ey, peeps.  Did you see this?

I guess you can’t create a stir without, you know, creating a stir.

But I did want to clarify my earlier post just so we’re all on the same page:  Publish Chicago will continue to exist, but it will exist without, or with very limited commentary from me.  Other people, as you’ve probably noticed, have written for this site in the past, and they will continue to do so.  It’s not this site that’s going away, it’s simply my presence on it.

Stay tuned for updates, and in the mean time, keep it real, Chicago.

hat’s right, folks.  I’m sure you’ve read about it elsewhere, but I wanted to let you know that it’s official.  The City of Chicago’s Publishing Industry programs, for whom I am a consultant, is launching ChicagoPublishes.com, a city run site that will share all kinds of fabulous news, events, and features about the publishing industry in Chicago.

Since I am now writing for this new city site, as you can imagine, Publish Chicago will be no longer.  I am planning to continue my literary criticism, sharp wit, and general awesomeness on ChicagoPublishes.com, however I am also planning on launching a new site focusing on a broader spectrum of literature.  This site does not exist yet, but will soon.  Until that time, check me out at ChicagoPublishes, and feel free to browse through Publish Chicago.  It will continue to exist as its own online back issue.

And for those of you who are excited about ChicagoPublishes–WHICH SHOULD BE ALL OF YOU–come check out the launch event next Tuesday:

ey, everyone, it’s time to celebrate your right to read.  Give one of the ten most challenged books of 2009 a try (list generated by the Amerian Library Association).  Also, have a look at prominent Chicago reporter Rick Kogan’s thoughts on banned books as well as his reading of an excerpt of J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, which was number six this year.  The video was taken from the ALA’s Banned Books Read Out 2010.

ast night I attended to the launch event for Qlix, Issue 2 at JBar in downtown Chicago. It was a pretty snazzy affair, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, as you can see from my live-tweets. Check out the photos below, and apologies in advance for their low quality–I was using my new Evo and clearly I either need to figure out a better way to take pictures with it, or it doesn’t have a very good camera.

This model stood right next to the check in table with bright mannequin
lighting, and I was totally fooled. After I realized she was a model I snapped a
rather eerie looking photo.

¶ View In Entirety… →

inally some proof that e-books are not the death of reading.  Also?  Holy crap.

onestly, this is pretty sweet.  The University of Chicago Press gives out a free e-book each month, and this month it’s the e-book of the first-edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, which is fucking old–1906 old.  You can get your free copy here.

“The Chicago Manual of Style began life modestly as a single page of typographic fundamentals drawn up by a University of Chicago Press proofreader in the 1890s. The guidelines grew in length and popularity and were first published in book form in 1906. Revised fifteen times since, The Chicago Manual of Style has evolved to become the definitive reference work for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers.”

On September 29th Silver Tongue, Columbia College Chicago’s student-run reading series, is excited to bring The Encyclopedia Show to a college campus for the first time ever. The Encyclopedia Show, created by Robbie Q. Telfer (author of Spiking the Sucker Punch) and Shanny Jean Maney (author of Our Brave Faces Were Just Smiles), is a live variety extravaganza that asks participants to perform pieces about an encyclopedia topic. On September 29th at 7:00pm, Columbia faculty and students will define BEARS in hilarious and raucous fashion, using poetry, film, music, and more. The event is located at The Conaway Center (1104 S Wabash Ave) and is free and open to the public.

¶ View In Entirety… →

n case you’ve been living under a rock and hadn’t heard, Oprah–giant media mogul–selected Jonathan Franzen–popular and self-proclaimed “high literary” author–’s book Freedom as her latest book club pick.  And I guess it’s sorta a big deal since Franzen had a bit of a hissy fit the last time she selected one of his books.  Whatever.  Anyone who would complain about a book club selection that will sell millions of copies of their work is being a baby.  You heard it here first.

Anyway, apparently the new cover has been released, so it’s officially official.

shit you not.  Watch the video.

or those of you not in the know, Old Spice, the deodorant company, has recently sponsored a series of ads featuring the guy you see in the video below saying hilarious, manly stuff. Yesterday they ran a marathon, viral campaign on youtube featuring videos of him responding to comments on twitter, facebook, and reddit. He said all kinds of amazing stuff, including responding to Apolo Ohno, GQ, and even giving a marriage proposal. Here’s what he has to say about libraries:

The Printer’s Ball is coming up! Don’t miss out on one of the most fabulous lit events in Chicago. Click above for the full schedule.

n one of the most eloquent and information-packed epistolary rebuttals I’ve ever come across, Commissioner Mary A. Dempsey handily puts Fox News in its place.

“The public library is supported by taxpayers for the common good of all the people of Chicago – just like public school. We don’t ask our schools to make profit. Neither should we ask it of the public library. As journalist Walter Cronkite once remarked, “Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.”

Finally, like thousands of our fellow City employees, the management of the Chicago Public Library is taking 24 unpaid holidays and furlough days this year to help close the budget gap and to keep city services, including libraries, operating for the public. Interestingly, I was on an unpaid furlough day when I watched your story last evening. And I had just returned from the annual library conference in Washington DC, a trip I paid for myself, not with taxpayer dollars.”

y level of disgust over this would be hard to approximate.  Despite rising rates of library attendance and the fact that libraries are fantastic resources for citizens of all stripes, Fox News is wondering if they’re a waste of our tax money.

I can think of many things our government has blown money on in the last, oh, ten years but libraries certainly are not one of them.

his isn’t lit related, but I still think it’s cool. And anyway, aren’t storms perfect reading weather?

Lightning strikes three of the tallest buildings in Chicago at the same time! from Craig Shimala on Vimeo.

ussell Smith writes some interesting editorial on the state of sex in the publishing industry inspired by the firing of Penguin Canada’s CEO David Davidar for sexual harassment.

“Despite the staggering ratio of brainy beauties to tweedy egotists in this industry, you would be surprised by how little sex there really is. It’s not exactly rock ’n’ roll. A guy who really can’t resist acting on every romantic inclination is in the wrong business.”

hile I’m still a bit unclear about how dirty this gets, I can tell you that the Poetry Brothel is a group of artists whose mission is to develop intimacy, community, passion, service and transformation of environment and self through poetry.  Their events feature one on one sessions replete with soul baring (though what other kinds of baring is yet to be disclosed).

The group is looking to add local poets to their performance at the House of Blues on July 10th. Email at thepoetrybrothel@gmail.com if you’re interested. More details on the event’s time and price will be reported as they come up.

he Printers Row Lit Fest was filmed by C-Span, and they have hours and hours of great video from the event that you can watch on their website.

h, Printers Row. Books. Authors. Booksellers. Readings. Signings. Shitty weather. It never fails.

Pull on your galoshes and don’t forget your umbrella. It’s time for Printers Row, the biggest outdoor book festival in Chicago. Even with the rain, you don’t want to miss it. Check out the full schedule of events at the Printers Row website.