Toni Nealie

My grandfather’s bedroom on Paul Street was the most private place I’ve ever known. His was the only room with a door; it had a chain lock on the inside, so he could crack the door without ever unlatching it and look through like a fugitive hiding out in a shoddy motel. Smoke always poured out into my lungs, burning my eyes, shrouding the silhouette of my grandmother, or mother—women he’d reduced to unrecognizable husks—lying wounded and musty in the fog.

avery r. young, Tara Betts and Nell Taylor/Photo: Monica Kass Rogers Chicago may be called the Second City, but it is second to none when it comes to vibrancy and collegiality in the literary community. We celebrate the power behind the scenes—influencers, publishers, booksellers, curators, educators, associations, museums, organizers and activists who are primarily engaged with words.

Jerry Brennan/Photo: Monica Kass Rogers 40 Jerry Brennan Founder, Tortoise Books “A highlight has been getting a few manuscripts that were so enjoyable that they made me forget about all the traditionally published books and neglected classics in my to-read pile,” says Jerry Brennan of Tortoise Books. The press has published short-story collections such as Christine Sneed’s award-winning “The Virginity of Famous Men” and “Adult Teeth” by Jeremy T.