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…

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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…

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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…

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By Jasminum McMullen Writuals explores how our city’s rich literary heritage, cultural diversity, and iconic spaces inspire routines that fuel the work of local authors.     Me'Lo The Generation Hero is anything but mellow. Full of upbeat, motivational Hip-hop, she has an…

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by Allison Manley I find that some of my favorite activities – theatre/shows, and campus lectures – take a break this time of year. Fortunately, this summertime pause doesn’t seem to affect the lit scene. June is full of things to do in the Chicago literary community, and many of…

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By Jane Hseu The East and West Coasts may get more attention for Asian American literature, but Chicago more than holds its own in terms of literature about and by Asian Americans.   CLHOF Zoom Reading on Thursday, May 29th, 7 p.m. As part of the celebration of Asian/Pacific American…

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I Be’s An Act of Grammar in Black Literature              (for Patricia Smith)   by Ed Roberson   Ask for your taste    your tongue   about to get a workout  …

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by Allison Manley  We are well into Spring, which means that the hours of sunlight during the day – and my TBR list – are getting longer. I’ll probably add even more books to my to-read pile after our event Celebrating Chicago’s Asian American Literary Community: A Zoom…

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by Jasminum McMullen  Writuals explores how our city's rich literary heritage, cultural diversity, and iconic spaces inspire routines that fuel the work of local authors.    Deana "Dean" Anderson has been a powerful voice for sisterhood since 2001, when she first began performing…

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