by Ken Trainor Harriette Gillem Robinet’s life story comprises a long list of intriguing distinctions: She was the granddaughter of a slave. She grew up in an all-black neighborhood in Washington D.C. She traveled a long way, to the almost all- white College of New Rochelle near New York City…

read more

by Arthur Ade Amaker The word according to Oscar: “Here’s how it is: how I became a living legend I will never know. For 40 years, I’ve tried to make a public spectacle of myself with a paucity of publicity. This is interesting considering where I come from...I had a fairly…

read more

by Gerald R. Butters, Jr. In one fundamental way, Dr. Timuel Black, Jr. was similar to the fictional character of Forrest Gump and that was he seemed to be involved in virtually every major cultural and political event of his time. If someone was famous, Black knew him or her. If there was a…

read more

by Allison Manley I’m biased, but I think the most important lit event this month is the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. On Saturday, July 12 at 1 p.m. at Woodson Regional Library (9525 S Halsted St), we are adding the great writers Timuel Black, Oscar Brown, Jr., and…

read more

by Donald G. Evans The American Writers Museum is always busy. You could be relatively fulfilled and happy doing nothing else but going to AWM’s museum exhibits and programs. Again, though, we have to choose. I chose to go to the Studebaker Theatre (Fine Arts Building) on Monday, June 23, for…

read more

by Donald G. Evans On Wednesday, June 18, I went to Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) for CPCC’s Summer Poetry Gathering. This was the final in a year-long series of programs to commemorate the organization's half-century of existence. It seems forever ago when I went to the Poetry…

read more

by Donald G. Evans On Wednesday, June 4, I headed to the Chopin Theatre to watch a screening of Old Heart, the excellent 2015 Peter Ferry novel that Roger Rapoport adapted. Peter died last September 17, though he did see the film screened in Michigan before he passed. Gary Houston introduced the…

read more

by Donald G. Evans Literature is a portal into place, at least that’s how I use it. When I land in an unfamiliar city, I seek out the bookstores. I find author birthplaces and statues and museums. I’ve done a few literary pub crawls. Sometimes, I go to the libraries. These adventures…

read more

by Robert Loerzel Ronald L. Fair (1932–2018), an African American writer born and raised in Chicago, is best known for his excellent 1966 novel Hog Butcher, which tells the story of a Black youth killed by Chicago police when he’s mistaken for a burglary suspect. Booklist…

read more