Brett Koppen is a freelance writer living in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago. Brett began covering politics in northwest suburban Kane County after earning a bachelor's degree in journalism from Eastern Illinois University in 1998. Realizing quickly that small-time journalists make less than most burger-flippers, Brett returned to school subsequently earning a master's degree in Creative Writing from DePaul along with a mountain of student loan debt. As local Examiner, Brett vows to cover all aspects of Bucktown with grace and humor. Well, humor anyway. Contact Brett at bkopp2@juno.com.