Five Most Excellent Events (Among Many) At Printers Row Lit Fest 2012
By Maggie Hellwig in Arts & Entertainment on May 30, 2012 3:00PM
The Printers Row Lit Fest 2012 promises to bring in an intense swarm of writers, fans, and educators to our city in a little over a week. The schedule encompasses multiple locations for two literature-filled days from June 9-10, highlighting local talent as well as hots shots like Dan Rather and Rachael Ray. The final schedule will be posted a week prior to the fest, but registration and tickets for each separate reading, discussion, and workshop are available now.
As it stands, all the action is really exciting and just a tad overwhelming; it's impossible to attend every event at the festival. Until teleportation is welcomed as the improved mode of transit, we suggest taking a glance over the events and seeing what peaks your interest. Here, however, are five free events that we think will be worth your while.
Who: Dmitry Samarov and Michael Czyzniejewski
What: Event with Samarov, author of Hack, and Czyzniejewski, author of Chicago Stories.
Where: University Center/Park Foundation Room, 525 S. State St.
When: June 9, 10 a.m.
Why: Two local authors with lots of quirk, talent, and loads of good stories that are all characteristically classic Chicago.
Who: Dan Chaon, Sandra Novack, and Adam Levine
What: Event with short Story writers Chaon, Novack, and Levine in conversation with journalist and author Sam Weller.
Where: Grace Place/ 2nd Floor, 637 S. Dearborn St.
When: June 9, 10 a.m.
Why: We loved Adam Levine's latest book, Hot Pink, not to mention that Chaon and Novack are two strong contemporary authors of the same genre.
Who: Claire McMillan, Margot Livesey, Francesca Segal, and Laura Moriarty
What: The "(Her)Story" panel will consist of four discerning females. McMillan is the author of the upcoming novel Gilded Age; Livesey retold the story of Jane Eyre in her novel The Flight of Gemma Hardy; Francesca Segal's debut novel The Innocents has received praise throughout the U.K. as well as in that States; last, but certainly not least, Laura Moriarty's upcoming novel The Chaperone has attracted some attention. The conversation will be moderated by Gioia Diliberto.
Where: Harold Washington Library/ Multi-Purpose Room, 400 S. State St.
When: June 9, 10:30 a.m.
Why: A great opportunity to hear from current female authors.
Who: Rich Cohen
What: Cohen, a fantastic author of non-fiction, will soon be unleashing his account of Samuel Zemurray's life, the head honcho of the begrudged United Fruit Company, in The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King. The Tribune's Rick Kogan will be engaging him in conversation.
Where: University Center/ Lake Room, 525 S. State St.
When: June 9, 12 p.m.
Why: Cohen's tale of Zemurray's rise to fortune, his contributions to projects (whether popular or not), and his reputation depict an unlikely but almost perfect example of the pros and cons of Capitalism--it should be interesting, to say the very least.
Who: Richard Wasserman, John Maloof, and Colleen Plumb
What: Visual artists Wasserman, Maloof, and Plumb will be talking with Tribune photo editor Michael Zajakowski.
Where: University Center, Park Foundation Room, 525 S. State St.
When: June 10, 11 a.m.
Why: All three artists are not only photographers, but they use their medium to transform the still visual into a story. Wasserman's book Midstream tells the tale of the Chicago River from 1999-2010; Maloof, a street photographer himself, is currently directing a film about Vivian Maier; Plumb lends us her thoughtful photos in Animals are Outside Today to show the interconnectedness that human beings share with other species.
The Fest, as vast as it is in numbers and preparation, is looking for volunteers. Helping with the Printers Row Fest would entail a behind-the-scenes glimpse at events, access to the 200 authors that will be in attendance, a free t-shirt, and lunch graciously provided. Registration is done online.