Phone Messages

The Canon Canonet was an affordable 35 mm rangefinder camera first released in 1961. The Canonet G-III, released in 1972, sold over a million copies before being discontinued in 1982 and was used by the title character in the 1998 film Pecker.

When we remember the past, sometimes we must confront behaviors that now make us cringe.

The Young Dogs, a poetry club that performed at the University of Chicago Reynold's Club Theater, welcomed odd musical groups, some of which later ended up on the stage of the Knitting Factory.

Sometimes the least common denominator between the corners of your mouth is a piece of chewing gum in the snow.

The Chicago Maroon could consume the life of a college student, but it could also launch a career.

The dictation machine can be traced back to Edison and Bell's inventions in the 1870s and 1880s. In the 20th century, the Dictaphone and IBM improved upon the technology.

Herbert George is an exceptional sculptor, and as a teacher. he inspired many students at the University of Chicago.

Chicago winters were notorious. Below zero windchills could easily overcome the weak radiator heat of a studio apartment.

When does a juvenile prank cross the line to cruelty? And can one make amends for past acts that crossed the line?

Before Caller ID, the answering machine was used to identify who was calling before picking up.

In the late eighties, publishing a college literary journal could be filled with late night stress.

Feeling bad is a relative thing, and according to Daniel Johnston, a better life brings better orgasms.

Daniel Johnston was a musician and visual artist who embodied the eccentric spirit of 1980s Austin.

In 1989 Richard Linklater filmed a love letter to the city of Austin and redefined the concept of Slacker.

John Moschitta Jr. became famous for talking fast in a 1982 Federal Express commercial. His skill proved hard to imitate.

In Chicago, if you want to have a jam band in your apartment, it's helpful to have neighbors who are doing equally loud things.

Madison Wisconsin in the 1980s was a great place for campus activism, but personal experiences around this activism were often complicated.

Bob Marley died in 1981, Peter Tosh in 1987, but their spirits remain strong, especially in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Flatbush.

In fall of 1988 I went to visit my grandmother in Lakeland Florida. She was born not just before answering machines but also before the technology of automatic switchboards were widespread.

What happens when some Chicago kids confront a novel technology? The answering machine was invented in the 1940s but was still uncommon in 1980s homes.

Emile was my college dorm neighbor and a decent musician. He also inspired a song by Chris Pearson.

My pet rat Albert died in fall of 1988. He was buried in an empty lot behind Bret Harte Elementary School.

In the 1990s, Chicago became the center of a so called "post-rock" scene. Did my record collection, passed on to James Warden, play a role in this?

Brian Omelia hails from the Quad Cities, where my father's parents also have roots, specifically in Davenport's Germantown.

Madison Wisconsin, known for its hippie lifestyle and radical politics, also had great dance clubs.