Illinois Public Media

Arts and Culture

A picture of 21st Host Brian Mackey talking to Maggie Hennessy and a photo of her book “The Burger Bible: The Complete Lowdown on the Humble Hamburger.”

A look at America’s most iconic sandwich through a Midwestern lens

 Watch (and listen to) this special episode of The 21st Show in video podcast format. Learn how Illinois and the greater Midwest helped shape America’s favorite hand-held food, the hamburger. Featured guest Maggie Hennessy is a food and drink writer for WBEZ and author of “The Burger Bible: The Complete Lowdown on the Humble Hamburger.”
IPM Newsroom
Black Music Month performance by Certified Organic, June 4, 2026 at the Gallery Art Bar starting at 7:30pm.
Illinois Classical
Illinois Classical 90.9

Your home for Classical and more in Central Illinois.
Prairie Performances
Erik Satie in a parlor room with Claude Debussy

The Precursor: Life and Works of Erik Satie
Iconoclast, humorist, gymnopédiste.
Dialogue
ochestra conductor, man looking at camera

Direct from Champaign: A Hamilton star and a Student Virtuoso talk about raising the bar
Our Dialogue for Teens hosts learn about a ‘Hamilton’ star who rose from Champaign to Broadway and an emerging talent from Centennial High School.
The 21st Show

Why are digital books causing a financial headache for Illinois libraries?
Libraries have to pay more for eBooks that can expire after just a few dozen checkouts. We’ll talk about an effort to change that in Illinois.
The 21st Show
Dr. John Pandolfino (left) is the Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Director at Northwestern Medicine Digestive Health Institute. He is working on developing unique AI technology that can help doctors test complex treatments before actually being administered to patients.

Northwestern Medicine using cutting-edge AI technology that could be game changer for certain surgeries
What if doctors were able to test their treatment plans on a version of their patient before actually trying it on their body? 
The 21st Show
Among the Midwest writers profiled in

New book gives ‘literary tour of the Midwest’, highlighting writers from America’s Heartland
How has being from the Midwest influenced some of our best writers? A collection of short essays seeks to answer this question.
Prairie Fire

Prairie Fire: Season 3 - Episode 6 - March 2026
We introduce you to the art of Brian Dettmer, get a special performance from hip-hop duo Mother Nature, and visit with quilter Millie Sorrells, who shows us creativity has no…
News Local/State

Behind The Mic: News & Public Affairs Reginald Hardwick loves meeting new people through journalism
After two decades as a television producer in Denver and Dallas-Fort Worth, IPM News Director Reginald Hardwick switched to public media ten years ago. 
State of Change

Small gestures to make a big difference in preserving our planet
We visit a zero-waste general store, a garden bringing a community together in a Chicago food desert, a program protecting pollinators, and advice to increase sustainability…