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Good news for a change. Alternative weekly Chicago Reader published a print-only story today about a fascinating Northwestern University history student named Conor O'Neil who is using formidable family financial resources to produce his own first-class speaker series with featured appearances by:

• author and New Republic senior editor John Judis (last week),
• former 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman (April 3),
• copyright expert Larry Lessig (April 24), and
• Rise of the Creative Class author Richard Florida (May 15).

According to Deanna Isaacs of the Reader, "Every lecture will be recorded on DVD and made available without cost to public libraries in Evanston and Chicago and to anyone else who asks for them.... He wants the organization, which is also screening documentary films (schedule at www.cliosociety.com), to be thought of as an 'open mike' and invites program suggestions. The group is applying for nonprofit status, after which O'Neil says foundation money should start coming in. In any case, he says, he'll keep it going: these thinkers and writers 'are my heroes.'"

Talk about using your powers for good and not evil. Add yourself to my list of heroes, Conor.

{ 3:38 PM }

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