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Archive for August, 2003

Midwest Literary Festival

Friday, August 29th, 2003

The city of Aurora is hosting a two-day literary festival Sept 13-14, the creation of the local economic development commission and the public library. In addition to 50 authors over two days, they will be dedicating “the nation’s first Midwest Literary Hall of Fame.” I’m still scrutinizing the program, but at first blush the sessions I’d like to see include:

Looks like an interesting couple of days, geared perhaps slightly more to writers than to readers, but a good start to this (one hopes) annual event.

ADDITION 9/2: I should add that the “headliners” at the fest are Studs Terkel, Anne Lamott, Frances Mayes, Elizabeth Nunez, and Carolina Aguilera.

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Glyn Maxwell

Friday, August 22nd, 2003

OK, the last post reminds me of a funny poem by Glyn Maxwell called “Deep Sorriness Atonement Song,” which he wrote in apology for missing an appointment at the BBC. It’s from his 1998 collection called The Breakage. Here’s the last stanza:

All the people who were rubbish when we needed them to do it,
Whose wires crossed, whose spirit failed, who ballsed it up or blew it,
All notchers of nul points and all who have a problem Houston,
At least they weren’t in Kensington when they should have been at Euston.

For I didn’t build the Wall,
And I didn’t cause the Fall,
But I’m sorry, Lord I’m sorry,
I’m the sorriest of all.

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Chicago Humanities Fest

Friday, August 22nd, 2003

I know it’s still August, but autumn comes jovial on, as Thomson says. The literary events continue to multiply. Today I noticed that the good folks at the Chicago Humanities Fest have announced some of the writers who’ll appear at the event this year (which runs Oct 25-Nov 9). A few of the names: Julian Barnes, Susham Bedi, Oscar Casares, Jessica Hagedorn, Shirley Hazzard, Aleksandar Hemon, Alice McDermott, Tony Morrison, Oscar Hijuelos, Suki Kim, Philip Levine, Yann Martel, Glyn Maxwell, James McManus, Joseph Parisi, Michele Roberts, Colm Toibin, Colson Whitehead, John Edgar Wideman, Tobias Wolff. Plus lectures on Hawthorne, Orwell, Proust; a performance of Krapp’s Last Tape; and a discussion panel with European novelists whose work you should know about. And fun, odd stuff like comedian and filmmaker Roberto Benigni reading from Dante’s Paradiso in Italian and English. Tickets go on sale Sept 2 for festival members (you can join if you want) and series buyers. General ticket sales start Sept 15.

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Bridge Event

Wednesday, August 20th, 2003

It’s not up on their site yet, but I understand from informed sources that Bridge magazine has a very cool event coming up. It’s a fiction reading at the Bridge event space at 119 N. Peoria on Saturday, Aug 30 at 7 pm, featuring three contributors from the forthcoming issue of the mag (Julie Benesh, Amina Cain, and John L. Sheppard). I’m rather looking forward to seeing the new issue, which has in addition to the above worthies a critical portfolio focusing on Jack Spicer. I’ve always enjoyed Spicer, so now I’m looking forward to understanding what the hell he’s talking about.

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A Pint of Plain Is Your Only Man

Monday, August 18th, 2003

The Newberry has its fall seminar schedule out, and the signup deadline is Sept. 16. Lots of great stuff as always, including Faulkner, Shakespeare, Joyce, Russian fiction, Proust, Coleridge, and one I’d especially like to take: “Comic Genius: The Life and Writings of Flann O’Brien.”

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