“Oh and One” by Joseph Hirsch

POETRY: “Unburdened of victory, and with it, expectation….”

“Headline: City Mourns Slain Pol, Chicago Style” by David Hagerty

FICTION: “Compared to a generation ago, when bootleggers and gangsters controlled this city, it’s uncommon for an alderman to die violently now, and many people still looked shocked….”

“Race, Corruption, and Cover-ups: Aaron Clark on Under Color of Law” by Johnnie Hobbs III

INTERVIEW: “I wanted to explore themes of social justice, police abuses, race and identity, and the impacts of trauma. In many ways, Under Color of Law is a character study….”

“The Prodigy” by Jim Towns

POETRY: “The burned shell / of the house / sat empty for years….”

“Graham Moore’s Unified and Inventive The Outfit” by Ken Hall

REVIEW: “The intricately plotted tale of betrayals, informants, and outbreaks of violence is presented in a format familiar to classical theatre but not as common in contemporary filmmaking. The scope of the onscreen narrative is restricted to the tailor shop, the time span is very limited, and the action of the film, while complex, focuses on the importance of some elusive evidence of a ‘rat’ in the Boyle gang.”

“Le Roi de la Porno” by Charles Rammelkamp

POETRY: “No doubt about it, a real moneymaker…. Of course it was going to burn.”

“’It was raining, but it wouldn’t last’: An Interview with James Kestrel on Five Decembers” by Theresa Rodewald

INTERVIEW: “Noir to me is stylistically very interesting because you have this opportunity to explore very intense emotions and situations but to make it in such a stylized fashion, that is still beautiful. That’s what I’m always striving for….”

“Eight O’Clock Sharp” by James McCrone

FICTION: “What had been a general resentment of the halfway house and its rules was now a searing hatred….”

Corporate Gangsters, Rogue Cops, and Big Heists: on Gangster Noir (Preview)

INTERVIEW: “I realized that ’50s noirs were both more numerous and richer than I had originally imagined…and addressed other subgenres that I felt were essential to understanding midcentury American noir….”

“Swamp Witch Blues” by Jason M. Tucker

FICTION: “Heavy, mud-scented air wafted in from the swamp and was warm enough to build up a sweat just sitting. It made everything a bit more miserable.”