about jim

Jim Laczkowski is a Chicago-based librarian, writer, musician and podcaster. He is the founder of the Now Playing Network and programs music and film-related events for the Chicago Public Library. He is a writer and member of The Chicago Film Critics Association and helps maintain the Chicago Critics Film Festival website. Since he was a teenager, he has also recorded and produced a number of records of his own, in addition to teaching music in a variety of settings. He has appeared on a number of AM talk radio shows, pop culture podcasts and contributed to several blogs and publications to talk about his love of both film and music.

Jim is currently in production on a mental health documentary about how the arts prevented him from taking his own life. One of the more successful endeavors would be the Director’s Club Substack which currently has over 250 paid readers and over 700 free readers that actively engage with his work. In addition, there are over 25,000 subscribers to the podcast of the same name, available through all streaming platforms. More of his video work can be found archived over on Vimeo.