Sugar, The Rumpus Come To 826 Chicago

By Alexander Hough in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 27, 2012 6:40PM

The Association of Writers and Writing Programs - acronymed AWP because writing is hard - is holding its annual conference in Chicago from Wednesday through Saturday. The conference, a schmoozefest for writers and representatives of writing programs, has been sold out for a month, and friends' couches all over the city are near capacity.

Luckily, there are off-site events that you can still take part in. The entire list is here, and Time Out has a few recommendations here. As for us, we're heading to 826 Chicago this Thursday to see the event being put on by the San Francisco-based website the Rumpus.

At the top of the bill, and the headliner in our hearts, is Cheryl Strayed, the formerly anonymous author of the insightful, intimate, engaging “Dear Sugar” advice column that appears biweekly on the Rumpus. If you’re not familiar with Sugar, check out the New Yorker’s summary and interview, and then clear out a few hours and go down the rabbit hole.

Other readers on Thursday include Stephen Elliott, the Chicago-raised author (and now screenwriter and director) who founded the Rumpus, Nick Flynn, Chicagoan Peter Orner, Sommer Browning, and Brian Spears. There will also be performances by comic Dan Telfer and singer/songwriter Hawley.

Admission is $5, all of which will go to 826 Chicago. The evening starts at 7:30 p.m., but you’ll probably need to get there on the early side; between the AWP conference and Strayed’s recent identity reveal, we expect a crowd.

Thursday, march 1 at 826 Chicago a.k.a. the Boring Store, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., 7:30 p.m., $5