Cheap Books and Free Poems for Elgin Monkey Beast and You

By Anonymous in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 5, 2005 2:42PM

Why, oh why, did we just spend $40 last night on two (two!) books? Okay, so we're suckers for the shiny covers and undented corners, but books are for reading. So we're planning to repent, and buy even more books this weekend when two (two!) book fairs hit the area.

First off is the 35th Annual Book Fair put on by the Friends of the Oak Park Library. We hear it's one of the best in the area, with tons of books, most for just a buck or fifty cents. If you want first dibs, though, it'll set you back 5 dollars tonight--from 7 to 10 only. Get in free tomorrow from 9 AM to 5 PM. Don't let your fear of leaving the city keep you from the cheap literary goodness (though we readily admit that the suburbs are scary): just take the Green Line (toward Harlem) to the Ridgeland stop, then walk a couple blocks north and a couple blocks west to Oak Park River Forest High School, 201 N. Scoville Ave. Here's a map (see the rightmost rail-dot on the bottom for the Ridgeland stop). Now go.

If you're feeling a little less adventurous, but still in need of some good, cheap books, we suggest you check out the St. Peter's Episcopal Church's Annual Sidewalk Book Fair this Saturday and Sunday in Lakeview. To be honest, we don't know much about it, but from their events schedule, it appears that parishoners sorted books every Saturday morning for 5 weeks, so there's gotta be something there. It starts tomorrow at 9:30 and continues 'til 4. Same hours on Sunday, all at 621 W. Belmont.

Finally, if you have no money, if you're downtown and hungry for some poetry, or if you're just sitting in your apartment doing nothing, get to Millenium Park for your very own free and original poem. At the Poetry Hot Dog Cart, order up a dish from poetry slam guru Marc Smith. He and the Stirring Things Up Poetry Ensemble will write and perform verse on the spot. Both days this weekend and next from 11-5.