Upcoming Events For Literary Folk

By Betsy Mikel in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 5, 2010 9:00PM

Tonight: Heidi Durrow, author of The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, will be at the Open Books store tonight. Her novel tells the story of the daughter of a Danish immigrant and a black G.I. and explores issues of race and identity. It won the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, which is awarded to fiction that addresses issues of social justice.
Open Books, 213 W Institute Pl., 6:30 p.m., free

Tonight: Mohammed Omer, a controversial Palestinian journalist and photographer who is the youngest to win the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism for his firsthand reporting on life in the Gaza strip, will be discussing his work, personal experience, and the struggle for Palestinian rights. Chicago-based author Ali Abunimah, author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse, will also join the conversation. For an in-depth profile of Mohammed Omer, read Haaretz story "Why did they treat me like that?"
Newberry Library, 60 W Walton, 7 p.m., free

Wednesday: John Green and David Levithan will be discussing their new book, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which their publicist described to us as "part Glee, part High School Musical, and all heart." It's about one gay teenager and one straight teenager who happen to have the same name and whose paths cross.
The Theatre Building, 1225 W Belmont, 7 p.m., $25 call 773.293.BOOK for tickets

Thursday: Kelly O'Connor McNees, whose first novel, The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, just came out, will be at Barnes & Noble. Her book is a fictionalized account of the secret life of the author Little Women, and her story is intertwined with plenty of research and real people from Alcott's life.
Barnes & Noble, 1441 W Webster, 7:30 p.m., free

Saturday: Chicago Desk Set, a newly formed group of bibliophiles, librarians, archivists, information professionals, and friends of libraries, will be collecting books for incarcerated teens and adolescents in Chicago. The books are the center of the event, but this is also a chance for those interested in the group to contribute ideas and questions as Chicago Desk Set grows and evolves.
The Grafton Pub and Grill, 4530 N Lincoln, 3 p.m. - 5 p.m., free