More than 170 booksellers will show their wares on South Dearborn between Congress and Polk for the 16th annual Printers Row Book Fair, which also features dozens of readings, lectures, performances, and panels (and coincides with BookExpo America, the book industry’s annual trade show). The fair runs from 10 AM to 6 PM Saturday and Sunday, June 3 and 4. Events will be held at Dearborn Station, 47 W. Polk; Grace Place, 637 S. Dearborn; Printers Row Hyatt, Burnham Reading Room, 500 S. Dearborn; the Children’s Corner and the Poetry Tent, both at the corner of Polk and Dearborn; and the main stage, midway between Congress and Polk. All events are free. Call 312-987-9896 for more information.
Saturday, June 3
John Hope Franklin
The scholar and author of From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African-Americans opens the fair with an address. (11 AM, Dearborn Station)
“Ask the Publishing Experts”
Panel with Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin, editor of Chicago Parent magazine; Jerome Kramer, editor of Book magazine; Wendy McClure, children’s books editor; and Lora Wintz, editor of Complete Woman magazine. Literary agent Amy Cook moderates. Presented by Chicago Women in Publishing. (11 AM, Grace Place, first floor)
Joel Frankel
Children’s singer and performer. (11 AM, Children’s Corner)
Guild Complex
Open mike and readings by Eduardo Arocho, J.M. Morea, Teresa Vazquez, and contributors to Jane’s Stories II. Christopher Stewart hosts. (11 AM, Poetry Tent)
Denise Berry-Hanna
Storytelling for kids. (11:30 AM, Children’s Corner)
Nelvia Brady, Lee Reilly, Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Writers read from their work: This Mother’s Daughter (Brady), Teaching Maggie: Letters on Life, Writing, and the Virtues of Solid Food (Reilly), and The Same Phrase Describes My Marriage and My Breasts: Before the Kids They Used to Be Such a Cute Couple (Rosenthal). (11:30 AM, Grace Place, second floor)
Darwin McBeth-Walton
Author of the children’s book Dance Kayla. (noon, Children’s Corner)
Adam Cohen, Elizabeth Taylor
Cohen and Taylor, of Time and the Chicago Tribune respectively, read from American Pharaoh, their biography of Richard J. Daley. (12:15 PM, Dearborn Station)
Glenette Tilley Turner
Reading and signing of her children’s book The Underground Railroad. (12:30 PM, Children’s Corner)
Julia Alvarez
The author reads from her latest novel, In the Name of Salome. (1 PM, Printers Row Hyatt)
Jessica Carlton
Folktales from around the world. (1 PM, Children’s Corner)
Mark Strand, Elise Paschen
Former U.S. poet laureate Strand and Chicago native Paschen read from their poetry. (1 PM, Grace Place, second floor)
David Baldacci
The best-selling author reads from his thriller Saving Faith. (1:30 PM, Dearborn Station)
“Chicago’s Literary Impresarios”
Panel with John Hastie of Barbara’s Bookstores, Quraysh Ali Lansana of the Guild Complex, the Harold Washington Library Center’s Laurel Sher, and WBEZ’s Kathe Telingator. Writer Tim W. Brown moderates. (1:30 PM, Grace Place, first floor)
Judith Heineman
Storytelling. (2 PM, Children’s Corner)
Lambda Literary Award Finalists
Readings by Barrie Jean Borich, Michael Thomas Ford, Ellen Wittlinger, and Mark Zubro, finalists for the award recognizing excellence in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender literature. Lambda Book Report editor Shelley Binden moderates. (2 PM, Printers Row Hyatt)
Urban Tree Walk
A tour of the neighborhood’s trees with Arthur Plotnik, author of The Urban Tree Book: An Uncommon Field Guide for City and Town. (2 PM, meet at the main stage)
Young Chicago Authors
Readings by local high school students. (2 PM, Poetry Tent)
Heather McCammond-Watts
Storytelling. (2:30 PM, Children’s Corner)
Elissa Schappell
The Vanity Fair columnist and cofounder of the literary journal Tin House presents selections from her short-story collection, Use Me. Chicago contributors to Tin House will also read. (2:30 PM, Grace Place, second floor)
Memoir Panell
llene Beckerman (Love, Loss, and What I Wore) and Lewis Nordan (Boy With Loaded Gun) discuss the personal history genre. Luis Urrea, author of Across the Wire: Life and Hard Times on the Mexican Border, moderates. (2:45 PM, Dearborn Station)
River Oak Arts
The suburban literary group presents readings by poets Barbara Perry, Art Lange, and Jackie White. (3 PM, Poetry Tent)
Anne Shimojima
Folktales from Asia and around the world. (3 PM, Children’s Corner)
Velma Gladney
Storytelling for kids. (3:30 PM, Children’s Corner)
“The Literary Community and the Chicago Media”
Panel with Chicago Sun-Times features editor John Barron, Pioneer Press editor Michael Bonesteel, WBEZ producer Justin Kaufmann, Oprah’s Book Club producer Alice McGee, and Chicago Tribune writer Patrick Reardon. Arts writer Lucia Mauro moderates. (3:30 PM, Grace Place, first floor)
Marc PoKempner
The photographer and Reader contributor presents a slide lecture based on his book Down at Theresa’s . . . Chicago Blues. A blues performance follows the presentation. (3:30 PM, Printers Row Hyatt)
Elysabeth Ashe
Nature stories. (4 PM, Children’s Corner)
Steve Fiffer
Author of Tyrannosaurus Sue: The Extraordinary Saga of the Largest, Most Fought Over T-Rex Ever Found. (4 PM, Dearborn Station)
“This American Memoir: Tall Tales From Real Life”
Panel with writers Meghan Daum, Brett Leveridge, and Sarah Vowell. This American Life producer Alex Blumberg moderates. (4 PM, Grace Place, second floor)
Sunday, June 4
“Fiction for the Rest of Us”
John Ed Bradley, Myla Goldberg, and Elizabeth Stuckey-French read from their works about “outsiders.” (11 AM, Printers Row Hyatt)
Oba William King
Storytelling. (11 AM, Children’s Corner)
Mystery Panel
With Sara Paretsky, Ridley Pearson, and Penn Williamson. (11 AM, Dearborn Station)
Poetry Center of Chicago
Readings by MFA writing students from the School of the Art Institute. (11 AM, Poetry Tent)
Eliot Asinof, William Brashler
Baseball fiction writer Asinof (Eight Men Out) reads from his novel Off-Season; local author Brashler reads from his book Josh Gibson: A Life in the Negro Leagues. (noon, Printers Row Hyatt)
Jeff Brumbeau
The author reads from his children’s book The Quiltmaker’s Gift. (noon, Children’s Corner)
Gallery 37
Young authors read from their contributions to the program’s annual anthology, Describe the Moment. Poet Haki Madhubuti hosts. (noon, main stage)
Bob Greene
The Chicago Tribune columnist reads from his book Duty: A Father, His Son, and the Man Who Won the War. (noon, Dearborn Station)
Elyne Handler
Storytelling, songs, and play. (12:30 PM, Children’s Corner)
“After Hours”
Reading by poet David Hernandez to celebrate this new literary journal. Al DeGenova hosts. (1 PM, Poetry Tent)
Lynn Clayton
Stories and songs. (1 PM, Children’s Corner)
“Off the Radar: Uncovering Chicago’s Sites, Sounds, Myths, and Mysteries”
Panel of Chicagoans discussing their favorite forgotten haunts and local lore. Featuring historian Ursula Bielski, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper, guidebook author Sam Weller, and Chicago Tribune writer Rick Kogan. (1 PM, Printers Row Hyatt)
Young Authors Awards Ceremony
Featuring the winners of the annual Chicago Public Schools Young Authors Competition. Darwin McBeth-Walton hosts. (1 PM, Main Stage).
June Jordan, Ishmael Reed
Jordan reads from the autobiographical account of her early life, Soldier: A Poet’s Childhood. Satirist Reed reads from his book The Reed Reader. (1:30 PM, Dearborn Station)
Luis Rodriguez
The poet and author reads from his book America Is Her Name. (1:30 PM, Children’s Corner)
BiJou Le Tord
The author reads from and signs her children’s book A Bird for Two. (2 PM, Children’s Corner)
Word Gourmet
Spoken word with Mars Gamba-Adisa Caulton, Maria McCray, Richard Fammeree, Sharon Masters, and Mitch Wojticzki. Nina Corwin hosts. (2 PM, Poetry Tent)
Mark Kater
Storytelling. (2:30 PM, Children’s Corner)
Fern Schumer Chapman
Author of Motherland–Beyond the Holocaust: A Daughter’s Journey to Reclaim the Past. (2:30 PM, Printers Row Hyatt)
Blues in the Schools
Performances by Chicago public school students. (3 PM, main stage)
Amy Abbott Pappageorge
Storytelling. (3 PM, Children’s Corner)
Puddin’head Press Hour
Readings from Puddin’head Press authors Jeff Helgeson, Nina Corwin, Lawrence Tyler, and J.J. Jameson. (3 PM, Poetry Tent)
Kucha Brownlee
Storytelling. (3:30 PM, Children’s Corner)
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photos/San Francisco Chronicle/Richard Nagler.