Events, Lit, Live lit events, Nonfiction

Dialogs: CHF Panel Explores Racist Corners of American History in What’s Next: Wealth, Property and Inequality

Reported by C.E. Archer-Helke In a Chicago Humanities Festival panel moderated by Chicago journalist Natalie Moore, economist William Darity, legal scholar Matthew L.M. Fletcher, and historian Rebecca K. Marchiel brought […]

Guest Author /
Interviews, Lit, Stages

Dialogs: Ayad Akhtar’s Homeland Elegies Reflects on Dreams of American Identity

Ayad Akhtar’s new novel, Homeland Elegies, begins like a memoir. Written in the first person, it’s about the narrator’s Pakistani immigrant father who believes in the American dream. Father was […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Events, Lit, Live Lit, Stages

Dialogs: Two Screenwriters Talk About Their New Novels—Utopia Avenue and Antkind

It was just serendipity that the Chicago Humanities Festival scheduled two screenwriters with hot new novels two weeks in a row for their livestream show. Well, serendipity and the fact […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Events, Lit, Stages, Virtual

Political Coverage Has Turned Into Theater Reviews, CBS’ John Dickerson Says in CHF Event

The news media could enhance the work of a President in the White House by asking the right questions during the campaign, John Dickerson, CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent, said during […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Live Lit, Stages

Historian Adam Hochschild on Activist Rose Pastor Stokes in Humanities Festival Event

Rose Pastor Stokes was born poor, married rich and became an activist and agitator most of us have never heard of. Historian  Adam Hochschild tells her story in his new […]

Nancy S Bishop /
Events, Lit, Stages

Review: Sarah Vowell’s Acerbic “Past and Present” Closes Chicago Humanities Festival

Narrative nonfiction titan Sarah Vowell closed the diverse and well-curated Chicago Humanities Festival’s 30th anniversary “Power” juggernaut Sunday at Francis W. Parker School in Lincoln Park, showcasing her acerbic wit […]

Karin McKie /
Event, Fiction, Lit, Stages

George R.R. Martin Discusses Influences, Inclusion & Diversity in Sci-Fi/Fantasy at Humanities Festival

Commencing last week with journalist and author Ta-Nehisi Coates, the Chicago Humanities Festival continues to celebrate its 30th anniversary in full force with acclaimed author George R.R. Martin being the […]

Adam Prestigiacomo /
Lit, Live lit events, Stages

Ta-Nehisi Coates Brilliantly Inaugurates the 30th Chicago Humanities Festival

MacArthur Fellow (genius award) writer Ta-Nehisi Coates launched the Chicago Humanities Festival’s impressive 30th anniversary “Power” season with an engaging and lively discussion on October 2 at UIC’s Dorin Forum. […]

Karin McKie /
Lit, Live lit events

340 Days Spent 250 Miles Above Earth: Astronaut Scott Kelly Shares Lessons at Chicago Humanities Festival

When former astronaut Captain Scott Kelly took his first flying test for the U.S. Navy, he nearly crashed when he landed. His instructor asked, “are you sure this is a […]

Colin S. Smith /
Lit, Live lit events, Reviews

Roxane Gay, Camille Paglia and Jessa Crispin at War in My Head

Jessa Crispin, book

Several weeks ago, I went to hear Roxane Gay read from her latest book Hunger as a part of the Chicago Humanities Festival Now summer programming. The event fell on […]

Emma Terhaar /
Fiction, Lit, Live lit events

George Saunders, Pop Culture Phenom, Comes to Chicago

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, […]

Emma Terhaar /
Comedy, Live lit events

Trevor Noah on His Mother and Donald Trump in Discussion at the Music Box

The last day of the Chicago Humanities Festival ended at the Music Box Theatre with a discussion between the “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah and the editor of his memoir, Chris Jackson. […]

Colin S. Smith /