I’ve liked George Saunders’ since I read his short story collection Pastoralia as a freshman in college. I’d never read anything like it. There was a historical re-enactment theme park, […]
The Newberry Consort, an early music ensemble, dedicated its current performances to Queen Christina of Sweden in an evening of music and story about the distinctive royal figure. The Queen: […]
Today marks Sweet Home Chicago’s 180th birthday. Born as a town in 1833 and becoming a full-grown city in 1837, Chicago is a city that’s always thriving. After being completely burned to […]
Mookie and J.C., two black boys from the South Side of Chicago, find the body of a notorious gangster in an alley. It’s the 1960s, and while heroin hasn’t yet […]
Alec Baldwin will take a break from wearing orange this spring to speak at Chicago Ideas’ Curiosity Series. The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor and writer will be talking about […]
Out of the Basement: From Cheap Trick to DIY Punk in Rockford, Illinois, 1973-2005 is an autobiographical look at how the punk music scene started in David Ensminger’s hometown of Rockford, […]
James Tadd Adcox’s new novella is available in paperback and ebook on Cobalt Press. He will be reading at the Sunday Salon at the Riverview Tavern (1958 W Roscoe) on Sunday January […]
As soon as we enter Donika Kelly’s Bestiary through its first poem, “Out West”, we undergo a transformation. Under Kelly’s invitation to “rely… on the thrumming wilderness of self,” we expand […]
Najeeb’s childhood dream was to become a goatherd. His dream comes true, but in the form a nightmare. Benyamin’s Goat Days follows the twisted turns of Najeeb’s life. First published in […]
Special thanks to the Facebook group Chicago Activist Writers who supplied many of the events and descriptions in this round-up. If you’re looking to attend readings and events surrounding and […]
Without debating whether it’s appropriate to say 2016 was a hard year, it’s undoubtedly been a pivotal year, especially for the Chicago lit scene. The Chicago Review of Books, a […]
“I was about to speak to her/ but hesitated when I realized/ she was browsing through/ the Self-Help section,” writes Barry Gifford in his poem “In a Used Bookstore.” Appearing […]