Judy Blume, Mindy Segal Headline Chicago Humanities Festival Spring Lineup
By Margaret Paulson in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 11, 2015 9:30PM
The Chicago Humanities Festival announced its stellar spring event lineup to celebrate the organization’s 25th year. The events offer something for everyone— from the foodie to the nostalgic to the policy wonk. Highlights include:
Mindy Segal of Mindy’s Hot Chocolate
One of the highlights is pastry chef Mindy Segal. While she canceled plans for her long-hyped Logan Square bakery, the local chef is releasing her first cookbook on April 7, called Cookie Love, which includes dishes as unique as Lemon Goat-Butter Tea Cakes and as standard as the classic chocolate chip cookie. Segal will be joined on stage by Monica Eng and Louisa Chu of WBEZ’s “Chewing the Fat.” The event will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. at Bottom Lounge (1375 W Lake St).
Judy Blume, beloved author of pre-teen dramedies
Judy Blume is most known for her sticky sweet and sometimes frank books that resonated with our pre-teen woes and anxieties— Freckle Juice and Are you There God? It’s me, Margaret, for instance. But on June 2, Blume will release her first adult novel in years, In the Unlikely Event— a story rooted in a tragedy in her own teenage experience. Blume will discuss her new novel at an event at Francis W. Parker School (330 W. Webster Ave) at 7 p.m. on June 17.
Scott Simon of NPR’s Weekend Edition
In an uncharacteristic role reversal, Chicago native and Weekend Edition host Scott Simon will be interviewed about his new memoir Unforgettable: A Son, a Mother, and the Lessons of a Lifetime. In July 2013, long-time fans tuned in as Simon live-tweeted his mother’s final days in the hospital and her continued life lessons— a mix of humor, wit, sadness and heartbreaking honesty. The talk promises to be a good one. Scott’s memoir is out March 31 and you can hear him speak at 6 p.m. on April 9 at First United Methodist Church at The Chicago Temple (77 W Washington).
Rounding out the Spring Festival schedule is a conversation about women in government and tenure in the senate with Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota’s first woman elected to the U.S. Senate, on May 1.
Opening night includes an exhibition of 12-by-8-foot prints of Chicago from artists at Metabolic Studio done using Liminal Camera— the largest fully functioning camera in the world, made from a shipping container.
For more information on Spring Festival events and securing tickets, check out Chicago Humanities Festival’s site.