Off the Grid

01/24/12

Betwixt and Between: Middle-Class Women Living with HIV/AIDS

Since middle-class women with HIV/AIDS likely possess more financial resources to address their diagnosis, we assume that they experience few negative economic and social outcomes of the disease. But Celeste Watkins-Hayes writes that they, too, experience isolation and economic vulnerability...

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12/21/11

Brian Babylon and Comedy as a Social Science

Comedians, like social scientists, are students of human behavior, says Celeste Watkins-Hayes in her conversation with the comic, radio host, and regular on NPR's "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!"

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12/14/11

Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Post-Racial America

The Spelman alumna and our current writer-in-residence discusses the role of schools like Morehouse College and Howard University in today's society—and encourages Chicago-area students to apply to HBCUs.

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12/02/11

HIV/AIDS and the 99 Percent

Celeste Watkins-Hayes explains how the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the Occupy movement gripping the nation—and world—are two sides of the same coin.

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11/28/11

Q&A with Celeste Watkins-Hayes, Our Next 'Off the Grid' Writer-in-Residence

The Northwestern sociology professor's thoughts on inequality, HIV/AIDS research, writing, and more

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10/20/11

Tony Fitzpatrick, Artist

Dmitry Samarov on the gregarious artist he picked up in his cab four years ago: "Life around Tony was rarely dull.... I've never known anyone better suited to being the center of attention."

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10/12/11

Bill Savage, Writer and Editor

Dmitry Samarov met his future editor when the Northwestern prof bought one of the artist's paintings in 2001. Here, more on Savage, an avid cyclist and scholar of Chicago history

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10/05/11

Nick Digilio, Radio Man

Dmitry Samarov on his unlikely friendship with the WGN radio host

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09/27/11

Noah Vaughn, Photographer

Dmitry Samarov introduces us to photographer Noah Vaughn, whom the writer met 20 years ago at the School of the Art Institute. Vaughn, writes Samarov, "documents the crumbling, abandoned parts of the city without making a fetish of them. And that is no small feat."

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09/20/11

Q&A with Dmitry Samarov: Artist, Cabbie, Author, and Our Newest Writer-in-Residence

In advance of his first post for Off the Grid, we called up the Moscow-born School of the Art Institute grad for a getting-acquainted chat.

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