Photo: WTTW file photo
Jane Byrne in a mayoral candidate forum, 1979
A Q&A with Rachel Pikelny Producer of Chicago Stories: Jane Byrne In 1979, Jane Byrne became Mayor of Chicago and the first woman to lead a major U.S. city. A new Chicago Stories documentary traces Byrne’s rise from protégée of the powerful Mayor Richard J. Daley, to underdog mayoral candidate, to an at-times controversial mayor. We spoke to producer Rachel Pikelny, who discussed Byrne’s legacy and how the documentary tackles the former mayor’s tenure. Chicago Stories: Jane Byrne premieres at 8:00 pm on Friday, April 1 on WTTW.
CHICAGO STORIES: JANE BYRNE Friday, April 1 at 8:00 pm
4
APRIL
2022
GUIDE: What makes Jane Byrne a compelling topic for this Chicago Stories documentary? PIKELNY: I have lived in Chicago for 20 years. A few months before she passed away, an expressway interchange was named for her, and I wondered, “Why do I know so little about such a pivotal figure in the city’s history?” In starting to dig into her story, I realized that
