A Look Ahead at Chicago Lit: June

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 those activities let you take advantage of the gorgeous weather! At the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, we are hosting a literary walking tour in Uptown on Saturday, June 28. While we’re out of tickets, you can learn more here. There’s also plenty of walking tour events offered by the Chicago History Museum (CHM) throughout the summer and throughout different parts of the city. While they may not be literary focused, I’m confident that some of the tours will highlight some of the beloved writers that made this city a literary powerhouse. Learn more about the CHM walking tours here. 

If you want to do a unique Chicago-history tour this month and you also want to dress up fancy, join the Literacy in Bloom Annual Spring Gala for Literary Chicago. Literary Chicago has done great work supporting adult literacy in the city. Attending the gala will not only support this great organization, but you’ll also have a great time enjoying the grounds, bidding at the silent auction, and eating tasty bites. The gala takes place at the Glessner House (1800 S Prairie Ave). It’s a particularly apt setting for the event; per the Glessner House website, the home’s Gilded Age matriarch, Frances Macbeth Glessner, hosted a regular reading group for her married gal-pals. The group brought in professional readers to read while ladies worked on their sewing projects for decades. The house also has what might be the best designed Little Free Library in Chicago. The gala is Thursday, June 5 at 5:30 p.m. (which is when the house tour begins). Check it out for yourself: Learn more about the gala here, and purchase tickets here. 

And if you want to dress up just because, go to Zine Prom on Thursday, June 5 at 5 p.m. in the Marz Brewing Taproom (3630 S Iron St). While I’m sure there’s no dress code, there is a best dressed contest! Dust off your suit and learn more about Zine Prom on the Chicago Zine Fest Instagram here.

Take your pick of the book fairs in Chicago this month: there are so many fantastic festivals to choose from. On Saturday, June 7 at 11 a.m., stop by Planting Seeds: An Indigenous Zine Fest at the Newberry Library (60 W Walton St). Not only will artists sell zines and artwork, but artists will lead hands-on activities as well. Learn more about Planting Seeds here. Once you’ve stocked up on zines, stop by the Haymarket Books Radical Used Book Fair. The only thing more radical than a new book is a used book, and there will be plenty to choose from. Stop by 800 W Buena Ave (Haymarket House – a great space in its own right) on Saturday, June 7 at 11 a.m. Learn more about the Radical Used Book Fair here. 

Visit the Englewood Summer Book Fest, hosted by the Wood Street Collective, on Saturday, June 7 at 2 p.m. The book fair will be at the Lindblom Math & Science Academy at 6130 S Wolcott Ave (a gorgeous building!) and will have book sales, music, giveaways, and more. Learn more about the Englewood Summer Book Fest here. And finally, on Saturday June 7 at 10 a.m., visit the Gerber / Hart LGBTQ+ Library and Archives (6500 N Clark St) to purchase books, tchotchkes, and more. Buy 1-2 books, or buy a bag or box of books at a discount. Learn more about the Gerber / Hart Book and Rummage sale here.

We have our own year-round festival in Chicago in the Chicago Humanities Festival; some important players are on this season’s roster. Rumors of Mark Twain’s death are no longer exaggerated, but his wit, heart, and spirit live on in Mark Twain, the new book by epic biographer Ron Chernow. You might know Chernow from his biography of Hamilton, which of course helped launch one of the most popular musicals of all time. Chernow talks about this new book on Tuesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. at First Methodist Church of the Chicago Temple (77 W Washington St). Learn more and purchase a ticket for Chernow’s event here. And on ​​Saturday, June 7 at 2 p.m. at the Art Institute of Chicago’s Rubloff Auditorium (230 S Columbus Dr), comic book legend Alison Bechdel talks about her new fiction-like memoir Spent. Purchase a ticket/learn more about Bechdel’s event here.

Don’t skip this month’s Evanston events. Join the Summer Jam and Lit Fest on Saturday, June 7 at 12 p.m. at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center (1655 Foster St, Evanston). Learn more here. Also, on Wednesday June 11 at 6 p.m., stop by Evanston bookstore Bookends and Beginnings for the launch of Robert P. Baird’s novel The Nimbus. In The Nimbus, “the toddler son of a divinity school professor starts to glow.” (Fun fact: Baird has a PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity school.) Baird joins us from Brooklyn, and while he’s a seasoned writer, this is his first novel. Learn more here.

If you’ve read this feature (A Look Ahead) before, you know that I’m interested in Chicago-based writing groups. As someone who is easily distracted while writing, I was delighted to see that two writing events are for attendees who can keep to themselves: both Silent Reading and Writing Night, and Shut Up and Write! Chicago. Silent Reading and Writing Night takes place on the first Thursday of the month (this month, it’s Thursday, June 5) at 6 p.m. at necessary & sufficient coffee (728 S Dearborn St). Shut Up and Write! meets across the country, and their next Chicago event is on Wednesday, June 4 at 5:30 p.m. at Potbelly (205 W Randolph St). Learn more about Silent Reading and Writing Night here, and learn more about Shut Up and Write! Chicago here. 

I’ll also mention two silent reading events at two bookstores. Call and Response Books’s event Do Not Disturb is another introvert-friendly lit event that encourages quiet time. The next iteration is Friday, June 13 at 7 p.m. at Call and Response Books (1390 E Hyde Park Blvd). Learn more about Do Not Disturb and RSVP here. Da Book Joint (6900 S Stony Island Ave) is also hosting a Shut Up and Read event on Friday, June 6 at 7 p.m. At 8:30 p.m., you can stick around, mingle, and shop after hours. While you’re there, check out their house-affiliated perfumes and let me know what you think. Learn more about and RSVP for Shut Up and Read here. 

We have lots of indie publishers in Chicago, many of which are listed on our Chicago Publishing Houses list here and our Chicago Literary Magazines and Journals list here. A few new kids on the block include Gab Magazine, Raging Opossum Press. Raging Opossum celebrates its 1-year anniversary on Friday, June 13 at Cafe Mustache (2313 N Milwaukee Ave). The open mic starts at 7 p.m., followed by karaoke at 10 p.m. Learn more on Raging Opossum Press’s instagram page. Gab is launching issue 2 of their peppy, style-focused literary magazine (they have already sold out of their first issue). Grab a copy of the magazine, celebrate the launch, and re-live the grade school field day experience on Saturday, June 14 at 12 p.m. in Kosciuszko Park. Learn more on Gab’s Instagram page.

Another Chicago-based publisher, From Beyond Press, will release Kyle Winkler’s new book Enter the Peerless. Winkler’s horror novel Grasshands has been on my TBR list for a while, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to grab a copy of both books at the Enter the Peerless launch on Saturday, June 14 at 4 p.m. at Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records (3182 N. Elston Ave). Learn more about the event here. The launch is part of a pocket-sized fest called (Heads in a) Cooler by the Lake, which is a series of events that lets Chicago-based horror lit fans enjoy Stokercon weekend without braving the terrors and horrors of Connecticut.

I realize that this particular month’s A Look Ahead favors events that take place in the beginning of the month. If you’re really busy the next two weeks and you can’t attend any of the events above, you can always check our Live Lit page to find lit events that take place regularly. We couldn’t possibly feature them all here. And of course, many bookstores in Chicago regularly have book events like launches and author talks. Read our list of Chicago bookstores here. 

What are you up to next month? Feel free to send us a note at newswire@chicagoliteraryhof.org if you have ideas or suggestions for future A Look Ahead features. 

Allison Manley writes short stories and book reviews, and works at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has been published in The Chicago Reader, Third Coast Review, the Southern Review of Books, Oyez Review, Not Deer Magazine, and The Gateway Review. She is an Associate Board member of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. 

If you know of any literary events you’d like us to feature for July or future months, please send a note to newswire@chicagoliteraryhof.org.