The 21st annual Printers Row Book Fair runs Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12, 10 AM-6 PM, and gathers about 150 exhibitors, including booksellers, publishers, and literary organizations, on the blocks around Dearborn (50 West) and Polk (800 South) streets. In addition to the new, used, and collectible books for sale, the fair features dozens of readings, discussions, and signings by local and national authors as well as children’s activities, musical performances, cooking demonstrations, and food vendors. (Some exhibitors will host their own author signings as well.) Events will be held at the Arts & Entertainment Stage, Harrison between Dearborn and Plymouth; Children’s Stage, Dearborn and Polk; Good Eating Stage, Dearborn between Harrison and Polk; Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State; Heartland Stage, Dearborn between Harrison and Polk; Nelson Algren Stage, Harrison and Dearborn; and University Center, 525 S. State. All are free, but events at Harold Washington Library Center require advance tickets (available via Web site below). Programming is subject to change. For more information call 312-222-3986 or see www.chicagotribune.com/extras/printersrow.
SATURDAY 11
Elizabeth Berg reads from her latest novel, The Year of Pleasures. Heartland Stage. 10 AM
Neighborhood Writing Alliance Readings by contributors to the Journal of Ordinary Thought. Nelson Algren Stage. 10 AM
RStuds Terkel chats with Tribune literary editor Elizabeth Taylor (American Pharoah: Mayor Richard J. Daley–His Battle for Chicago and the Nation) and Tribune writer Rick Kogan (Everybody Pays: Two Men, One Murder, and the Price of Truth). Harold Washington Library Center, auditorium. Tickets required. 10 AM
Stephanie Bloom reads from her kids’ book The Drummer Who Lost His Beat. Children’s Stage. 10:30 AM
Loung Ung discusses her memoir, Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites With the Sister She Left Behind. University Center, River Room. 10:30 AM
R”Visual Tales: The Graphic Novel” Discussion with Reader contributor Chris Ware (Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth), fellow graphic novelist Daniel Clowes (Ghost World), and writer-critic Daniel Raeburn, editor of The Imp. Harold Washington Library Center, multipurpose room. Tickets required. 10:30 AM
Mark Yakich reads from his poetry collection Unrelated Individuals Forming a Group Waiting to Cross. University Center, Loop Room. 10:30 AM
Gale Gand demonstrates recipes from Gale Gand’s Short and Sweet: Quick Desserts From Eight Ingredients or Less. Good Eating Stage. 11 AM
Ann Lauterbach discusses her essay collection The Night Sky: Writings on the Poetics of Experience. University Center, Loop Room. 11 AM
Richard A. Posner and Geoffrey R. Stone talk about Preventing Surprise Attacks: Intelligence Reform in the Wake of 9/11 and Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime From the Sedition Act of 1798 to the War on Terrorism, respectively, with Tribune publisher David Hiller. University Center, Lake Room. 11 AM
L. Jon Wertheim discusses Transition Game: How Hoosiers Went Hip-Hop with WGN Radio sports reporter David Kaplan. Nelson Algren Stage. 11 AM
“Batter Up” Jean Hastings Ardell (Breaking Into Baseball: Women and the National Pastime), Buzz Bissinger (Three Nights in August: Strategy, Heartbreak, and Joy Inside the Mind of a Manager), Jonathan Eig (Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig), and Gene Wojciechowski (Cubs Nation: 162 Games, 162 Stories, 1 Addiction) talk baseball with Tribune sports editor Dan McGrath. Nelson Algren Stage. 11:30 AM
Wilfredo Cruz presents Puerto Rican Chicago. University Center, Park Room. 11:30 AM
RLarry Heinemann (a National Book Award winner for his novel Paco’s Story) discusses Black Virgin Mountain: A Return to Vietnam. University Center, River Room. 11:30 AM
Jacquelyn Mitchard reads from her new novel, The Breakdown Lane. Heartland Stage. 11:30 AM
New Town Writers offer their contributions to the anthology Off the Rocks. University Center, Loop Room. 11:30 AM
Art Smith demonstrates recipes from Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families–Even Yours! Good Eating Stage. 11:30 AM
Jonathan Mahler discusses Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City with journalist Rick Perlstein. University Center, Lake Room. Noon
Susan Marks talks about Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America’s First Lady of Food with Tribune food writer Leah Eskin. Good Eating Stage. Noon
Todd Parr presents his kids’ book Reading Makes You Feel Good. Children’s Stage. Noon
“Turning Memories Into Memoirs” Workshop led by memoirist Beth Finke (Long Time, No See). University Center, Park Room. Noon
Naomi Wolf talks about The Treehouse: Eccentric Wisdom From My Father on How to Live, Love, and See. Harold Washington Library Center, auditorium. Tickets required. Noon
“From Warblers to Ivory-Bills” Don Stap (Birdsong: A Natural History), Joel Greenberg (A Natural History of the Chicago Region), and Tim Gallagher (The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker) discuss all things avian with Tribune Company VP Owen Youngman. University Center, River Room. 12:30 PM
“Coming Into Their Own: Young Adult Fiction” Novelists Elizabeth Flock (Me & Emma), Tayari Jones (The Untelling), Adrienne Miller (The Coast of Akron),and Meg Wolitzer (The Position) talk about their work with WGN Radio hosts Kathy O’Malley and Judy Markey. University Center, Park Room. 1 PM
“Family Matters” Discussion with novelists Joan Bauer (Best Foot Forward), Len Bailey (Clabbernappers), and Natasha Friend (Perfect). Harold Washington Library Center, multipurpose room. Tickets required. 1 PM
Kevin Guilfoile discusses his debut thriller, Cast of Shadows, with Tribune writer Rick Kogan. Nelson Algren Stage. 1 PM
Nick Hornby talks about his new novel, A Long Way Down, with Tribune literary editor Elizabeth Taylor. Heartland Stage. 1 PM
Li-Young Lee reads poetry from his new collection, Book of My Nights. University Center, Loop Room. 1 PM
Sonia Manzano presents her kids’ book No Dogs Allowed! Children’s Stage. 1:15 PM
Kevin Boyle discusses Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age with UIC historian Eric Arnesen. University Center, Lake Room. 1:30 PM
Quraysh Ali Lansana reads from his poetry collection They Shall Run: Harriet Tubman Poems. University Center, Loop Room. 1:30 PM
“What Is Chicago Style?” Discussion with Topolobampo chef Rick Bayless (Mexico One Plate at a Time) and Spring chef Shawn McClain. Good Eating Stage. 1:30 PM
Philip Caputo reads from his novel Acts of Faith. University Center, River Room. 2 PM
Brian Greene talks about The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality. Harold Washington Library Center, auditorium. Tickets required. 2 PM
“Read & Write” Young writers’ workshop with Carolyn Allessio, editor of The Voices of Hope/Las Voces de La Esperanza. University Center, Park Room. 2 PM
RRichard Stern reads from his new story collection, Almonds to Zhoof. Nelson Algren Stage. 2 PM
Katrina Vandenberg reads from her debut poetry collection, Atlas. University Center, Loop Room. 2 PM
Trevor Romain presents his kids’ book Bullies Are a Pain in the Brain. Children’s Stage. 2:30 PM
“Saul Bellow Tribute” Tribune writer Rick Kogan and novelists Stuart Dybek and Richard Stern read and comment on their favorite Bellow passages. Nelson Algren Stage. 2:30 PM
Lisa Scottoline reads from her latest thriller, Devil’s Corner. Heartland Stage. 2:30 PM
Young Chicago Authors Teen writers read their work. University Center, Loop Room. 2:30 PM
John F. Harris talks about The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House with Tribune deputy managing editor James Warren. University Center, Lake Room. 3 PM
“Teachers Who Write” Workshop with educator and Young Chicago Authors founder Bob Boone (Inside Job: A Life of Teaching). University Center, Park Room. 3 PM
“Art of the Memoir” Discussion with memoirists Samuel G. Freedman (Who She Was: My Search for My Mother’s Life), Karen Stabiner (My Girl: Adventures with a Teen in Training), and Pamela Marin (Motherland). University Center, River Room. 3:30 PM
Guild Complex Poetry readings by Gary Copeland Lilley, Sename Amagashie, Mike Puican, and Zada Johnson. University Center, Loop Room. 3:30 PM
“My Kind of Town: Chicago Stories” Daniela Kuper (Hunger and Thirst), Billy Lombardo (The Logic of a Rose: Chicago Stories), Susan Wheeler (Record Palace), and Andrew Winston (Looped) discuss their Chicago-set works of fiction. Nelson Algren Stage. 3:30 PM
RSara Paretksy reads from her latest V.I. Warshawski mystery, Fire Sale. Harold Washington Library Center, auditorium. Tickets required. 3:30 PM
RSteve Bogira discusses Courtroom 302: A Year Behind the Scenes in an American Criminal Courthouse with writers Stuart Dybek and Alex Kotlowitz. University Center, Lake Room. 4 PM
“Clear Out Your Clutter: Help and Hope for Pack Rats” Advice from Rita Emmett, author of The Clutter-Busting Handbook: Clean It Up, Clear It Out, and Keep Your Life Clutter-Free. University Center, Park Room. 4 PM
Milton and Shirley Glaser present their kids’ book The Big Race. Children’s Stage. 4 PM
Paul Theroux reads from his new novel, Blinding Light. Heartland Stage. 4 PM
c Leon M. Despres With historian Timuel Black. University Center, River Room. 4:30 PM
Richard Panek talks about The Invisible Century: Einstein, Freud and the Search for Hidden Universes. Nelson Algren Stage. 4:30 PM
RAlex Kotlowitz presents Never a City So Real: A Walk in Chicago. University Center, Lake Room. 5 PM
Alvin Lau The two-time National Youth Poetry Slam winner performs. Arts & Entertainment Stage. 5 PM
SUNDAY 12
TallGrass Writers Guild Poetry readings by guild members. University Center, Loop Room. 10 AM
Kevin Luthardt presents his kids’ book Zoom! Children’s Stage. 10:45 AM
Steve Almond talks about Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America. Good Eating Stage. 11 AM
Jeffery Deaver reads from his latest thriller, The Twelfth Card. Nelson Algren Stage. 11 AM
Janis Kearney and Beth Finke discuss their memoirs Cotton Field of Dreams and Long Time, No See, respectively, with Tribune senior features editor Brenda Butler. University Center, River Room. 11 AM
Jeanne Ray reads from her novel Julie and Romeo Get Lucky. Heartland Stage. 11 AM
“How to Understand, Enjoy, and Write a Poem” Workshop with Poetry Center of Chicago executive director Kenneth Clarke and development director Shirley Stephenson. University Center, Park Room. 11:30 AM
Richard Parker discusses John Kenneth Galbraith: His Life, His Politics, His Economics. University Center, Lake Room. 11:30 AM
Huma Siddiqui presents her story/recipe collection Jasmine in Her Hair. Good Eating Stage. 11:30 AM
Young Chicago Authors Ceremony promoting the Near South Planning Board’s “Authors in Schools” program with children’s book author M.A. Kokos Lambrou. Arts & Entertainment Stage. 11:30 AM
Regina Harris Baiocchi reads from her poetry collection Urban Haiku. University Center, Loop Room. Noon
K. Kofi Moyo demonstrates recipes from Real Men Cook: Rites, Rituals, and Recipes for Living. Good Eating Stage. Noon
“A Sense of Place: The Midwest in Stories” Discussion with novelists Porter Shreve (Drives Like a Dream), C.J. Hribal (The Company Car), Steve Amick (The Lake, the River & the Other Lake), and Lee Martin (The Bright Forever). Nelson Algren Stage. Noon
RSam Weller talks about The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury. University Center, River Room. Noon
Irene Smalls reads from her kids’ book Jonathan and His Mommy. Children’s Stage. 12:10 PM
RCraig Marberry and Jeff Libman discuss Cuttin’ Up: Wit and Wisdom From Black Barber Shops and An Immigrant Class: Oral Histories From Chicago’s Newest Immigrants, respectively; they’ll be joined by An Immigrant Class photographer Steve Kagan. University Center, Lake Room. 12:30 PM
Wendy McClure presents her memoir, I’m Not the New Me. Heartland Stage. 12:30 PM
Orlando Ricardo Menes reads from his poetry collection Furia. University Center, Loop Room. 12:30 PM
Dot Vartan demonstrates recipes from Delicious Fruit Desserts: More than 150 Delicious Recipes for 12 Favorite Fruits. Good Eating Stage. 12:30 PM
Simone Muench reads from her poetry collection The Air Lost in Breathing and the forthcoming Lampblack & Ash. University Center, Loop Room. 1 PM
Frances Norris discusses Blue Plate Special: A Novel of Love, Loss, and Food with Tribune writer Robin Mather Jenkins. Good Eating Stage. 1 PM
“Not Your Usual Suspects” Discussion with mystery writers Yolanda Joe (Video Cowboys), Jim Fusilli (Hard, Hard City), Libby Fischer Hellmann (A Shot to Die For), and James Rollins (Map of Bones). Nelson Algren Stage. 1 PM
“Writing for Children” Workshop with kids’ book author Esther Hershenhorn (Chicken Soup by Heart). University Center, Park Room. 1 PM
RTed Fishman talks about China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World. University Center, River Room. 1:30 PM
“Food Writing as Literature” Discussion with Laura Shapiro, author of Something From the Oven: Reinventing Dinner in 1950s America, and food writer Maureen Abood. Good Eating Stage. 1:30 PM
Jim Lehrer reads from his latest novel, The Franklin Affair. Harold Washington Library Center, auditorium. Tickets required. 1:30 PM
Todd Parr presents his kids’ book Reading Makes You Feel Good. Children’s Stage. 1:30 PM
Christian Wiman reads from his poetry collection Hard Night. University Center, Loop Room. 1:30 PM
R”Art of the Memoir: Turning Lemons Into Lemonade” Discussion with memoirists Paula Kamen (All In My Head: An Epic Quest to Cure an Unrelenting, Totally Unreasonable, and Only Slightly Enlightening Headache), Wendy McClure (I’m Not the New Me), and Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life) and essayist S.L. Wisenberg (Holocaust Girls: History, Memory, and Other Obsessions). Nelson Algren Stage. 2 PM
Jennet Conant talks about 109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos. University Center, Lake Room. 2 PM
“Fast Forward or Rewind: The Catholic Church After Pope John Paul II” Discussion with Tribune northwest bureau chief Steve Kloehn, Tribune photographer Jose More, and Tribune Company VP Owen Youngman. Harold Washington Library Center, multipurpose room. Tickets required. 2 PM
Robert Klein presents his memoir, The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue: A Child of the Fifties Looks Back. Heartland Stage. 2 PM
Third World Press Poetry readings by TWP authors Quraysh Ali Lansana, Haki R. Madhubuti, and Useni Eugene Perkins. University Center, Loop Room. 2 PM
Linda Ellerbee discusses Take Big Bites: Adventures Around the World and Across the Table with Tribune columnist Dawn Turner Trice. Good Eating Stage. 2:30 PM
“Travel Memoirs” Readings by Thomas Swick (A Way to See the World: From Texas to Transylvania With a Maverick Traveler) and Stephen T. Asma (The Gods Drink Whiskey: Stumbling Toward Enlightenment in the Land of the Tattered Buddha). University Center, River Room. 2:30 PM
Chicago Poetry Showcase Performances by Beatriz Badikian-Gartler, Kim Berez, Kristy Bowen, Cherie Caswell-Dost, Larry O. Dean, Pete Dederick, Lane Falcon, Lorraine Harrell, Todd Heldt, C.J. Laity, Gordon C.C. Liao, Erika Mikkalo, Pamela Miller, Charlie Newman, Kwame Pitts, Yvonne Orr-Richardson, and J.J. Tindall. University Center, Loop Room. 3 PM
R”The Fiction of Heartbreak” Elizabeth Crane (All This Heavenly Glory), Steve Almond (The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories), and Gina Frangello (Falling Backwards: Stories of Fathers and Daughters) discuss their work. Nelson Algren Stage. 3 PM
Michael Lind talks about What Lincoln Believed: The Values and Convictions of America’s Greatest President. University Center, Lake Room. 3 PM
“Nature’s Fury” Tribune cultural critic Julia Keller and WGN TV meteorologist Tom Skilling talk weather. Harold Washington Library Center, auditorium. Tickets required. 3 PM
Ridley Pearson reads from his latest thriller, Cut and Run. Heartland Stage. 3:30 PM
Young Chicago Authors Poetry slam. Arts & Entertainment Stage.
3:30 PM
Other Voices Magazine Cris Mazza, Patricia Ann McNair, and others read their contributions to the local fiction journal; hosted by editor Gina Frangello. Nelson Algren Stage. 4 PM
Nancy Carlson presents her kids’ book I Like Me! Children’s Stage. 4:15 PM
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photos/Alan Thomas, Mary Brophy.