Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni. ✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions. ✶
For all you fellow comic book aficionados the DC Universe begins...again. On Wednesday, Aug. 31, the whole line of DC titles will be given a revamp. Throughout the month of September, DC will publish new starts for all its titles beginning with Justice League #1 (written by Geoff Johns and cover art by Jim Lee). The comic book company has made some changes, offering more ethnic diversity and women in their books. But some things remain the same; Bruce Wayne is back as Batman, Clark Kent is still Superman (with a new look to his costume), and there's even an Aquaman book. Go to your local comic shop to check them out all month long.
Sharpen your thinkin' bits (and dull them with drink specials) at literary trivia night this Thursday. The evening is a benefit for the Packingtown Review, a UIC literary journal. Declan's Irish Pub, 1240 N. Wells, Thursday, September 1 at 7:30pm.
Tomorrow night David Ansell reads from County: Life, Death and Politics at Chicago's Public Hospital at the Roosevelt branch of the Chicago Public Library. Ansell is a Chicago based physician and health activist who currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer at Rush University Medical Center and was part of a Chicago-based effort that provided medical relief after the Haiti earthquake. The Chicago Tribune says "...the many ways in which poor patients were mistreated and devalued on its premises are the true subject of this book - a valuable addition to the historical record of Cook County and its problem-ridden health care system. Ansell takes readers behind the scenes for a look at deplorable conditions." Chicago Public Library, Roosevelt branch, 1101 W. Taylor, Wednesday, August 31 at 6pm.
Interested in getting a little preview of Every Thing on It, the new, posthumously published Shel Silverstein book? The editors at the New York Times use the upcoming publication as jumping off point to introdcue the theme of their Back to School feature on children's books and offer a look at several of the book's new (to us) poems.
What began 15 years ago as a single sheet circulated among friends has grown into a collection recently published by Montreal's Drawn & Quarterly. Big Questions, over 600 pages of them, are asked by a group of birds -- pondering the meaning of life and, naturally, tasty things to eat.
Nilsen's own life certainly prompted his own questioning. As he put it to the Reader, "I've lived in four different cities, in eight different houses, and had seven different day jobs. I've been engaged twice, married once, divorced, and weathered a death." If you think the melancholy evoked by the cartoons feels all too real, it probably is.
To catch some of these metaphysical musings, consider attending the book release event, sponsored by Quimby's, on Tuesday, August 30th at Lula Cafe (2537 N. Kedzie, 773-489-9554), starting at 7pm.
From Alphonse Mucha to Chicago's Will Bradley, art noveau artists have created curving, colorful pieces of art, often featured on book covers, that continue to inspire today. Come find out more Thursday, September 15, Second Presbyterian Church (1936 S. Michigan Ave). SAIC Professor Rolf Achilles will lead the discussion, starting at 7pm. Contact historic2ndchurch [at] yahoo [dot] com for more details.
Tomorrow night, and every last Thursday of the month, is Chattinger's, the graphic novel book club at Challengers Comics. This month's selection is A Drifting Life, Yoshihiro Tatsumi's autobiography of growing up in post World War II Japan. Purchase not required; 20% discount on featured book. Challengers Comics, 1845 N. Western, 2R, August 25 at 7pm.
Can the robots at the University of Chicago's Mansueto Library really find a book faster than a person going about it the old-fashioned way? Find out who prevails below:
(Okay, it's no surprise who wins, but with robots you don't get to have fun interactions with librarians! That seems like a loss to me.)
Gothic Blue Books -- popular in the 18th and 19th centuries -- are shortened versions of Gothic novels, always set in a monastery or convent or castle. And Chicago small press Burial Day Books is bringing it back -- with their own twist. For Burial Day Books' version of the Gothic Blue Book, they're requesting submissions of short stories (poems will also be considered) that follow the original Gothic Blue Book guideline or the New Burial Day Gothic Blue Book guideline. Click here for the guideline definitions and official rules and tips. Submission deadline is September 13. The publication date (online and in traditional journal format)? You guessed it: October 31.
I just finished Children of Men, and started Oryx and Crake, so telling you about an apocalypse-themed literary event seems like a logical next step. Hosting John Yingling of Gonzo Chicago, anti-sex blogger Donny Kevin Rodriguez of Wood Sugars, columnist Andrew O'Connor, Tomasz Jurczak of The Last King of Poland, Jeff Phillips of Wood Sugars, XIII Pocket, Turban Tan and Whiskey Pike, Aaron Cynic of Diatribe Media and political writer for Chicagoist, and Liz Mason of Caboose Zine and Quimby's.
This line-up reads and talks Sunday, August 28th, at the Black Rock Pub on 3614 N. Damen. Starts 8:30pm. Head over for $3 Bloody Marys and writing about the end-times.
Now go check out the "book wall" in the Chicago Publishers Gallery at the Chicago Cultural Center. The wall is made up of books distributed by the Chicago Distribution Center and is meant to convey the diversity of Midwest publishing. Stop by the gallery for a concert, some coffee, and to see how many of the 600+ books in the wall you've read!
Speaking of Ray Bradbury, the Guardian's online book club has chosen Fahrenheit 451 for their first read. If you've never read it, or never had the chance to discuss it with others, now would be a good time to pick it up. The club will reconvene on September 5 to start discussing Montag, the seashell, and how little has changed in the half-century since the book was published.
Columbia College Chicago's Center for Book & Paper Arts explores an old-made-new form of printing, wood type, with a display of works from Swiss designer Dafi Kühne. Kühne is currently researching modern and fresh ways to utilize wood type and letterpress, delving into materials like laser cutters and the more old-school cardboard to produce the written word. Other artists shown include David Wolske, Bethany Heck, Brad Vetter, Alex Cooper, Rose Gridneff, and David Shields.
This will run September 8 - December 10. Gallery hours are 10am-6pm, Monday-Saturday. The gallery is located at 1104 S. Wabash Avenue, Second Floor.
Want to read like a president? The Daily Beast has a list of what Obama has read since 2008.
Rod Blagojevich has yet to be sentenced, but the jury has already returned their verdict on his book, The Governor. Jacket Copy reports that you can now buy the hardcover new on Amazon for $2.80.
YoYoMagazine is an online journal of art, narrative, and poetry made up of artist, professor and writer Rebecca Keller, artist and educator Amber Ginsburg, and editor and writer Kristin Ginger. Their newest issue, At Zero: Part II, is available right now, with accompanying audio content.
The monthly reading series Orange Alert is hosted by Jason Behrends, who also runs the imprint of the same name. Orange Alert Press has its August event this Sunday the 21st. Readers will include local talent: Brett E. Gallagher, Steve Roggenbuck , Jason Bredle, Keith Ecker, and AD Jameson. It all goes down at 6pm at the Whistler 2421 N. Milwaukee Ave.
This fall, One Book, One Chicago celebrates 10 years of bringing the city together through reading. The selection for this important milestone is the seminal Chicago story The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow. Published in 1953, the story follows young protagonist Augie March throughout Chicago in the depression as he struggles to find his place in the world. The book won a National Book Award and is considered by some to be the Great American Novel. Head to the Chicago Public Library to pick up your copy of the book or snag one at your favorite independent and get started reading right away: coming in at 600 pages, the book is hardly one that can be finished on your 30-minute commute on the el. Make sure to visit the CPL website to find out when your branch will hold its book discussion and when special Augie March events will take place. (Book Club members will recall that we discussed Bellow's masterpiece in 2005. You can read the intro here and view the accompanying photo essay here, wherein former Book Club editor Alice Maggio and staff member Brian Sobolak visited the important sites in Augie's life to see what they look like now.)
From the creators of the reading series This Much is True, comes Story Lab, a reading series that brings new voices telling new stories. Performing this month will be: Willy Nast (a creative writing graduate from Northwestern), Marie Scatena (professor at Columbia University, NY), Rhiannon Koehler (an actress, writer, and student at Loyola Marymount University, LA) among others.
Story Labs fall on the third Wednesday of every month, which is August 17th, 7:30pm, at the Black Rock Pub (3614 N. Damen). Story Lab is interested to hear your story go to the series -- contact them, and we might be seeing you there in the future.
Tonight! Generation Y night at Reading Under the Influence. Featured readers are Kyle Chaney, Ray Lumpp, Erin Nedero and August 3 audience winner Michelle Pretorius. Unlike most RUI readings, there's no cover tonight, and the first 20 attendees win a door prize. Sheffield's , 3258 N. Sheffield, Wednesday, August 17. Readings start at 7:30pm in the back room; get there early for a seat.
Agate Publishing, a local press around since 2003, will be extending its number of imprints from three to four: Midway Books will launch spring 2012, and will focus exclusively on Midwestern books by Midwestern authors, with a special emphasis on Chicago.
In an impressive move, the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library is giving 150 free copies of his most popular work, Slaughterhouse-Five, to students at Republic High School in Missouri. The act comes after the school tried to ban it in July following a professor's complaint about the content. An anonymous donor provided the library with the books and all students need to do is email the library requesting the copy. How's that for the University of Chicago alum sticking to the man from the grave? [via]
Wind down (and maybe relive your last two days) with a Wizard World recap: photos and a play-by-play of people celebrating comics, books, and movies through dress, attendance, and purchase.
Our kind of party: Director of digital strategy and development for Chicago magazine Scott Smith talks about the female side of the cape and mask set as part of an ongoing series about comic books and his daughter. Book Cellar (4736 N Lincoln Ave), 7pm.
If you like poetry, entertainment, and top hats, then the Chicago Poetry Brothel is for you. Tucked away in Thalia Hall, in private rooms in Ristorante al Teatro (1227 W 18th St), the basement bar has been turned into a Victorian brothel by the brothel's madam--Madam Black-eyed Susan--her "poetry whores," and the good doctor (there to supply laudanum for the poets with a case of the nerves). After paying the entrance fee ($5 if you're dressed in Victorian period clothing, $10 if your Victorian period wardrobe is at the cleaners), grab some wine or whiskey at the bar, and wait for the show to start.
The Poetry Brothel typically follows a standard format: After patrons get the chance to settle, Madam Black-eyed Susan introduces her poets with a few descriptive sentences about each, and each poet gets a chance to read a bit of their work to entice the crowd. Once everyone has gotten just a taste of the evening's finest lines, the poets mix and mingle with the crowd, peddling their poems, every so often taking the floor again to tease the patrons with more of their work. Because for a mere $5, you can purchase a token that gets you, not only the poetry whore of your choice, but an intimate reading with that poet, inside a velvet tent, complete with chairs, a table, and gold tassels. In this private space, the poet will recite anything the patron wants--be it the poet's own work or a poem the patron has in mind--on any topic. Being face-to-face and knee-to-knee with the poet is a very personal experience--ask the poet anything you want about the piece, ask for it to be read it again, ask pretty please for more than one poem. You might think that you'll get the same kind of work from each poet, which is definitely not the case. The poetry whores each have their own style that ranges from sultry jazz (Serafine LaCroix) to dark and haunting (August Rose). Plan ahead--check them all out so you can come to the next brothel prepared. And if you're interested in more than one, feel free to purchase more than one private reading!
But poetry isn't the only entertainment--the brothel also invites guests and musicians to showcase their talent. At the August 6 Poetry Brothel, Pearl Pistol performed her alluring vaudeville burlesque show, and the White City Rippers kept everyone moving with what they call their "old-timey mad-scientist steampunk music." (The October brothel will feature Karen Abbott, author of Sin in the Second City, and The Loneliest Monk, master of the electric cello.)
Intrigued? You should be. By the end of the night (the Poetry Brothel parlors are open from 8pm to midnight), you may leave with the poetry whores' books (on sale throughout the evening), and you may leave a little tipsy (the bar is open all four hours), but you certainly won't leave uninspired and unimpressed. And to tantalize you just a little bit more--see what Madam Black-eyed Susan herself has to say about the brothel, her poetry whores, and much more after the jump.
Stop by Myopic Books (1564 North Milwaukee Avenue) tonight at 7pm for their reading series. Featured readers will be Noelle Kocot and Mike Hauser. Admission is free!
The next installment of Ray's Tap Reading Series is August 12th with the theme Imaginary Birds. It is not being billed as the series' last reading of all time, but then again there's really no way to know for sure. There's a huge line up of readers featuring:
Matt Rowan, Jacob Knabb, Jayita Bhattacharya, Matt Test, Troy Martin, Dave Snyder,
Daniel Shapiro, Scott Whitehair, Natalie Edwards, Mason Johnson, Brian Nemtusak,
Mark Chrisler, and Tim Racine.
The series is named for its location, Ray's Tap 3047 N. Kimball Avenue. Bar opens at 8 and the readings commence around 9pm.
MAKE magazine will host the Chicago book release for L.C. Fiore's first novel Green Gospel (Fiore is also MAKE's associate fiction editor). Joining will be Lindsay Hunter author of Daddy on Featherproof books. Bookending the readings will be music by Steven Hendershot of the Spares. If that's not enough enjoy complimentary beer and snacks. The event is Friday August 12th, 6:30pm at the Gentner Showroom, 228 W. Kinzie.
Everyone has a story to tell, and if you come to Here's the Story, you can listen to some and even tell one of your own. Taking place every second Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm, at Stage 773 (1225 W Belmont), Here's the Story features five invited readers and holds a "story slam" for anyone who signs up. If you're selected as a "slammer," you get the floor at your designated time, share your story, and then keep your fingers crossed that the audience likes it--because they assign points to their favorites. The slammer with the most points gets to be one of the next month's featured readers. What makes Here's the Story different from tons of other readings, slams, and open mics around the city? It's also a potluck! Bring a dish to pass, fill your plate, and settle in for some serious storytelling. Get more info, see how to submit to be a featured reader, and check out past events here. Next show is September 14!
This fall, the Trib offers a cracker-jack lineup of intimate conversations with authors. Helmed by Chicago Tribune Literary Editor Elizabeth Taylor, the "salons" allow you to have your burning questions answered by the writers, who will also attend a "meet & mingle" reception where you can continue the dialogue up close and personal.
While the series itself may be relatively new (having only just begun in February), the impetus behind it is not. Taylor explained that the talks are an outgrowth of the success, enthusiasm and joy of the Printer's Row Book Fair and the Tribune's literary awards, and are a way to extend that throughout the year.
Crafting the talks as "intimate salons" is a response to an increasingly electronic culture. "In this electronic age, people are yearning to come together and enjoy this communal aspect of reading." The selection of authors is made with an eye toward achieving a range and balance between fiction and non-fiction and, most importantly, to find "books and authors that we think will resonate with readers."
While you may have missed the talk Monday, August 8, with Sapphire (whose novel Push became the recent film Precious), you can still attend the rest.
The Author Talks series continues on Thursday, Sept. 15 with Elizabeth Berg (of the recent Once Upon a Time, There Was You, and before that Talk Before Sleep) and Jacquelyn Mitchard (of the upcoming Second Nature, A Love Story, and previously The Deep End of the Ocean). This installment of the series takes place at the Tribune Tower (435 N. Michigan) at 6:30pm, and costs $20 -- which includes reception and book signing.
Left: Jacquelyn Mitchard; photo by Virginia Sutherland. Right: Elizabeth Berg; photo by Curt Richter
The next installment features Pulitzer Prize winner Jeffrey Eugenides (Middlesex, The Virgin Suicides) and takes place on Friday, Oct. 21 at the Murphy Auditorium (50 E. Erie Street) at 6:30pm, and costs $30 -- which includes a copy of The Marriage Plot, his much-anticipated follow-up to Middlesex.
The final talk, in co-presentation with the 22nd annual Chicago Humanities Festival, will be with writer and philosopher Umberto Eco (of the infamous Foucault's Pendulum, and the upcoming The Prague Cemetery), who will appear at the Thorne Auditorium of Northwestern University Law School (375 E. Chicago Avenue), on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 3pm, and costs $15.
Left: Jeffrey Eugenides; right: Umberto Eco
After all this, if you're still thirsty for more (and who wouldn't be?), stay tuned to see who the Trib will bring for the spring.
Read 'em and Weep, an aptly titled zine reading tour consists of four Chicago zinesters, will hit the road this week. The tour includes zinesters Dave Roche (On Subbing and About my Disappearance zines), Leslie Perrine (mini-comic/fiction zine and an organizer of Chicago Zine Fest), Xavier Maldonado (poetry zine Explorers are We) and Jim Joyce (personal/nonfiction zine Or Let it Sink).
Joining them will be local zinester special guests Rosy Phinick (Bacterial Turned Viral zine) and Sara Drake (Arty Party comic zine).
The reading is Thursday, August 11, at 7pm at 826CHI, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. It's free and there will be some refreshments. How DIY!
Come by and usher these guys outta Chicago on a good note.
Tonight! Chicago Center for Literature and Photography (CCLAP) presents their quadruple book release party at Beauty Bar, featuring readings from all four authors - Sally Weigel (Too Young To Fall Asleep), Ben Tanzer (99 Problems), Mark R. Brand (Life After Sleep) and Jason Fisk (Salt Creek Anthology). Books available for $20 each or the whole shebang for $50. Free food, cash bar, DJ and dancing afterward. Beauty Bar, 1444 W. Chicago Ave., August 10, 7pm.
Belmont Avenue is where it's at this week for reading and writing: just a short distance from where Britney Spears 101 takes place tonight is a reading series that delves into first times and the experiences they bring. A couple of differences: it's happening tomorrow night, it's at the Beat Kitchen (2100 W. Belmont Ave) and sponsored by CHIRP Radio, and it's not about Britney Spears. Probably. I guess it could be.
Pop diva Britney Spears is the focus of a reading, Homeroom: Britney Spears 101. All readers are fanatics of the singer in their own right.
Liz Mason self-publishes the zine Caboose, its current issue #7 is titled: Britney Spears 101," touching on topics of Brit as well as her experience undergoing treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma cancer. Next up is Christopher Smit, PhD, an Associate Professor of Media Studies at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan who authored the book The Exile of Britney Spears: A Tale of 21st Century Consumption. Last on the Brit train is Judy Hoffman, an award-winning filmmaker/cinematographer and Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago who directed Stages: 3 Days In Mexico, about Britney Spears' 2002 concerts in Mexico City.
The not-to-be-missed event is Tuesday, Aug. 9, at 9pm at the Hungry Brain, 2319 W. Belmont.
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's the Chicago Comic Con, aka Wizard World, happening next weekend at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. Special guests include Anthony Michael Hall, Billy Corgan, Felicia Day, and more.
Is at it again! This month's Poetry Brothel is once again at Thalia Hall, inside Ristorante al Teatro (1227 W 18th St), tomorrow from 8pm to midnight. Hear a private poem from one of the madam's best poetry girls; get your fortune told; and enjoy Victorian parlor songs, The White City Rippers, and burlesque beauty Pearl Pistol. Saturday is for food and drinks, celebrating Chicago's saints and sinners, and of course: poetry! (The price of admission is $5 if you come dressed Victorian, $10 if you don't!)
...your stories. The Naked Girls Reading series, the Michelle L'Amour led salon at the Everleigh Social Club, is having a writing contest. They're looking for "exceptional writing in the areas of Short Fiction, Poetry, Criticism and Erotica. If you consider your writing to be 'gut level,' this is the contest for you." First prize is $1000, publication in Ampersand Review, plus your work will be read live at an honorary event in November. Deadline is September 1; details here.
Chicago teen poetry group Louder Than A Bomb (which you may remember from such films as Louder Than A Bomb) announce a collaboration with Victory Gardens Theater. The partnership will launch new playwriting curriculum for LTAB, with courses designed to explore the intersections of poetry, hip-hop and theater. Their first show, English Class Heretics, a "best of" LTAB showcase, runs this weekend. Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln, Friday, August 5 at 7:30pm and Saturday, August 6 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased here.
It's not until October but here's the early heads-up: actress, comedian, and singer Jane Lynch will grace Women & Children First 10/9, talking about her autobiography, Happy Accidents (available from Women & Children First on 9/13). In Happy Accidents, Lynch discusses how her career path and life have intertwined, as well as the issues of sexuality that have accompanied her on that journey.
August 14th from 1pm-3pm at the Smart Museum (5550 S. Greenwood Avenue), poet Matthias Regan presents the second of two workshops combining the sensibilities of reading and looking. Intended to "explore the relationship between figures and genres of personhood," this (free!) workshop consists of a brief lecture, tour of exhibit "Go Figure," and a conversation about related stories and poems.
This last of the two-workshop series, "Bodies Among Other Things," pairs Sylvia Sleigh's painting The Turkish Bath with passages from Lord Byron's mock epic poem Don Juan, "in order to contemplate how sexualized bodies receive, hold onto, and return the viewer's desire."
Over the summer, the well-known Encyclopedia Show, a variety show hosted by poet Robbie Q. Telfer, takes a break from its monthly installments and celebrates a year in review, kinda. Cue the Best of Season 3, their anthology show. The event takes place at the Vittum Theatre (1012 N Noble Street), 7pm. Get tickets at the door; $8 for adults and $5 for students.
Today, A New Road Home tour hits Chicago. The tour is a collaboration between Nomy Lamm and DavEnd, nationally know queer-core artists, who will remix notions of gender, sexuality, dis/ability, community and family. Local legends Jami Sailor, Mia Beatrice, Dalice Malice, and The Ovens are on the bill. Stop by 826CHI aka The Boring Store (1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.) at 7pm.
Welcome a couple of Chicago's new literary endeavors...
1) Anobium: As described by Editor-in-Chief Benjamin van Loon, "Anobium is an answer to Reality. It's an experiment." Check out Chicago Publishes interview with van Loon here and then take a look at Anobium for yourself.
2) Grow Books: Started by Alyson Beaton, Grow Books features eco-friendly books for kids. Learn a little about Grow Books from Beaton here and then see what the publisher has to offer!
Tomorrow night, and every last Thursday of the month, is 
This fall, 
