by Vida Kuang

At the Weekly, we try our hardest to chronicle the many narratives unfolding on the South Side. This week, we’re turning the work over to others.

Welcome to the interview issue.

Inside this issue you’ll find eleven South Siders talking about what they do, what they see, and what they think. Some of our subjects were born here and left, while others came here from somewhere else. But they all reveal something about our half of the city. These are artists—those who work with drawings, words, hair. These are people with big thoughts about Chicago, its squalor and its beauty. These are people who have a good tale or two to tell. We’re going to let them speak, with as little interruption as possible.

We all know our own home. But we rarely get a chance to know the homes of others. Whose home is the South Side? We’re not saying these are the most important voices. We’re not here to make that call.

The interviews.