You may say that I am coming off a big bookfair high, and maybe I am. But this Thanksgiving I am thankful for the Chicago literary community. I am grateful to be part of a creative community where so many people are devoted to writing and working at making books. To be around literary thinkers is a heady experience—there’s a great vibe. And what is even better is that these people are nice and fun and supportive of each other. Since October I’ve been part of three … [Read more...]
Stoking my love for Chicago
I love Chicago but I don't love the politics, the gun violence, the segregation and probably a few other things if I thought about it some more. But this past weekend I forgot about the negatives and rediscovered my love for Chicago. That's because it was Chicago Architecture Foundation's Open House Chicago. This free city-wide event has been around for three years now, and each year, I find something more to love about Chicago. Plus, the event is so well run and all the … [Read more...]
Glimpse of Solace: Kathy Buckland, Open House Chicago
Big thanks to Kathy Buckland for these glamorous shots of Chicago. Kathy is a photographer from Glenview, IL, who goes exploring with her camera just about every weekend. … [Read more...]
Upcoming May readings: Weaving the Threads, Barry Silesky
Last night I went to the very moving launch of Weaving the Threads at Evanston Library. The room was filled to capacity and the audience was captivated by the memoirs read from this anthology. Editor Enid Baron talked about how the book came to be and emphasized that everyone has a story and should tell it. There is another reading for the book this Sunday at Women and Children First Book Store in Andersonville. At the reading I ran into Sharon Solwitz who told me that … [Read more...]
Everything’s looking up at Dearborn Street Station
This photograph was taken during the Printers Row Lit Fest. Weighed Words had a table in the Chicago Publishes tent, which was almost smack dab in the middle of Dearborn, and this is what I looked at during my two days of schmoozing and selling. Here's a link if you'd like to know a little more about Dearborn Street Station and historic Printers Row. More to come soon! … [Read more...]