Photo: Lex Gillespie

(A series produced for WBEZ's Chicago Matters program)

Intro by Jay Allison
WBEZ in Chicago has, for years, produced a series called Chicago Matters. It's local, but it's emphatically of "national caliber," drawing on the best writers and producers in that town and bringing in the best from around the country. The series has spawned some of the finest documentary work done anywhere. But it's local.

Listen to this sampling of local pieces from WBEZ's series on housing -- presented here for an international audience. They come from the acclaimed writer Alex Kotlowitz and are produced by Amy Dorn. Join the discussion about this work and the meaning of localness in radio.

One of Milton Reed's wall murals. You can see more at the Inside Housing Website. Patricia Evans

The Stories

Milton Reed: Panthers and Palm Trees
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A mural painter enlivens the walls of Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes. He finds himself not only decorating interiors, but painting portraits of the residents' intimate relationships and drawing the details of their imaginations.

Patsy Evans: Healing
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A middle-aged woman is assaulted while jogging along Chicago's lakeshore. In the months following the attack, she doesn't leave her home, her singular place of security. By retreating into the safety of the inside, she recreates a space where she can heal.

Notes from the Creators

From Alex Kotlowitz
Radio's like my second home. I neglect it for long stretches, and then find my way back there. It's a welcome break from writing. Last winter, WBEZ, the local public radio station in Chicago, asked if I'd be interested in producing 12 essays for a series they were doing on housing. I told them I'd do it if I didn't have to deal with any housing issues, if I could just find ways to talk about home from the perspective of personal stories.

Because I didn't want to do any narration (remember this is a break from writing), I had to think lots - before and during the interviews - about getting folks to tell their story with some cohesion, and from someone who lives a messy, incoherent life at times, that wasn't always easy. Anyway, enjoy.

From Amy Dorn
Radio just may be my long-sought after home, after several sojourns in other areas.

Producing these "stories of home" presented many challenges: finding the essential story within the many narrative threads given by someone trying to explain their experience; editing for clarity and consistency and yet remaining honest to the conflicted, often unclear emotions of those sharing their stories; and wondering, really struggling, actually: would the addition of elements such as music or ambient sound distract and detract from the bare elegance of an individual voice, or would these elements help create a more clear, listen-able and unified story? Our solutions are here for you to sample. Enjoy.

About the Creators

Alex Kotlowitz
Alex Kotlowitz is the author of "There Are No Children Here" and "The Other Side of The River." He's at work on his third book. He has written for the The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine, and contributed to This American Life.

Amy Dorn
Amy is currently associate producer of Chicago Public Radio's annual public information series, "Chicago Matters". Prior to working in public radio, Amy researched documentary film productions, edited commerical video, conducted ethnographic research, and served as a women's health educator and midwife's assistant.

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