Great Chicago Books Club: Grady Chambers’s Great Disasters

Grady Chambers's debut novel, Great Disasters, is a deeply introspective novel in which the narrator reflects back on his adolescence as a way to figure out how his life evolved. The story centers around a tight-knit group of private high school friends, living in the Chicago Gold Coast neighborhood. "What happened to make us all what we are?" seems to be the underlying question the narrator attempts to answer. Tin House published the book just this past September, to nearly unanimous praise. It's a great novel--a great Chicago novel--worthy of an extended conversation. Grady previously published the poetry collection North American Stadiums, which won the Max Ritvo Poetry Prize. He will travel from Philadelphia to take part in our discussion of Great Disasters. There will be appetizers and drinks. A copy of the novel is included in the registration fee of $40. Chicago Founding Executive Director Donald G. Evans will moderate the chat, but this will be an intimate gathering (maximum of 20 people) in which everybody's questions and thoughts will be encouraged. Registration is now soon.