About Merge & Slowdown

Located on the left-hand column on the front page, Merge is the general interest and current events section of Gapers Block. In it, you'll find everything from the latest news to notable events to interesting blog posts to random found items from the web —- the only requirement is that it have a Chicago connection. If you see something, please share it; we're always working to keep it fresh, and appreciate your help. Slowdown is Gapers Block's events calendar, found in the center column of the front page. Our calendar features events carefully selected by the entire Gapers Block staff; if it's interesting to one of us, we bet it'll be interesting to one of you.

The same is also true: if you think it's cool, one of us might think so too. We want to know what's going on, and while we try to be all-seeing and all-powerful, sometimes you'll know something going on we don't. Band playing a show? Zine festival? Neighborhood petting zoo opening? Send us your exciting happenings. Events submitted to Slowdown must take place in Chicago or the surrounding metropolitan area (though in rare cases we'll consider most of Illinois and possibly neighboring states if it's interesting and relevant), but beyond that, if you think others should know, send it our way. Please see our submissions page for further details on how to submit an event for our consideration.

Editors

Andrew Huff, Editor & Publisher
Andrew thinks Chicagoland is the best amusement park ever. A lifelong night owl, he works deep into the night at his West Ridge two-flat, writing and editing and playing with the cats. He spends more time online than probably is healthy; follow along at me3dia.com. Email him at ah@gapersblock.com.

David Schalliol, Managing Editor
A graduate student in sociology at the University of Chicago, David is involved in far too many non-academic projects for his own good. You can check out some of his diversions at his personal website, metroblossom, and that flickr place. He has South Side pride. Email him at dcs@gapersblock.com

Rose Lannin, Calendar Editor - Slowdown & Literary Editor - Book Club
Rose came to Chicago by way of San Francisco and St. Paul, pursued higher education, and has been here ever since. Dull is how she rolls in her work life, but when not cheerfully steeped in routine she inhabits a colorful world of comic books, crafting, and saying she'll finally update an often-neglected blog. Email her at rl@gapersblock.com.

Staff

Jim Allenspach, MVP — Most Valuable Poster
A former spelling bee champ (Von Steuben Grade School, Peoria, IL), Jim wants you to know that "crepuscular" and "vespertine" are synonyms. He also has a Website.

Vince Jose Cancasci
Vince currently lives in Avondale and works in graphic design. He squeezes watching movies, listening to music and playing with gadgets into every wedge of free time not spent enjoying the company of family and friends.

Jasmine Davila
Jasmine Davila thinks of herself a New Yorker even though she's lived in Chicago for the last 14 years. Read about her internal struggle at flipfront.wordpress.com.

Katie Donbavand
Katie is a recent Boston import and a Scorsese movie buff. By day she's a mild-mannered publishing drone, but her secret identity is a blog-writing fashionista. She loves winning at Texas Hold'em, thrift store hunting, Frank Miller, and Chuck Palahniuk.

Kara Elliott-Ortega
Kara is a student at the University of Chicago studying cultural production and American cities. When not pummeled by academia, she enjoys art, rocking out, and rabble rousing.

Antonio Garcia
Raised in Chicago's Northwest suburbs, Antonio now lives and works in Humboldt Park. He collects vinyl toys, Puma sneakers and rare international grooves from the '60s and '70s. He's a graphic designer by education and b-boy for life. He never gets sick of Chicago's skyline and falls madly in love with the city just about every other week. He hates sports but will whoop your ass at Tetris.

Dan Kelly
Dan Kelly lives on the northwest side with his wife, son, and three graceless cats. He's written for the Reader and the Baffler and can usually be found gibbering about subjects like architecture, politics, film, comics, and Lisa Loeb on his blog.

Tim Rolph
Tim Rolph grew up next door to O'Hare and let The Music Box convince him Chicago was worth moving to. A recent film school grad, he spends his afternoons editing documentaries and his nights hunting down large portions of Mexican food, which can be great without being good.

Christian Scheuer
Christian, an artist, photographer and builder of things, works for a small gourmet bakery in Evanston, bringing sweet goodies to the masses in various coffee shops in and around Chicago. In his downtime, he makes "stuff for people who like stuff" and keeps a blog about his varied interests in design and things with wheels.

Micah Uetricht
Micah is, like so many Chicagoans, a Michigan transplant who's got pride for his home state but never intends on moving back. He can frequently be found on his bicycle to or from Rogers Park and taking dips in the lake when it isn't prudent. He is an occasional contributor to the Chicago-based progressive magazine In These Times. E-mail him at micah.uetricht [at] gmail [dot] com.

Erin Watson
Erin is delighted by Chicago, though she occasionally pines for the temperate weather and tasty barbecue of her past life in North Carolina. When not bicycling, reading, photographing, making things, or rocking out, she occasionally writes at torridly.org.