Culture | Dec. 2025
NEWSWORTHY: DECEMBER 2025
By Dustin O’Regan
John Abendshien on the steps of the Home Alone house
HOME BUT ALONE NO MORE
In this captivating account, author John Abendshien tells the story of how he and his family resided in what became one of American cinema’s most iconic houses during the filming of the classic Christmas movie Home Alone. Abendshien takes readers into all the backstories—how the location was chosen, what it was like when a Hollywood production invaded his home, how certain scenes were filmed, and how some of those crazy stunts didn’t always go as planned. Abendshien thought once filming ended, life would go back to normal, but then the movie exploded into a global phenomenon. Suddenly, his home became a magnet for tourists, sightseers, fans—and it never stopped. Abendshien describes his personal journey through this experience and how, in the end, the Home Alone home wasn’t just his house anymore—it was everyone’s home. And when you’re part of something this big, you’re never really “home alone.” For more information, visit homebutalonenomore.com.
A STATESIDE DEBUT
Lake Forest’s The Gallery exhibits renowned German artist Daniela Polz in ELEMENTS, on display through January 2026. Trained in ceramics in Germany and the United Kingdom, Polz combines traditional craftsmanship with an exploratory approach to materials such as textiles and paintings and has participated in numerous exhibitions, residencies and symposia across Europe. The Gallery is thrilled to host the artist’s U.S. debut featuring a collection of paintings that uniquely combine printmaking, acrylic, and mixed media. daniela-polz.de, thegallerylf.com.
BILL KURTIS: A FRONT-ROW SEAT TO HISTORY
Starting with his coverage of the largest tornado in Kansas history, legendary correspondent, anchorman, and producer Bill Kurtis details his whirlwind career reporting American history as it unfolded—from the Chicago Seven to Charles Manson to Agent Orange—in his new memoir, Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News. A fast-paced, entertaining, and inspiring story, his journey reveals the potent mix of talent and luck in the network era of television. From his beginnings as a kid from Kansas working in local radio and TV to pay for college and law school, Kurtis had a hunger for storytelling and truth. His riveting coverage of the 1966 Topeka Tornado launched him into broadcast journalism, and within four years, he had reported on four of the century’s biggest trials. As a correspondent for Cronkite’s CBS Evening News, anchorman at Chicago’s revolutionary WBBM-TV, and co-anchor with Dianne Sawyer, Kurtis brought history to viewers in real time, recalling iconic moments of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s with honesty and insight. Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News is available at Lake Forest Book Store, lakeforestbookstore.com.
