Chicago Is Lit: Independent Bookstore Day and More Spring Events
For regular readers of this column, Saturday’s Independent Bookstore Day is likely as highly anticipated as the Super Bowl (if not more so). If you haven’t made your game day […]
Chicago Is Lit: A Literary Pub Crawl & More February Events
Authors are frequently asked, “When is your book coming out?” I heard this question when I finished the first draft of my novel, and while I was editing the sixth […]
Channeling Book Fair Nostalgia: Call & Response Books’ Grown Up Book Fair
By: Holly Smith Many adult readers remember, with a good dose of nostalgia, the excitement and awe they felt at the annual Scholastic Book Fair. Books were trundled into the […]
Glögg and Carols at Simon’s Tavern
They come every year around this time, gathering at the long bar or huddling around the worn wooden tables. Many stand in the middle of the floor shoulder to shoulder […]
Chicago Is Lit: Poetry Brothel and More December Events
Chicago’s literary scene heats up this weekend at the relaunch of the Poetry Brothel’s local chapter. For those who like their poetry with a side of burlesque, this event bills […]
Feature: The Booker Prize Brings Together Book Lovers Worldwide in a Virtual Book Club
Tuesday, November 12, was an exciting day—it was Oscars night for book nerds. That was the day the Booker Prize, the most prestigious literary prize in the world, was awarded. […]
Dialogs: Five-Star Authors in a Five-Star City
The Chicago Humanities Festival brought two midwest authors to Northwestern’s campus last Saturday afternoon and a packed crowd of literature lovers. Rebecca Makkai and Indiana’s John Green had the audience […]
Dialogs: “The Only Moral Is Run!” – R. L. Stine at the Chicago Humanities Festival
This Guest Post was written by Holly Smith I entered the Music Box Theatre with anticipation. I was there to see the first episode of the Goosebumps TV show and […]
Feature: The Red Devil Lady Presides Over Chaotic Fun – Quimby’s and Zine Club Chicago’s Anniversary Celebration
By Guest Author Holly Smith The Mothership “Quimby’s is the mothership,” proudly declares Cynthia E. Hanifin, producer of Zine Club Chicago which often meets at the bookstore at 1854 W. […]
12 Years of Crafting Mad Science: Kate McKinnon Discusses Her New Book The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science
By Guest Writer Holly Smith A Cosplayer Welcome As I sat down in the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture to see a live interview with comedian Kate McKinnon about […]
2024 One Book, One Chicago Celebrates Intersection of Gaming, Art, and Literacy
As a child, going to the library with my mother was a beloved weekly event. I vividly remember browsing through the hard-copy card catalog and wandering the stacks searching for […]
Chicago Is Lit: Printers Row Lit Fest and More September Events
Avid book lovers can be a solitary bunch—after all, it’s hard to lug our stacks (and stacks) of books around a party. But that is exactly what’s about to go […]