ball thanks to Stern Pinball
Logan Arcade is throwing a launch party for Stern Pinball's latest—an adaptation of the Marvel comic book Deadpool. → Read More
Will Elon Musk's bullet train to O'Hare go up in smoke?
The Tesla and Space X CEO's bizarre, pot smoke-filled performance on Joe Rogan's podcast casts doubt on his O'Hare bullet train project. → Read More
The end of Rahm Emanuel’s rule means that the center may no longer hold in Chicago
Our mayor is on the ropes, and with him the centrist brand of politics aggressively practiced by Emanuel over the last 25 years. → Read More
Josh Tsui, Chicago video-game vet turned documentarian, gets his due with a ceremony and award this Saturday
After a quarter century working in Chicago's up-and-down video game industry, Josh Tsui is getting a lifetime achievement award this weekend. → Read More
Rapper Vic Mensa: Chicago’s newest Black Panther?
At this past weekend's "anti-bait-truck" shoe giveaway, the 25-year-old rapper declared himself a revolutionary. → Read More
How the 1968 DNC protests in Chicago ‘killed’ protest folk singer Phil Ochs
Fifty years ago, Phil Ochs performed at the bloody and chaotic protests in Lincoln Park and left a changed and broken man. → Read More
The owners of the Pierogi Wagon are selling their food truck business—on Craigslist
Got $25,000? You can buy the Pierogi Wagon food truck and everything else—including special recipes and training in making pierogi. → Read More
In Stephen Markley's debut novel, Ohio is more than just a political football
A Q&A with writer Stephen Markley, whose first novel, Ohio, debuts this week. → Read More
Urban Renewal Brewing’s cofounder says the controversial name ‘has nothing to do with urban redevelopment’ policies
"It has nothing to with urban redevelopment, necessarily. Hopefully, people can see the bright side of what we're trying to do, and not harp on the past." → Read More
Test Drive: Lime's electric scooters are fun and easy, but are they practical for Chicago commutes?
Short answer: not really. → Read More
Everyone's a sucker at a new kind of traveling circus—the Instagram trap
At Happy Place, 29 Rooms, and a new wave of pop-up museums you can pay $30+ for great Instagrams—and not much else. → Read More
Chicago’s first-ever cat convention was like catnip to fans of felines
Cats—especially Instagram-famous felines—reigned supreme at the Meow Meetup cat-con in Rosemont. → Read More
Guess who’s on our cover and win passes to the 2018 Pitchfork Music Festival
Name as many people, places, and musical acts pictured on the cover as you can, and you might win a pair of passes to the Pitchfork Music Festival. → Read More
Not everybody in Chicago is down with OKCupid's new DTF ad campaign
The popular dating site claims that its ads have been banned by the CTA, O'Hare, and the Chicago Park District. → Read More
Boots Riley on the ‘regular’ revolutionary messages of his radical debut film
An interview with the Chicago native, an artist and activist, about the politics of his sci-fi comedy with radical left and anti-capitalist messages. → Read More
Sy Hersh on his rough-and-tumble Chicago past: ‘At some point I realized I was in a tyranny’
An interview with the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who discusses his Chicago origin story and more. → Read More