Features

Dear Ann, by Carol Felsenthal
An energetic self-promotor, Eppie Lederer was a natural as the wise and wisecracking Ann Landers, advice maven to millions. But her own family problems were harder to solve.

Jamie Dimon Pulls a Bank Job, by Scott McMurray
Bold and no-nonsense, Jamie Dimon has received the biggest bank headquartered in Chicago, bolstering the city’s place as a global financial center.

Their Favorite Things, by Jeff Ruby
From mannequins to microphones-to samples of sand from around the globe-people will collect almost anything with obsessive devotion. Eight locals show what they’ve hunted and gathered.

The Line King, by David Zivan
When Ruth Lilly gave $100 million to the respected but impoverished Poetry, its long-toiling editor, Joseph Parisi, had his own ideas for how to use the windfall. But even $100 million can’t buy better poetry.

Never Too Late to Learn, by Jonathan Black
Your brain doesn’t have to stop once you are out of school. Here, seasoned teachers explain how to pick up ten skills, from speaking French to dancing salsa.

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Contributors

Frontlines
A rock diva to watch; crime on February 14th; a book on a Chicago serial killer; more

Style Sheet, by Stacy Wallace-Albert
The bloom is on in a tongue-in-chic dress at the new Louis Vuitton-and more.

Arts Beat
Lyric Opera unmasks a new production; Frank Ferko’s moving Stabat Mater gets the Bella Voce treatment; ArchiTech’s latest exhibition extols the genius of Daniel Burnham; artsy settings for tying the knot

Real Lives | Chicago’s Worst Fire, by Marcia Froelke Coburn
This month, two new books will commemorate the centennial of the horrific fire at the Iroquois Theatre, a tragedy that killed more than 600. It was a disaster that never should have happened.

Dining Out | Asia Major, by Dennis Ray Wheaton
If you have been faking your competency with chopsticks for all these years, the jig is up: Forks are out; Asian is in.

Business | The Baird Necessities, by Dennis Rodkin
Over the past 100-plus years, Baird & Warner has regularly reinvented itself-and Stephen Baird, the real estate firm’s latest president, follows that tradition.

Deal Estate, by Dennis Rodkin
A chic chicken shack in Lake Forest, a flurry of sales along Winnetka’s exlusive Woodley Road, condos for the Ambassador West and more

Nightspotting, by Sarah Preston
New spots that are hot: the loft like Fulton Lounge, and The Apartment, whose name offers its own fitting description

The Closer, by Jeff Ruby
Flowers once were a safe bet for a Valentine’s Day gift. But blossoms carry a message-and pity the suitor who does not speak the language of love.