It'll Be Just Like Back in the Day
By Anonymous in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 7, 2005 3:20PM
Hey, remember those elementary school book fairs, when you got to skip math for the day and go to the library to stock up on the Berenstain Bears and, later, Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume? Chicagoist does, which is why we’re so excited for this weekend’s Printer’s Row Book Fair.
Billed as the “largest free literary event in the Midwest,” the Printer’s Row Book Fair is the ultimate book fair for grown-ups and kids alike. And while attending may be free, the fair features five tented blocks of exhibitors selling new, used, and antiquarian books, so we know we’ll find a worthwhile way to spend some dough. Besides being a way to fatten your bookshelves, the day is also packed with author readings, book signings and panel discussions, featuring some of our favorite writers from Chicago and beyond.
Nick Hornby, superstar British author of High Fidelity, About a Boy, and Fever Pitch (yes, they were all books first), will be appearing "in conversation with" Elizabeth Taylor (not Dame Elizabeth Taylor, we assume) on Saturday at 1. Or, see local author Kevin Guilfoile talk about his book Cast of Shadows. Also on Saturday, you can see Studs Terkel with Elizabeth Taylor and Rick Kogan at the Harold Washington Library Center Auditorium at 10 am, or Chris Ware, also at 10, in the Multi-Purpose Room at Harold Washington. For events at the library, you’ll need a (free!) ticket, so get on over to the Printer’s Row site to reserve a spot.
On Sunday, blogger and author Wendy McClure is appearing both solo at 12:30 and together with Paula Kamen and Amy Krouse Rosenthal at 2 pm for a presentation titled "Art of the Memoir: Turning Lemons into Lemonade."
Needless to say, it’s going to be an awesome weekend of literary fun, and we’re letting you know early so you have time to make the big decisions we’re in agony over. Guilfoile or Hornby? Terkel or Ware? (Hint: Hornby will also be at the State Street Borders on Friday at 12:30.) Find a complete schedule here (pdf), and don’t forget to check your bank balance—you’ll want to make sure it’s ready for your upcoming acquisition of all those pretty, pretty books.