Mathematics. Athletics. Mythology. Government. Art. Forget good old-fashioned American ingenuity. Many of the things we hold dear can actually be traced back to ancient Greece. And a new exhibit at the revamped National Hellenic Museum gives families a glimpse at what life was like back when the Parthenon was considered cutting-edge design.

When it comes to beloved bedtime stories, few can claim affection like Margaret Wise Brown's classic, Goodnight Moon. But fans of the 60-year-old story may be surprised to learn that the tale has been translated to the stage at Chicago Children's Theatre.

Michael Glover Smith is lucky. And he's the first to admit it. The Chicago-based independent filmmaker and film educator has had a string of successes since graduating from Columbia College and Humboldt State University’s film departments.

It's evident there's a certain expectation when one sees award-winning author, playwright and humorist David Sedaris' name on a book. Readers associate his name with the hysterical observations of a hopelessly obsessive, painfully endearing neurotic. In the context of Western literature as a whole, David's work could be filed under the equivalent of comfort food. People are drawn to his work because he consistently delivers the goods.

The exhibition spaces that line the east side of the Chicago Cultural Center’s first floor are amongst the city's hidden gems. The programming installed in the three interconnected galleries is always inventive and surprisingly challenging - let's hope that Mayor Emanuel's proposed budget cuts and ongoing restructuring that has decimated the Center’s programming staff don't affect the displays.

First there was Soup & Bread, the event. It started as a way for a bored bartender to lure people out for her Wednesday night shift at the Hideout during the winter. That bartender happened to be Martha Bayne, a food journalist who did a long stint as an editor at Chicago Reader.

Halloween owns cinema. Sure, Christmas has its saccharine family classics; Easter, its passion plays (which occasionally tiptoe into horror territory, thanks to Mr. Mel Gibson); the Fourth of July, its patriotic tomes, and so on, but no other holiday is as closely associated with the movies as Halloween. Cinema has shaped its very identity.

I'm no chocoholic, but the Field Museum's "Chocolate Around the World" exhibit is inspiring. As in, despite the Indian summer Chicago has been graced with, it inspired me to go straight home after my visit and make a huge mug of hot chocolate. Back at the museum for the first time since 2002, Chocolate Around the World is engaging from the start.

Ah, fall - when the leaves turn autumn shades, the wind gains a slight nip, sweaters are removed from summer hiding places, and a touch of Hollywood and world cinema glamour hits Chicago shores when the Chicago International Film Festival sprouts back to life.

I wish that I didn't have to be a critic sometimes. Don't get me wrong: I’m not sick of the work. I get no greater pleasure than heading to the theater, soaking in the results of months of collaboration, letting the experience percolate and then transforming rambling thoughts into coherent - occasionally incoherent - criticisms during coffee-fueled writing explosions.