Even if you did most of your growing up to the sounds of punk rock in the '80s or '90s, the name Danny Bland might not ring a bell. But how about The Dwarves? The Knitters? Currently based in Seattle, Bland once played in the former group and was road manager for the latter, among a wealth of other musical entanglements. Decades of hard, loud living have informed his debut novel, In Case We Die, which Bland reads from on Wednesday, October 2, at 7pm at Quimby's Bookstore.
In Case We Die makes its sensibility known early on with a detailed inventory of the porn emporium where protagonist Charlie works the night shift, and things only get seamier--and then darker--from there. Amidst the druggy Seattle gloom, it's gleefully profane and full of fast and funny character descriptions (one of Charlie's coworkers is "the perfect bulldog-human hybrid," for instance); I'm guessing that the reading will be the same way.
— Daphne Sidor
Events Sun Sep 29 2013
"Rookie is a website for teenage girls," says the About page. That makes sense considering that it's edited by distressingly precocious high schooler and Oak Park native Tavi Gevinson, who first caught attention as the 11-year-old fashion maven behind the blog The Style Rookie. A look at the comments section of just about any article makes clear that it's finding its intended audience, but I also happen to know plenty of adult women who aren't embarrassed to admit they read the site. That's probably due to an editorial voice that's earnest, inclusive, and fun, as well as a penchant for topics likely to resonate with children of the '80s. (Bikini Kill, The Golden Girls, and Madonna are frequent cultural touchstones.)
So expect a mixed crowd at the release party for Rookie Yearbook Two--a print collection of pieces from the past year--on Tuesday, October 1, at 7pm at Unity Temple (875 Lake St., Oak Park). Gevinson will read, sign books, and generally make audience members of all ages feel like the coolest girls in school. She'll be joined by other contributors from the Chicago area, including Effing Dykes creator Krista Burton. Admission is $10, but you can apply the ticket price toward a copy of the book.
— Daphne Sidor
Poetry Sun Sep 29 2013
I didn't know anything about Bill Berkson, I don't think, before I came across notices for his reading with Jennifer Karmin this Tuesday, October 1, at 6pm at Glass Curtain Gallery (1104 S. Wabash). That was an oversight. When I began to investigate I thought, "hm, kind of a James Schuyler, Frank O'Hara feel"--good news if you like your poems to feel like conversations between wry, witty strangers, half-overheard. (Try Christmas Eve for that mode, although he has others.)
Turns out Berkson is no New York School imitator: he was there, having been mentored by Kenneth Koch and notably collaborated with O'Hara on Hymns of St. Bridget. On Tuesday, he'll be joined by local multidisciplinary poet Jennifer Karmin--you may know her as a founder of the experimentally minded Red Rover Reading Series. She often writes for multiple voices, which, in her readings, are rendered quite literally. At this event she'll bring up collaborators Stephanie Anderson, Bryan Mornar, Laura Goldstein, and Kenyatta Rogers to share the stage with her.
UPDATE Unfortunately, Bill Berkson has had to cancel due to health reasons. The organizers hope to reschedule the performance soon.
— Daphne Sidor
If you're heading to Bon Appétit's Chicago Gourmet this weekend, be sure to stop at the Barbara's Book Store tent for book signings by some kitchen masters. Chefs scheduled to appear include Takashi Yagihashi of Takashi and Slurping Turtle, Art Smith of TABLE fifty-two, Fleur de Lys's Hubert Keller, Tru's Gale Gand, and many others. For a complete schedule of author appearances, visit the Chicago Gourmet website. 
Image courtesy of the Illinois Restaurant Association.
— Kathryn Pulkrabek
All weekend! The 2nd annual Chicago Writer's Conference at the Harold Washington Library with two free public reading events tonight and Saturday night.
Tonight! Judith Valente reads from The Art of Pausing and Atchison Blue at Women & Children First.
Saturday! 826CHI presents Tale Gate: A Street Festival of Literary Proportions.
Saturday! Brian Tuohy reads from Larceny Games: Sports Gambling, Game Fixing and the FBI at Quimby's.
Saturday! Open House for the Chicago Publishers Resource Center.
Saturday! Red Rover Series #67: Private Eyes (They're Watching You) at Outer Space Studio.
Sunday! Sunday Salon Chicago Literary Happening at Black Rock Pub.
Sunday! Wait... WHAT?!? An Open Mic, Storytelling and Live Music Benefit at McCormick Boys & Girls Club.
— Lara Levitan
Poetry Wed Sep 25 2013
This Saturday will see a poetic event of truly epic proportions: the many, many writers of 100 Thousand Poets for Change will speak up on the changes they'd like to see in the world around them.
True, they won't all be reading in the same place. Still, Chicago's offshoot, a reading on the theme "Private Eyes (They're Watching You)," has a pretty numerically impressive lineup. 24 local poets will address issues of surveillance, censorship, and other topics likely to make you look over your shoulder at Outer Space Studio, 1474 N. Milwaukee Ave, on September 28 at 7 p.m. To name just a few: the just-profiled-by-Gapers-Block Daniela Olszewska; Language-affiliated eminence Barbara Barg; performance poet Noël Jones; and Nina Corwin, who curates readings at Woman Made Gallery.
The Red Rover Series and the Chicago Calling Arts Festival are cosponsors. A $4 suggested donation benefits microlending organization Kiva--letting attendees turn pocket change into real-world change while taking in some stirring words.
— Daphne Sidor
Events Wed Sep 25 2013
From small presses to reading series' to countless author events, Chicago pretty much eats, sleeps and breathes literary culture. And a new project called the Chicago Publishers Resource Center (CHIPRC) aims to "support these [literary] endeavors by helping those that work tirelessly to produce them."
At an open house on Saturday, September 28, 12-6pm, get a taste of the programming CHIPRC has up its sleeve; presentations include button-making, book-binding, zine-making, chalk art, and a FAQ about membership and other ways to support the project (view the complete schedule).
Located at the new facility at 858 N. Ashland, the event is open to the public, and programming is suitable for all ages. A suggested donation will benefit the new space and future programming.
— Lara Levitan
Books Wed Sep 25 2013
Curbside Splendor is taking the lit scene by storm with a massive number of releases hitting (or soon to be hitting) bookshelves this fall. On the roster is Daniela Olszewska's poetry collection Citizen J, Artifice Books' first release since becoming an imprint of Curbside. Olsezewska comes to Chicago by way of her birthplace, Poland. She's made a name for herself as associate poetry editor at Another Chicago Magazine and board member of Switchback Books. Citizen J is her third poetry collection (with a fourth coming in 2014).
The collection is broken into six interconnected parts exploring the protagonist: the ambiguous Citizen J. Olszewska's J is an everywoman, but epicene. Citizen J is a wife, a revolutionary, a criminal, a husband, a soldier, an addict, a pirate. She's looking for love or acceptance pretty hard. She has twelve husbands and wives (playa!). J is seemingly confused about the path she follows and allows the reader to be a passenger on her endless adventure.
Continue reading this entry »
— John Wawrzaszek /
Books Tue Sep 24 2013
Body Geographic by Barrie Jean Borich is concerned with maps and middles and maps of middles: the Midwest, middle age, the middle class, even a city skyline tattoo inked across the author's back. And some actual cities, too. Borich grew up in the steel-mill neighborhoods of Chicago's southeastern edge, was educated partly in Champaign-Urbana, and now splits her time between Minneapolis and Chicago, where she teaches at DePaul.
She lives, it seems, a comfortable lesbian academic life--complete with avid antique shopping and couch sex interrupted by dogs with names like Miss Dusty Springfield--and mostly has done so, save for a troubled spell as a young, alcoholic college dropout. If this does not sound too thrilling, well, the Midwest is not known for its captivating geography. But Borich is mainly concerned here not with travelogue or zippy plotting; metaphors are her great love. Her poet's sense of yearning haunts the heart of an ever-eager English major.
Continue reading this entry »
— Daphne Sidor
Author Tue Sep 24 2013
If you’re anything like me, you’ll pounce on any chance to set foot in the awesomely elegant Music Box Theatre. But, seeing as you’re here perusing Book Club, you may think that you’d rather cozy up with your latest tome than sit in the dark and watch a movie.
Well it’s time these worlds collided! This Thursday, September 26, at 7:30pm The Book Cellar will be hosting National Book Award recipient Alice McDermott at none other than the Music Box Theatre. McDermott will be discussing her latest book, Someone, a chronicle of protagonist Marie Commeford’s lifelong search for, well, someone. The book has been hailed as masterful in its account of human life as at once ordinary and miraculously intimate; to quote The New York Times, “Almost pointedly unremarkable”. Devoid of bells and whistles, the narrative is a refreshing diversion from novels overwrought with twists, turns, and the occasional vampire.
Sound like a good read? Grab a copy of Someone at the event, available for purchase courtesy of The Book Cellar. Tickets are a well-spent $5.
— Miden Wood
Author Tue Sep 24 2013
"It was like swimming with a whale shark."
This is how Hannah Pittard describes learning that her first novel, The Fates Will Find Their Way, (Ecco, 2011) was being published. Sounds dangerous, but Pittard is a dangerously talented writer.
Fates tells the story of a missing teenage suburban girl and the group of neighborhood boys who becomes enraptured by her disappearance. It's been compared to The Lovely Bones and The Virgin Suicides (not bad, especially for a first novel).
Pittard's fiction has won several awards. She is a graduate of the University of Chicago, got her MFA at the University of Virginia, teaches at DePaul, and is currently at work on her second novel, Reunion, (Grand Central) out in 2014. Read on, and get to know Hannah Pittard.
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia
Star sign: Sagittarius
What drives you to write?
A feeling in the pit of my stomach. A feeling in my chest. You know that time of night when it's pink? It's not every night, but some nights there's this pinkness in the air and I can feel it my chest -- this bigness, this need to capture it. Which isn't to say I'm trying to capture the night or its beauty. There's just a similarity between that feeling of pinkness and the need to write.
Continue reading this entry »
— Lara Levitan
In the foreword to Manuel Abreu Adorno's posthumously-published novel No todas las suecas son rubias (Not all Swedes are blonde), globetrotting professor and crazy prolific writer Saúl Yurkievich celebrates the "distinctly Caribbean accent" of Adorno's work, the raw tenor of his talent, the strong appetite for recognition in a marketplace dominated by North American surnames. So it's only fitting that Adorno made his U.S. debut via local translating house 7Vientos, since it shares so many of these traits.
Continue reading this entry »
— Diego Báez /
Events Mon Sep 23 2013
On Tuesday, September 24 at 7:30pm the newest edition of a new-ish Live Lit show will hit the stage at morseL, 1406 W. Morse Ave. You're Welcome, Chicago showcases the importance of personal voice in storytelling with an ingenious premise: each piece has to begin with the same first sentence, but the storyteller is free to take the opening in surprising and unprecedented directions.
Hosted by Amy Sumpter, this month's performers--Kendra Stevens, Maggie Jenkins, Mary Pat Bohan, Kristin Clifford, and Kim Morris-- will offer five unique, first-person stories that begin with "The door closed, and then the window opened." morseL will have $5 burgers and martini specials, which you can gorge on guilt-free since a portion of the proceeds from food and drink will go to the Alzheimer's Association. There is also a $5 suggested donation at the door. As a special treat, the ladies of You're Welcome, Chicago will draw next month's first sentence from audience suggestions AND the name of an audience member who'll be invited to participate in the October 22 show.
Photo courtesy of You're Welcome, Chicago's Facebook Event page.
— Ines Bellina
Saturday! David Cross and Bob Odenkirk promote their book Hollywood Said No!: Orphaned Film Scripts, Bastard Scenes, and Abandoned Darlings from the Creators of Mr. Show at Up Comedy Club.
Saturday! Joe Janes and Friends present staged readings from Seven Deadly Plays at Quimby's.
Saturday! Tamale Hut Cafe Reading Series at the Tamale Hut Cafe.
Saturday! Rethinking the Black Chicago Renaissance panel discussion at Woodson Regional Library.
Sunday! Jay Pridmore presents Building Ideas: An Architectural Guide to the University of Chicago at Seminary Co-op Bookstore.
— Lara Levitan
As evidenced by potluck favorite hot dog pie, hot dogs and pie are two great things that go great together. The Book Cellar seems to think so, too. Join Doug Sohn (Hot Doug) and Paula Haney (the owner of Hoosier Mama Pie Company) as they promote their respective new books, Hot Doug's: The Book and The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie at the Book Cellar at 7pm on Thursday. There will be samples of recipes from the books (but, alas, probably no hot dog pie).
— Kathryn Pulkrabek
Events Wed Sep 18 2013
As a Chicagoan of about six years' standing and a Michigander by birth, I've lived most of my life on the slightly shinier edges of the Rust Belt. That's meant watching with interest as some of its old industries have coughed out their final breaths and others (tech for Chicago, medicine for Grand Rapids) started to gain force. The institutional memory of The Society of Midland Authors, of course, reaches back much farther--all the way to 1915, when it was formed by a Chicago-centered group of writers including Clarence Darrow, Harriet Monroe, and Vachel Lindsay. On Thursday, September 19, at 6pm, president Robert Loerzel brings together three writers with a lot to say about the region's economic machinery at the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State, in a discussion on the theme "Reviving the Rust Belt: The Future of the Industrial Midwest and Chicago."
Longtime Gapers Block readers might recognize panelist Edward McClelland--in 2006, parts of his book The Third Coast were serialized here. His most recent release is Nothin' But Blue Skies: The Heyday, Hard Times, and Hopes of America's Industrial Heartland, which traces not only the Midwest's industry but the way it's shaped the character of its residents. Larry Bennett's The Third City: Chicago and American Urbanism uses a similar lens to focus more closely on the town whose very nickname evokes reinvention. And going broader than either of the two, Edward E. Gordon's Future Jobs: Solving the Employment and Skills Crisis looks for the root causes of the entire country's declining economic power and finds it in a failure to educate workers for the kinds of jobs that are most needed now. With Loerzel as moderator, the three authors will combine their perspectives to try to sketch a picture of the Midwest's economic landscape as it will look in future decades.
— Daphne Sidor
Events Wed Sep 18 2013
You young whippersnappers might be most familiar with David Cross and Bob Odenkirk from Arrested Development and Breaking Bad (respectively), but us old fogies know them best as comedy duo Bob & David from the glorious mid-'90s HBO sketch comedy show Mr. Show with Bob and David. You wee toddlers may think it strange to see Tobias and Saul hit the road together on a book tour, but we octogenarians are squealing and clapping our hands like little children.
Cross and Odenkirk and Mr. Show guest star Brian Posehn are coming to Chicago to promote their book Hollywood Said No!: Orphaned Film Scripts, Bastard Scenes, and Abandoned Darlings from the Creators of Mr. Show. The subtitle says it all, really. Lovers of Mr. Show will undoubtedly enjoy the comedy stylings of rejected film scripts Bob and David Make a Movie and Hooray for America! as well as sketch ideas that never quite made it to production... not to mention the incomparable joy of getting to see Bob and David together on stage again.
The Hollywood Said No! tour will be at UP Comedy Club, 230 W. North Ave, 3rd floor, on Saturday, September 21 at 1pm. Doors open at noon. Tickets are $22 and include a copy of the book.
Image courtesy of Ain't It Cool News
— Eden Robins
Events Tue Sep 17 2013
"Feminism--and feminists--have a bad rap when it comes to fashion," notes Marjorie Jolles in the 2012 collection of essays Fashion Talks: Undressing the Power of Style (co-edited with Shira Tarrant). But whether she assiduously follows current feminine trends or tries to distance herself from them entirely, a modern American woman has no real way to opt out of the world of fashion--any look is invariably read as a statement. The writers in Jolles' and Tarrant's collection touch on the statements made by subjects ranging from Andrea Dworkin's trademark overalls to Japan's "Lolita" subculture to the plight of the nontraditional bride. At a talk titled "Gender and Style, Fashion and Feminism" at Women and Children First (5233 N. Clark St.) on Thursday, September 19, at 7:30pm, Jolles will join fellow panelists and writers Deborah Siegel and Veronica Arreola for an equally wide-ranging "conversation about the politics of what we wear, from birth on."
Siegel is equally steeped in the gender symbolism of clothing--the writer and public speaker's current project is called Tots in Genderland, a multimedia rethinking of the way children's genders are (over)determined by their guardians and cultures from infancy on. (As she related in a TEDx talk and an interview with Gapers Block earlier this year, her thinking has been informed by her own kids--twins, a boy and a girl.) The third panelist, Arreola, has been blogging for more than a decade on Latina feminism, currently at Viva la Feminista.
Photo of Deborah Siegel courtesy of the author's website.
— Daphne Sidor
Author Mon Sep 16 2013
It's not some post-apocalyptic sci-fi sequel. The setting of Huffington Post criminal-justice reporter Radley Balko's new book, Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces is the streets of America's average, present-day cities, where he's noticed police being trained to use ever more-aggressive techniques. He's noticed it in the war on drugs, in which raids not infrequently turn fatal, and in responses to political protests, in which riot gear is de rigeur no matter how the crowd behaves. On Wednesday, September 18 at 6:15pm, Balko will discuss the book at Roosevelt University Library's Angel Reading Room (430 S. Michigan).
If you find yourself inspired to action by the book's arguments, you'll have a few guides on hand. The event will conclude with a panel of local activists from community organizations including the People's Law Office and Women's All Points Bulletin. Admission is free.
Photo courtesy of the author's website.
— Daphne Sidor /
It's an oft-repeated refrain these days, but it bears repeating nonetheless: the art of letter writing is slipping inexorably away from us, and in many ways--alas and alack!--it may be gone already. Future generations just won't be able to peruse a stack of Grandma and Grandpa's love letters. (Cue my cantankerous, pre-emptively elderly fist-shaking.) For the time being, however, all's not lost; we're still within striking distance of the days where handwritten letters were the standard, so they're still around to access and enjoy.
Continue reading this entry »
— Emilie Syberg
Author Mon Sep 16 2013
Tickets to the Chicago Humanities Festival go on sale to the public today. The theme this year is "Animal: What Makes Us Human", and we're going ape for the literary line-up (sorry, couldn't resist). Here's a quick rundown of the superstars shooting our way this October and November. (This list is not exhaustive, so check the site for deets, and grab your tix before they sell out!)
- Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Diaz discusses his life and work on Sunday, October 13.
- Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, makes a book stop tour on Friday, November 1, and is joined by Chicago's own odd-fish, James Kennedy, for a post-show event.
- Poet Anne Carson reads from her latest work on Saturday, November 2.
- What's up with Donna Tartt? She'll be discussing her new book on Saturday, November 2.
- Sherman Alexie is joined in conversation with local author Rebecca Makkai on Saturday, November 9.
- Get your senses on with poet and essayist Diane Ackerman as she explores animal courtship and romance, on Sunday, November 10.
- Novelist Nicholson Baker will converse with Chicago author Sara Levine on Sunday, November 10.
— Lara Levitan
Willy Nast and Karen Shimmin host September's edition of the live lit series Essay Fiesta at the Book Cellar on Monday, September 16 at 7pm.
Readers include:
Write Club Overlord Ian Belknap
8BitBro Writer Jackie Koester
Social Psychologist (and Gaper's Block Book Club Staffer) Erika Price
Comedian Dave Stinton
Actor/Storyteller Paul Whitehouse
All voluntary donations from Essay Fiesta benefit 826 CHI, a nonprofit writing and tutoring center.
— Kathryn Pulkrabek
Politician and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once said, “Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.”
Fictional Parks and Recreation politician Leslie Knope once said, “Maybe it’s time for more women to be in charge.” And then probably said something about waffles.
While perhaps the real-world influence of these two women is disparate (one a fictional* television character, the other a diplomat who has traveled to and managed relations in over 112 countries), the messages of both ring true. As of 2011, only 18.3% of the seats in Congress were held by women; a percentage whose growth has slowed significantly over the last decade. Considering that women constitute more than half the U.S. population, it’s past time that we achieved proportionate representation.
Looking to be a part of the change?
Continue reading this entry »
— Miden Wood
Tonight! Mystery writer Sue Grafton hosts a reading and book signing at Anderson Book Shop.
Tonight! Quimby's celebrates the release of David Moscovich's new novel, Eckhard Gerdes also reads.
Saturday! John Holl presents his new cookbook The American Craft Beer Cookbook at The Book Cellar.
Saturday! StoryCorps@ your library stops by the Lozano Library. Registration required.
Saturday! Ipsento Reading Series presents Larry O. Dean, Sara Tracey and Matthew Klane.
Saturday! Anna Lee Huber and Susanna Calkins, and Sunday! Libby Fischer Hellmann at Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore.
— Lara Levitan
Author Thu Sep 12 2013
Sarah Aronson is presenting her new novel, Believe, at an event that doubles as a fundraiser for Curt's Cafe. Though new to the Chicagoland area, YA aficionados might recognize her as the author of the acclaimed novels, Beyond Lucky and Head Case. Her latest book tells the story of Janine Collins, who is thrust into the spotlight for being the sole survivor of a suicide bombing. Ten years after the terrible attack, and much to Janine's discomfort, she has become a symbol of hope. Friends want her to use her fame for a cause and the media is eager to revisit her story. Even worse, Dave Armstrong, the man who saved her from the rubble, believes she has healing powers. Could he be right?
The launch party is on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 11am at Curt's Cafe, 2922 Central St. in Evanston. There will be readings by Laura Ruby, Jenny Mayerhoff, Brenda Ferber, Penny Blubach, Natalie Wainwright, Ellen Reagan, Ken Krimstein, Rachel Wilson and Ilene Cooper. If that's not reason enough to get up early on a weekend, then the raffle should do the trick. Guests have a chance to win a one month gift certificate to Bikram Yoga Evanston, Hot Spices, books, a beaded necklace, and a Believe silver necklace. The Book Stall will also be doing what it does best (i.e. sell books), and the café will provide tasty treats. All proceeds support Curt's Café, a non-profit organization provides training and job placement for at-risk-youth.
Let's give Aronson a warm Chicago welcome by helping this beloved local eatery!
Photo courtesy of Sarah Aronson's website
— Ines Bellina
Good spies aren't born; they're made. Such is the case for the genetically altered spies in The Orphan Trilogy, a series of international conspiracy thrillers by New Zealand authors James Morcan and Lance Morcan.
Chicago is featured prominently as the site of the Pedemont Orphanage, where 23 orphans acquire the skills to become stealthy, cold-blooded killers. James Morcan was happy to shed some light on how the city's famed work ethic influenced the decision to begin the story here, and to discuss whether we'll see any Pedemont Orphanage alums skulking around Chicago corners in the near future.
Continue reading this entry »
— Kathryn Pulkrabek
Author Thu Sep 12 2013
If you're an avid reader of the GB Book Club, you probably are a fan of storytelling and live lit events in Chicago. Perhaps you also read memoirs and creative nonfiction, or enjoy storytelling podcasts like The Moth and This American Life.
But with a love of live literature and personal storytelling, there also comes an aversion to certain topics. We've all been there. One minute you're laughing along to a hilarious, madcap story from a talented storyteller, the next you're rolling your eyes and uncomfortably shifting in your seat while someone blubbers creepily about stalking their ex-boyfriend or describes a bodily function in stomach-churning detail. Whether we are sick of a topic because it is too common or because it's just personally off-putting, we all have some storytelling pet peeves. So let's talk about a few, and then open the floor for you to share yours in the comments.
Continue reading this entry »
— Erika Price /
Author Wed Sep 11 2013
If you're like me, anything you know about Greek cuisine comes from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Do yourself a favor, put down the remote and crack open Christopher Bakken's new book Honey, Olives, Octopus: Adventures at the Greek Table. You won't find ruminations on pedestrian hummus or cheesy saganaki in these pages. Instead, Bakken takes readers on a journey around the archipelago that gets into the nitty-gritty of Greek staples: olives, bread, fish, cheese, meat, beans, wine, and honey. The result is a mouthwatering romp around the country, which never fails to celebrate the simplicity of ingredients nor the painstaking labor that makes that simplicity possible.
Bakken will present his book at the National Hellenic Museum on Thursday, September 12 at 6pm. The event is free with museum admission ($10 for adults, $8 for seniors/students, $7 for children over 3). Light refreshments will be served, and one can only hope that they're even half as good as the dishes he describes. Before his visit to Chicago, Book Club caught up with Bakken. We discussed impractical recipes, the Midwestern and Greek value system, the importance of grandmothers and, of course, his book.
Continue reading this entry »
— Ines Bellina
Reviews Tue Sep 10 2013
Chicago's Favorite Chicago Books is a series of reviews of fiction by Chicago authors. These books are chosen by YOU (and, well, me). To suggest a title I should review, comment here, tweet me @edenrobins and/or use the hashtag #faveChicagobooks!
I can't help it, I love books about Jews! Maybe I'm always looking to make sense of my own Jewishness, or maybe I just love the idea of inside jokes that the rest of the goyische world won't get. Give me more Purim jokes! And oh man, that Tu B'Shevat, amirite?
Point is, I was really stoked to read Adam Langer's Crossing California - so many Jewish inside jokes to chuckle at! And it takes place in Rogers Park! Andandand there's historical context too, as the novel spans the length of the Iranian hostage crisis to the inauguration of Reagan in 1981. I deeply admire fiction that weaves itself into actual historical events. Plus, it's a bildungsroman! And I just love saying bildungsroman. (Translation: Coming of age novel. Remember it and impress your friends!)
But there's a "but". I just wasn't crazy about this book.
Continue reading this entry »
— Eden Robins
Zero Fade, the debut novel by Chicago's own Chris L. Terry, is released by Curbside Splendor today. (Buy it, watch the live action video trailer, read our Q&A with Terry.) Just coming off a real-world book tour, Terry has begun a blog tour, stopping today at Book Club to share a hilarious account of band life versus author life. Read on, and check out the details of the Terry's entire virtual tour.
Last month, I did a book tour to promote my novel, Zero Fade. My wife Sharon and I rented a car and drove from Chicago to the East Coast, where I did readings at independent bookstores in Richmond, Philly, New York, Boston, Rochester and Pittsburgh. I set it up through friends in each city. It was a success. I sold over a hundred books, and since I only hit places where I'd lived or knew people, I constantly had the overwhelming, birthday-party-feeling of being surrounded by friends without the time to really talk to them. A nice problem to have. I felt like a rock star.
Continue reading this entry »
— Book Club
The Poetry Foundation kicks off their fall season of programming on Wednesday, September 11 at 7pm (reception at 6pm) with an evening devoted to the music of the British composer Benjamin Britten; specifically, music inspired by the poets W.H Auden and Edith Sitwell. Presented in partnership with the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago (kicking off their own second annual Collaborative Works Festival, "The Heart of the Matter: 100 Years of Benjamin Britten"), performers include soprano Kiera Duffy, pianist and CAIC executive director Shannon McGinnis, and tenor and CAIC artistic director Nicholas Phan. John Wilkinson, a poet and professor at the University of Chicago, will be on hand to provide some context. The event is free, though the limited number of advance tickets are now gone, so make sure to arrive early for this one, music and poetry lovers. And did I mention that there are refreshments being served? It's all happening at the Poetry Foundation, 61 West Superior Street.
— Emilie Syberg
The Book Cellar and Sulzer Regional Library co-host Chicago native Peter Orner for a discussion and book signing of his second collection of short stories, Last Car Over the Sagamore Bridge. The event takes place at Sulzer on Monday, September 9 at 6:30pm.
Described by Booklist as "an undisputed master of the short short story," Last Car Over the Sagamore Bridge consists of 51 stories, ranging in length from a paragraph to several pages. Though Orner skips through different cities and eras, the question of the reliability of memory provides the stories' unifying thread.
Orner is a past Guggenheim fellow and two-time Pushcart Prize award-winner whose recently reissued debut collection of short stories, Esther Stories, was a 2001 New York Times notable book. He has also written two novels and two works of non-fiction, and has appeared in Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Paris Review, Granta, and McSweeney's.
Photo of Peter Orner courtesy of peterorner.net.
— Kathryn Pulkrabek
Events Sat Sep 07 2013
Billed as Chicago's "most intimate storytelling night," This Much Is True features readers both seasoned and novice, telling true stories that are humorous and heartbreaking and everything in between. Hosted by one-man storytelling juggernaut Scott Whitehair, this popular event is tucked away in a cozy lounge and has an open and friendly atmosphere, so even if you can't drag your friends along with you, you'll undoubtedly meet a new friend once you're there. TMIT is a curated show, but you can sign up to be a reader at sister show Story Lab Chicago, sharing your wonderful, embarrassing, hilarious and tragic stories... prior storytelling experience (or lack thereof) unimportant. This month's readers include Whitehair, Stephanie Douglass, Bron Batten, Ken Krimstein, Jeff Miller, Natasha Tsoutsouris, and Megan Wells.
You'll find TMIT in the second floor lounge of Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro, the second Tuesday of every month. This month's show is on September 10 and starts at 7:30pm, but doors open at 6:45pm so get there early for a good seat. The show is free, but donations are always appreciated.
Photo courtesy of the TMIT website
— Eden Robins /
Author Sat Sep 07 2013
As veteran authors of the romance genre, Chicago-based Sherrill Bodine and Patricia Rosemoor have been crafting entangled love affairs for over two decades. Rosemoor has written 90 (that's right, 90) novels, many for the Harlequin Intrigue imprint (among others); and Bodine has written 19 novels, as well as a co-written comic book called Whispers From the Void.
In celebration of the release of the authors' first co-written novel, Written in the Stars (available in ebook format only), the duo will host a digital launch party at McNamara's restaurant (4328 West Irving Park Rd.) on Tuesday, September 10 at 6pm. The free event will also be streamed online, and viewers may download their copy at the same time (the goal is to reach 5,000 downloads in one hour.) To watch online, tune in here at 6pm on September 10.
Book Club caught up with Bodine and Rosemoor before the big event.
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— Lara Levitan /
Tonight! Quimby's hosts a reading from Brown & Proud Press's zine On Struggling.
Saturday! Kevin Smokler, author of Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven't Touched Since High School, speaks at The Book Cellar.
Saturday! The Jane Austen Society of North America presents "...in proportion to their family and income: Houses in Jane Austen's Life and Fiction" at the Harold Washington Library.
Saturday! Mac Lethal reads from Texts from Bennett at City Lit Bookstore.
Saturday! Chris L. Terry throws a launch party for coming-of-age novel Zero Fade at The Book Cellar.
Sunday! 2nd Story presents The Eye of the Storm: Stories of Chaos and Calm at Webster's Wine Bar.
— Lara Levitan
Author Thu Sep 05 2013
After attending his 20th high school reunion, Kevin Smokler realized he hadn't paid "a lick of attention" to his teachers or the books they taught-- not helpful to someone who'd always planned on writing books.
"Knowing that I hadn't read or barely remembered some of the basic greats felt like wanting to be the world's greatest florist and not knowing what photosynthesis was," Smokler said. "It was a giant hole in my education I wanted to patch up."
Hence Smokler's latest book, Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven't Touched Since High School.
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— Lara Levitan
"There is nothing like staying home for real comfort."
- Jane Austen, Emma
From Mr. Darcy's Pemberley to Fanny Price's Mansfield Park, the homes in Jane Austen's novels are nearly as important as the characters themselves. Growing up on the fringes of the landed gentry and relocating frequently as an adult due to uncertain financial circumstances, Austen observed and absorbed the details of homes that would become cornerstones of her novels.
Iris Lutz, President of the Jane Austen Society of North America, elaborates on the topic in an illustrated lecture, "...in proportion to their family and income: Houses in Jane Austen's Life and Fiction." The event takes place at the Harold Washington Library Center at 400 S. State Street on Saturday, September 7 at 2pm. It's hosted by the Jane Austen Society of North America - Greater Chicago Region. Bonnets recommended, but not required.
Photo of Jane Austen's house in Chawton courtesy of alresford.org
— Kathryn Pulkrabek
Author Thu Sep 05 2013
Samantha Irby's much anticipated collection of essays, Meaty, is out today. If you're not sure whether or not to purchase it, read contributor Alba Machado's and my discussion below! (Hint: Buy it.)
Mikaela: As somebody who had never read Samantha Irby's blog, Bitches Gotta Eat, I didn't know what I was in for, though I quickly found out. I feel that I know Samantha Irby better than I know most of my friends after reading this book, from her bowel movements and sex life to her experiences and hopes. I laughed a LOT and felt a bit emotional during some of the more serious essays. What was reading Meaty like for you, as someone who has read her blog?
Alba: I discovered Samantha Irby a couple of years ago, when she read for the Funny Ha-Ha series at the Hideout. She made me blush in the best way ever. It's a talent she has. It's not just that she talked about peeing on a man's face; it's that she did it in this absolutely candid, intimate check-this-freaky-shit-out kind of way that made her story seem somehow as ordinary as it was outrageous--something casual, something you'd laugh about over coffee. She has the gift that Toni Morrison says is the true test of a writer's power, to "familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar." Since then, I've gobbled up her online work, first the joke advice column that she wrote with Ian Belknap at irbyandian.com, "advice for jerks, written by assholes," then Bitches Gotta Eat. And of course, I was really excited to read Meaty. It did not disappoint. Laughs were had. Numerous times. But the book also veered into unexpectedly tragic terrain, and for that, I would have liked to have read it at a slower pace, given myself time to process and reflect on one chapter before moving onto the next. Meaty seems an appropriate name. You need time to chew on it!
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— Mikaela Jorgensen
The Chicago Architecture Foundation is offering a series of discounted tours and free lectures in collaboration with One Book, One Chicago through spring 2014. The tours and lectures are in support of the 2013-14 One Book, One Chicago selection, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, and the theme, "Migration - how has it shaped Chicago?"
The first tour is a Ukranian Village Walking Tour on Saturday, September 21, at a discounted rate of $5, while the first free lecture is a Discover Pilsen Talk on Saturday, November 16. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the Chicago Architecture Foundation or One Book, One Chicago.
— Kathryn Pulkrabek
Knuckles will soon be bare again. Trouble will once more be eaten and money once more shat. That's right, Book Clubbers. Starting on Monday, September 9 at 7pm, Write Club will return to Chicagoland for another season of literature as bloodsport, hosted by founder and "Overlord" Ian Belknap.
One of the driving forces behind the local and international "live lit" movement, which is growing fast, Write Club was named earlier this year the "Best Literary Event" by the Chicago Reader and the "Best Reading Series" by Chicago magazine, and for good reason. Back when the show first started in 2010, Belknap told TimeOut Chicago, "I want the show to take a can opener to my skull and punch me in the brain." And he meant it. Write Club packs one hell of a gray matter wallop.
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— Alba Machado
Events Tue Sep 03 2013
Let's face it, in a summer chock full of news, you've probably spent more time debating Skyler White's virtues than, say, discussing Syria. This might seem like another sign of humanity's imminent demise, but the truth is pop culture influences our society beyond meme creations. When you consider that Americans consume 1.27 TRILLION hours of media, you can't help but wonder the effect these messages have upon our psyche, especially when it comes to issues of gender and sexuality.
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— Ines Bellina
Events Tue Sep 03 2013
This fall is going to be busy for Chicago publisher Curbside Splendor as they are releasing six titles. The release party is part of the fourth installment of Words and Music this Thursday, September 5 at 9pm at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western. The event pairs reading with live music (hence the name) featuring authors of upcoming Curbside titles.
Readers and their associated books include Samantha Irby/Meaty, Joseph Bates/ Tomorrowland, Daniela Olszewska/Citizen J (on Curbside imprint Artifice Books), and Chris Terry/Zero Fade.
As for the music portion of the night, settle in for sets by Al Scorch, Tomorrow Kings and, DJ Nagasaki.
Words and Music is free with an RSVP. Books will be available for purchase.
— John Wawrzaszek
Author Tue Sep 03 2013
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Ever been embroiled in a book-club debate and wish you could just call up the author to ask what she was thinking? Oak Park's Buzz Café (905 S. Lombard) will go you one better: why not simply invite the author to the book-club meeting in person? On Thursday, September 19, at 7pm, the inaugural Community Book Club Night welcomes local author E.C. Diskin to chat about her Chicago-based legal thriller The Green Line with readers.
As readers nibble on a spread of appetizers and desserts, they'll delve into a discussion of naive lawyer protagonist Abby's quest to unravel a mystery she stumbles into late one night when she accidentally gets off the train in the Austin neighborhood. $10 gets you admission and snacks, or stop in ahead of time and pick up the book for an extra $14. The plot moves along at a clip, so attendees should still have plenty of time to read up.
Photo courtesy of Zol87/Wikimedia Commons.
— Daphne Sidor
Books Mon Sep 02 2013
I remember when I knew this Blago thing was officially huge. I was a relative newcomer to Chicago and had only recently started following its politics when a 10-year-old kid who lived at the high-rise where I worked wandered into the office one day and casually referenced Rod Blagojevich in conversation. Granted, he garbled his name in a way that I first mistook for something like "vaudeville voyager." Tough name for a kid to pronounce! But the character at the heart of the scandal wouldn't have been out of place on a Saturday-morning cartoon. Giant hair, froggy grin, panicked eyes. A villain in the comic mode for kids, sure to stay just this side of the line between risible and scary.
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— Daphne Sidor
Books Mon Sep 02 2013
In We Hope You Like This Song, author Bree Housley writes about the untimely death of her childhood best friend to preeclampsia. In Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, comedian and Ask Me Another host Ophira Eisenberg chronicles her sexy journey to romantic commitment.
Catch both of these whip-smart memoirists on Wednesday, September 4 at The Wine Goddess, 702 Main St. in Evanston at 6pm. The authors will read from and sign books at an event appropriately titled Read Between the Wines; the $5 cover includes a glass of wine that pairs with the reading. Who needs cheese when you've got great lit?
Image courtesy of Bree Housley's website.
— Lara Levitan
