I was 16 years old the first time I walked through the doors of the No Exit Cafe on a frigid winter night in 1968.    It was transformational. I returned and eventually became a "regular". Eventually, Joe hired me as a waitress. I learned to play chess there. My passion for folk music was born there. Thanks to Joe, I learned about folk music by listening to Art Thieme, Blind Jim Brewer, Judy Bright Pine, Michael Stein, Tom Dundee, Dottie Kalik, and so many others. Thanks to Joe, there existed a place to explore thought, music, relationships. I began the journey toward adulthood in the No Exit Cafe.

Thank you Joe for the haven you created.

Shelley Gordon
Chicago