Back to Our Future with David Sirota

By aaroncynic in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 22, 2011 6:00PM

Many Chicagoist readers no doubt have a good familiarity with the 80's. Whether we remember waiting for nuclear war watching Red Dawn, had a special affinity for Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties, or logged thousands of hours on an Atari playing River Raid and Missile Command, pop culture from the Reagan era burrowed its way deep into our collective psyche. On Thursday, columnist, author and radio host David Sirota will show readers exactly how much the 80's still effect our lives today at a special release of his new book “Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain The World We Live In Now.”

Sirota teams up with Nathan Rabin, head writer at the Onion's A.V. Club, in a free event by Jane Adams Hull House Museum and In These Times magazine at UIC on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Sirota will read excerpts from the book, throw out some 80's trivia questions to the audience and discuss the decade of decadence with Rabin. Afterwards, Sirota will stick around to sign a copy of “Back to Our Future...” If you want to check out some great examples of what's inside the pages of “Back to Our Future,” take a look at these two great essays from In These Times and Salon.com.

Back to Our Future with David Sirota and Nathan Rabin, 7 p.m. March 24 at UIC Student Center East Building, Cardinal Room (750 S. Halsted St.)