Last April the author Kim Brooks had a book launch party in Andersonville for her novel The Houseguest. There was a reading at Women & Children First and then drinks up the street at the Brixton, where people stayed chatting about books until 1 AM. Brooks and three other local writers, Zoe Zolbrod, Rebecca Makkai, and Aleksandar Hemon, wondered if there was a way to replicate the energy of that night and generate more interest in the city’s literary community. They began planning a series of events with the owners of the bookstore and local bars.
The four writers felt this need for balance as well and proposed a change to their reading series: instead of promoting individual authors, they’d invite writers and community activists to discuss the intersection of books and politics. As Makkai puts it, “In other countries, writers and artists are considered public intellectuals. Here we often only talk publicly about our work, our process. But if there was ever a time for us to engage in important political conversation, this is it.”
Thu 1/26, 7:30 PM Women & Children First 5233 N. Clark 773-769-9299womenandchildrenfirst.com Free
