More Details On Chicago Book Expo In Uptown

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Wow!  We just got a press release of all the events happening along with the Chicago Book Expo and there's a lot going on in Uptown.  It all begins next week.  We are thrilled Uptown was chosen for this event.

Auxiliary events include the Preface Reading Series November 14–18, a literary nonprofit fair on November 19, a world-premiere commission of Chicago rock-band Joan of Arc performed to accompany Charlie Chaplin’s His New Job on November 19, architectural tours by Chicago Architecture Foundation on November 20, and a complete offering of author readings, workshops, children’s activities and other special programs.

• JOAN OF ARC.  On Saturday, November 19 at 8p.m., Chicago rock band Joan of Arc will take the stage at Charlie Chaplin Auditorium, St. Augustine College (1345 W. Argyle Ave), a former sound stage of Essanay Studios, and premier a new commissioned soundtrack to Chaplin’s first Chicago-made, Essanay Studios produced silent film, His New Job. Chicago Writers House commissioned this new work as a contemporary gesture acknowledging Uptown’s creative connections, understood historically through the development of cinema and jazz and seen today with the district’s relevance to concert programming. It is also book-related: Joan of Arc’s lead singer Tim Kinsella’s published his first novel, The Karaoke Singer’s Guide to Self-Defense, with Chicago’s Featherproof Books earlier this fall.
  
  Opening for Joan of Arc will be the poet and performer Luis Humberto Valadez and other special guests to be confirmed. Tickets for Joan of Arc are $10, or $5 with at least $10 in receipts from Chicago Book Expo. Advance tickets can be purchased at Chicago Book Expo (4720 N. Broadway) from 10a.m.–6p.m. on Saturday, November 19. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door of Chaplin Auditorium, St. Augustine College (1345 W. Argyle Ave).

• PREFACE READING SERIES.  The Preface Reading Series is a curated string of author readings occurring at different Uptown venues for the five nights preceding the Chicago Book Expo. Events include:
  
  - 11/14 Ear Eater at Uptown Lounge (1136 W. Lawrence Ave.), 8:30-9:30pm.  Ear Eater is a semi-monthly series curated by MFA students at the University of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Authors for Ear Eater #11 include Sara Levine (author of TREASURE ISLAND!!!), Adam Jameson (author of Amazing Adult Fantasy) and Zach Dodson (author of boring boring boring boring boring boring boring).
  
  - 11/15 Two With Water at Annoyance Theatre (4830 N. Broadway Ave.), 6:30-7:15pm.  Two With Water hosts the Rx Reading Series. Featured authors for Preface include James Tadd Adcox, Jacob Knabb, Muyassar Kurdi, Josh Sinason and Mike Smolarek, all who will perform short works on the theme “Take two with water.” ($2 suggested donation goes to printing second issue of Two With Water.)
  
  - 11/16 Neighborhood Writing Alliance at Bezazian Branch Library (1226 W. Ainslie St.), 6-8pm.  Neighborhood Writing Alliance hosts their community writing workshop based on writing prompts at 6pm, and at 7pm attendees will read their work in a public setting. Both workshop and reading are free and open to anyone who wishes to attend.
  
  - 11/17 Artifice Magazine at The SoFo Tap (4923 N. Clark St.), 7-8pm.  Artifice Magazine hosts a reading with Kathleen Rooney (author of For You, For You I Am Trilling These Songs), Devin King (author of CLOPS), Andrew Farkas (author of Self-Titled Debut), Jen Besemer (work appears in REM Magazine, Pank and others) and Fred Sasaki (with work in Iowa Review, Pax Americana and others).
  
  - 11/18 Write Club at Max’s Place (4621 N. Clark St.), 7:30-8:30pm.  Write Club is set up like a boxing match. The night usually features dueling writers who are assigned two opposing themes (e.g., Fate versus Free Will or Mind versus Body) and are given exactly seven minutes to expound on the topic, with proceeds going to the winners charity of choice. In this event, a special edition of Write Club settles on Uptown, with host Ian Belknap at the helm.

• NONPROFIT FAIR.  Chicago Book Expo open hours on Saturday, November 19, include a literary and educational nonprofit and service organization fair. The following organizations will have tables of information and staff to answer questions:

• 826CHI
• Alderman Harry Osterman, 48th Ward
• Center for Book and Paper Arts
• Chicago Architecture Foundation
• Chicago Filmmakers
• Chicago Public Library
• ChicagoPublishes.com
• Chicago Screenwriters
• Chicago Writers Association
• Chicago Zine Fest
• Friends of the Uptown
• Neighborhood Writing Alliance
• Open Books
• Poetry Foundation
• Read/Write Library (formerly Chicago Underground Library)
• St. Augustine College
• Story Week
• Summer Forum
• Uptown United

• Throughout the weekend, Chicago Public Library will be registering guests for library cards, and Open Books will be accepting donations of gently used books for their bookstore, with all their sales supporting literacy programming and events.

• ARCHITECTURE TOURS.  On Sunday, November 20, Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) will lead three special 1-hour walking tours of Uptown. Tours will depart from the Uptown Broadway Building (4701 N. Broadway) every half-hour from 12:30p.m. until 1:30p.m. Tours are free for CAF members, $10 for the public and $8 for guests of Chicago Book Expo. Space is limited and advance booking is recommended. To purchase tickets in advance, visit caf.architecture.org/uptown. For discount code, email writershouseproject@gmail.com.

• ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING.  Author readings, free workshops, children’s activities and more will take place at Chicago Book Expo on both Saturday, November 19, and Sunday, November 20. All activities listed below are free, but space is limited in workshops and kids’ activities. Please check www.chicagowritershouse.org for times and details.

Panels:

• In the Shadow of Borders.  Moderator: John Rich, Chicago Writers House.  Panelists: Jonathan Messinger, TimeOut Books editor and co-founder/editor of Featherproof Books, Danielle Chapman, City of Chicago Publishing Industry Programs, and others
• Writing for Theatre with the Reader.  Hosted by and with writers from Chicago Reader
• Writing in Uptown with the Reader.  Hosted by and with writers from Chicago Reader
• Today and Tomorrow Through the Critical Lens.  Panelists: Joseph Altshuler, editor-in-chief SOILED Journal, Jonny Thakkar, co-founder of The Point Magazine, and others
• Cookbooks—Beyond the Recipe.  Panelists: Sarah Levy, author of Sweetness and owner of Sarah’s Pastries and Candies, Anupa Singla, author of Indian Slow Cooker, and Viktorija Todorovska, author of Puglian Cookbook

Workshops

• A Flash in the Pan: Getting Started on Short Short Stories Kathleen Rooney, Rose Metal Press
• Bind Your Own Book.  Regin Igloria, North Branch Projects
• Notes for a People’s Atlas. Dave Pabellon (peoplesatlas.com)

Readings and Performances

• Fire Talk With Me: The Reader-as-Endurance Performer.  Davis Schneidermann
• Reading Experiment in Progress.  Jennifer Karmin
• Read/Write Library Presents... (formerly Chicago Underground Library)
• Plus readings from Curbside Splendor and authors of Miss Nyet Publishing, Allium Press, Nan Bu Nan Publishing, Rose Metal Press, Chicago Center for Literature and Photography, Wolfsword Press and Lake Street Press.

Just for kids and young adults!

• Eco-Friendly Readings and Activities for Kids. Grow Books Press authors and illustrators present readings and workshops related to their series of eco-friendly books for urban kids with themes ranging from school yard bullies to making big decisions. All stories are based, written and illustrated in Chicago. The "Imagination" workshop will ignite the creativity of kids ages 5-12 in imagining their perfect world.
• Environmental Reading and Activity-Book Making. Tim Magner, Green Sugar Press
• Workshop with 826CHI.  Four hours of student and student-parent workshops with the expert writing tutors at 826CHI

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Chicago Reader and CHIRP Radio are media partners.  @properties, Cole Taylor Bank and St. Augustine College are venue sponsors.  Chicago’s 48th Ward Alderman Harry Osterman, the City of Chicago’s Office of Tourism and Culture and the City of Chicago’s Publishing Industry Programs have provided additional support.

More information, regular updates and previous press releases are available at www.chicagowritershouse.org