Rich Conversations: 011. Matthew Manning
Show notes from episode 011 of Rich Conversations with Matthew Manning. Answers are cut down to fit into writing format.
How long have you lived in Chicago?
In total, about eight-nine years now.
What’s your neighborhood like?
I’m in Hyde Park. It’s historic in many different ways. Communally. But what’s powerful about it is that a lot of it is still rooted in the Black community. The area’s a hidden gem aside of its affiliation with University of Chicago. Diverse community. You can really get a taste of what Chicago is.
If you have an open Saturday, how would you choose to spend it?
Honestly, I’m kind of a hermit. I love the outdoors. My fiancé and I have made a conscious effort to live as close as we can to the lake. We get life by going to the water and just being able to go on a walk. I enjoy engaging with nature in a quiet way.
I’m a writer, so I love to write. Read. My go-to I would say, is memoir. Books around and reflecting on identity.
When you think of Chicago, what colors do you imagine first?
Blue. Maybe because I’ve always been so close to the lake. Maybe because my existence with the city right now is very fluid. It’s very airy. There’s something very peaceful about blue as a color.
What’s your proudest moment as a Chicagoan?
Honestly, would have to be kind of where I am right now. The work I’m doing right now with Gumbo Media. We have labored for a couple of years now about being intentional with building community. In a way where people feel seen and heard in a way that fills gaps that folks have felt in their own lives. I feel like we’re doing that. The tides are starting to turn in the way that people engage with our platform and use it to center themselves. I’m proud of the community I’ve cultivated and fostered.
If someone were to visit you from out of town, what restaurant would you take them to?
So this would have been a different answer even three years ago. I’m plant-based now. I love Sultan’s Market. BGabs Kitchen in Hyde Park. It’s kind of a mom and pop shop. Chicago Diner is a great staple. Uncle Joe’s Jerk on 49th. It’s a Jamaican spot. They have a veggie plate now that I get.
What’s your hidden gem in the city?
When I was at DePaul, there was this spot between the library and the SAC. I’d go there a lot. Vincentian Circle. A lot of times I’d go there at night and just chill.
In Jackson Park, we’ve explored a lot of different areas. There’s a wood chip path that winds around and leads you to the Osaka Garden. It’s just a very quiet and peaceful place.
What sound do you most affiliate with Chicago?
It might be wind. Maybe because I’m so close to the lake. But the place we live now, I’m on the third floor and I see the trees sway. I’ve been very perceptive of it.
What music influenced you the most during your time in the city?
By far the most I’ve been influenced is through hip-hop music. Chicago is just so rich and vibrant in terms of its hip-hop scene. I’ve seen so many artists emerge as national and international artists out of the city during my time that I’ve been here. And even the legends before them like Common, Kanye, Lupe Fiasco, and Twista. Those are the types of sounds I resonate with. Soulful. It’s been really powerful to see new artists emerge over the last five years like Mick Jenkins, Saba, and Chance the Rapper.
Gospel has also been a big part of me. I was in the Gospel Choir at DePaul. It’s nostalgic from my college years, but it’s rooted me in the community building I do now. There’s something home about it. Really participating in it cemented that as a part of me.
What’s a common scene you see in your daily interaction with the city?
For me the city’s all about people. Community. The way people engage and interact with each other has always interested me. There’s so many unique spirits here in Chicago. There’s something very gritty and honest about the city. Those interactions in all their manifestations are something that have been consistent for me—especially on the south side.
If you were given secret information that Chicago were to be destroyed in one week, what’s one quality you would keep to rebuild the city?
It would be that grit. There’s just something about Chicago. Even that whole “Second City” framing that’s embraced and not even believed at the same time. We know we’re dope here and we don’t need anyone else’s approval. It’s that energy.
What one thing would you do to improve your neighborhood? And the city as a whole?
One of the things is what I’m doing—this fostering of community. Building as many as intentional spaces where people can disconnect and be present. Something to help bridge people.
On an even smaller scale, I would want to see more art. We have one of those free little libraries by my place. More of those moments. Small and free flowing forms that people can engage with.
When people learn you’re from Chicago, how do they respond and what’s your reaction?
It really depends on who I’m talking to and how specific I get. Honestly, people get pretty excited. Chicago, along with New York and LA, is one of the biggest cities in the county. People have a lot of questions. Which is fun—it’s fun to engage with. And have discussions, even if their scope may be limited, but I’m happy to do that.
When you feel overwhelmed or need a mental escape but can’t leave the city, where do you go to clear your mind?
Internal. I might not do anything. I’m just going to sit on the couch and read a book or watch Netflix. Being in a reflective place. If I really need a break, I’ll go there. Other than that—the lake. Just go for a walk or be by the water.
What’s something you’re curious about recently?
One thing I’m really been musing on is kind of what the future of art looks like in Chicago. There’s such a burgeoning art scene going on—a creative renaissance. The companies that are rising out of this place. I feel like there’s a lot happening in the city and I’m curious about the role Chicago plays in national conversation that has anything to do with the United States within the next five years—even twenty years. In terms of influence, I feel like Chicago is on the rise. I’m curious about our wholistic influence on the world. What role will this community play moving forward.
Within the past five years, what personal realization has improved your outlook on life the most?
The biggest is just the brilliance of community—cultivating and seeing what comes from it. I’m really compelled by that. That’s been rewarding for me.
At a young age, I was involved with a lot of things. I got a lot of attention. And I’ve learned that I don’t like that. The space that I thrive is when no one knows who I am. I love the tonal shift of being behind the scenes. Humbling energy comes from that. I love building community around questions. I don’t care how it happens. I just want it to exist.
What’s something you’re excited or dream about in the future?
For me, I’m curious to see where my writing goes. I want to make it my career. I’m trying to seek my own truths and not tell anyone what to think and what to feel. Be as honest with myself. About masculinity. About race. About identity. About anything. Both positive and negative. And use that honesty and self-reflection as a way to improve myself but hopefully to hold up as a mirror for people who wish to engage in that conversation. Hopefully they can learn or see something of themselves in the reflection that I’ve challenged myself to do.