Upcoming Literary Goings-Ons

By Betsy Mikel in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 21, 2011 9:30PM

Tomorrow is looking to be a very literary Tuesday. Here are some events on our radar that we think it worthwhile to check out:

Funny Ha-Ha: Snow Joke: Claire Zulkey, author of An Off Year and contributor to all sorts of local publications, is back with another installment of her reading series. If you haven't guessed by the title, it's a funny one. You can expect to hear from some fellow funny people, a filmmaker, a tv critic and and a columnist.
Feb. 22, The Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia, 7 p.m., $5 donation at the door to benefit the Neighborhood Writing Alliance

The Moth StorySlam: It's the third Tuesday of the month, which means The Moth takes over Martyr's and packs it with eager bodies that love to hear a good story. This month, storytellers are invited to prepare a 5-minute tale on the "love hurts" theme. As always, seating is extremely limited, so arrive early. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets sell out pretty much immediately.
Feb. 22, Martyr's, 3855 N Lincoln, 8 p.m., $8, 21+

Self-Publishing Boot Camp: Chris-Tia Donaldson, a best-selling self-published author, will be reviewing some points on the self-publishing process, including the financial costs of publishing, marketing and selling a book, selling on Amazon and getting into Barnes & Noble, choosing a distributor and speaking to a core audience.
Feb. 22, Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St., 6 p.m., free with RSVP

There's some good stuff happening throughout of the rest of the week, too:

Sex With Strangers Wine Tasting: On Wednesday night, 2nd Story is teaming up with Steppenwolf for an event that includes stories from Jennifer Shin, and Doug Whippo, wine, food and a ticket to Laura Eason’s Sex With Strangers, a production that explores what happens when online and offline personalities intersect.
Feb. 23, Steppenwolf Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., 6 p.m., $55 via the Steppenwolf website or by calling 312.335.1650

Chicago’s Literati Networking Event: Dana Kaye, local book publicist and graduate of Columbia College's fiction writing department is bringing authors, playwrights and literary professionals together to mingle, brainstorm and collaborate. Take a step away from your solitary script or novel and come schmooze with others in Chicago's literary world and swap business cards.
Feb. 24, Sheffield's, 3258 N. Sheffield, 7 p.m., $15 advance purchase via www.ChicagoLiterati.eventbrite.com or $20 at the door.