the meet

Brianna Wellen Culture Editor

Cancers are said to be loyal, intuitive, and caring, and those words describe the Reader’s culture editor Brianna Wellen to a T. The Rockton, Illinois native earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism at Columbia College before she joined the Reader crew in the spring of 2013. “Working at the Reader was always my dream job,” she says. “Just to be able to tell the stories of the people, places, experiences, and more in Chicago that don’t always get the spotlight. I still get to do that every day, and the fact that all my colleagues are weirdos like me makes it that much dreamier.” Along with all those weirdos, Brianna enjoys spending time with her siblings Lily and Lenny Wellen, her roommates Amira Jazeera and Atom Eyezd, and her cats / Reader Zoom-meeting regulars Tofu and Miso. A prolific comedic storyteller, Brianna has co-produced live lit series including Feminist Happy Hour, and she is the ONLY person on the paper’s sta who has starred in not one, but multiple hot dog commercials. Brianna’s list of favorite Chicago places could fill a small phone book of culture, comedy, and nightlife hotspots, with a few beloved dives including Parrots Bar & Grill, Late Bar, and Sidekicks thrown in for good measure. And like all true Chicagoans, she loves the lakefront. “There are truly too many more favorites to mention,” Brianna says. “This city is the best.”

Twitter: @briannawellen | Instagram: @breezamarie

Adam Rhodes Social Justice Reporting Fellow

Adam Rhodes came to the Reader in September 2020 as the paper’s first-ever social justice reporting fellow. The Miami native and graduate of the University of Central Florida in Orlando launched their career in New York, where they worked as a legal journalist, reporting primarily on civil-rights issues, particularly LGBTQ+ issues and racial equity. In 2019, they left the Big Apple for the Windy City, where they earned their Master’s in journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School shortly before starting their fellowship with the paper. “Working at the Reader is a dream job,” Adam says. “I’ve never felt safer and more encouraged to bring my whole self to work, and it means the world to have leadership that supports me 100 percent. And I get to do the work I’ve always dreamed of with the coolest people in the business,” Adam says. As a Pisces and relative newcomer to the city, they enjoy exploring Chicago’s neighborhoods and stumbling upon its diverse local shops and restaurants, and though some of their discovery process has been hampered by the pandemic, they’ve already become a big fan of Lost Lake in Logan Square. Back at home, you can catch Adam spending time with their magnificently snuggly four-year-old beagle, Hibachi.

Social media: @byadamrhodes

As we look forward to our 50th Anniversary on October 1st we celebrate the staff of the Reader who make the paper possible.

Mariah Neuroth Strategic Innovation Director

Mariah Neuroth joined the Reader just before Chicago went into lockdown in March 2020, and she’s since become a central nervous system of innovation across every side of the organization— essentially translating what happens on the page into real-world applications. “The Reader has always been the cultural heartbeat of Chicago and it is a privilege to contribute to the work,” she says. The northern New York native first landed in the midwest as a student at the University of Missouri, and she later earned her Master’s in youth development at the University of Illinois at Chicago. As a Gemini, Mariah is full of good vibes and positive energy, which she brings to her work, as well as her favorite Chicago activities, such as swimming at Promontory Point and checking out live music at the Metro. If you weren’t already convinced that Mariah is a jill-of-all-trades, she’s also a fourth-generation maple sugarer who spends what little free time she has converting a minibus into a tiny home and being an excellent cat mom to Lady Logan (aka Go Go). She also claims she does a “mean goat impression,” and while she hasn’t shown it o at work yet, we trust that it lives up to the hype. Is there anything Mariah can’t do?

Instagram: @Chi_Riah | Facebook: facebook.com/mariah.neuroth

Production manager and resident Pixies enthusiast Kirk Williamson o cially joined the Reader in October 2020 after a stunning nearly two-decade run at the Windy City Times. Born in Gary, Indiana and raised in Wheaton, Illinois, Kirk attended Wheaton Central High School (now Wheaton Warrenville South) before heading o to Beloit College, where he earned his degree in Russian. A Scorpio, Kirk is intelligent, inquisitive, and charismatic, which is probably why he’s got a knack for hosting and emceeing, which he does with aplomb at his weekly Kwizmaster Trivia nights. When he’s out and about, Kirk enjoys spending time at the Rogers Park Social, but he’s equally happy to chill in his living room while watching episodes of a trifecta of classic sitcoms that includes The Golden Girls, The Nanny, and Frasier. Sitcom or otherwise, if there was a TV show about his life, he’d be played by Jordan Peele (who ideally would also direct). Despite his own star appeal, Kirk remains incredibly modest. When asked about working at the Reader he said, “It’s a joy to be collaborating with such an innovative group of creators. I’m thankful that they regard me as being equal to their talents.” Right back atcha, Kirk!

Facebook: facebook.com/kirkwilliamson