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Virtual reading of Terrence McNally's Mothers and Sons April 16
In honor of Terrence McNally, who recently passed away at age 81 of complications from COVID-19. Four actors, each participating from a remote location, will perform a live online reading of Mothers and Sons on Thursday, ...
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BOOKS
Legendary Chicago 'lesbian of conscience' tells her story
In Emily L. Quint Freeman's no-holds-barred 262-page memoir, Failure to Appear: Resistance, Identity and Loss, she provides a gripping true-life story of a lesbian of conscience who became a fugitive, on the run for over nineteen ...
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CAKE postponed until June 2021
Because of coronavirus-related concerns, Chicago Alternative Comics Expo ( CAKE ) and CAKE-related activities are being postponed until a proposed date of June 2021. In a statement, organizers said, "Though the quality of the predictive information ...
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Five Worth Finding: From an absorbing memoir to cool socks
—Ordinary Girls: A Memoir: In this hard-hitting memoir, Jaquira Diaz writes of struggling with depression and drug abuse while growing into her identity as a queer, biracial girl in Miami and Puerto Rico. And as Diaz ...
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SPLC releases 'Hate and Extremism' report
The Southern Poverty Law Center released its annual "Year in Hate and Extremism" report, identifying 940 active hate groups across the United States in 2019. The number of hate groups represents a slight decline from the ...
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BOOK REVIEW Ian McKellen: A Biography
Author: Garry O'Connor. $29.99; St. Martin's Press; 356 pages Any old stick would do. When you were a child, that's what it took to become a wizard: a stick became a makeshift wand, an old towel ...
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Gerber/Hart will be closed to the public until March 31
In support of efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, Gerber/Hart will be closed to the public until March 31. Upcoming programs will be postponed or canceled: The March 25 Disappeared: Chicago's Lost Lesbian Bars film ...
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Women & Children First delaying, cancelling events
Because of coronavirus-related concerns, most of the March events at Women & Children First bookstore, 5233 N. Clark St., have been rescheduled for late spring and summer dates. In addition, events with Eli Clare, Nadina LaSpina, ...
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BOOK REVIEW The Trans Generation
By Ann Travers $25; New York University Press; 261 pages Boy or girl? That's a common enough question, if you're an expectant parent. You might've even wondered it yourself: will you need pink things or blue, ...
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'The Boys in the Band' writer Crowley dead at 84
Mart Crowley—best known for writing the '60s seminal play The Boys in the Band, about a group of gay friends at a birthday party—died March 8 at age 84, media reports stated. Writer Michael Musto broke ...
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Non-binary author Jacob Tobia holds reading in A'ville
To celebrate the paperback release of their debut book, Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story, non-binary author, actor and producer Jacob Tobia held a reading and book-signing event March 5 at Women & Children First in Andersonville. Tobia ...
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MOMBIAN Needing more than a moment: LGBTQ representation in children's media
The Academy Award-winning songwriters behind Disney's Frozen, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and husband Bobby Lopez, announced recently that they are working on Universal Pictures' movie musical adaptation of The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang's award-winning graphic novel ...
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Women's History Month events planned at Chicago's Feminist Bookstore
CHICAGO, IL ( March 3, 2020 ) - Chicago's only feminist bookstore—one of only ten feminist bookstores left in the U.S.—is celebrating Women's History Month with author readings and conversations, an in-store concert, and a panel ...
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NATIONAL Cartoonist's memorial, mayor dies, Idaho bill, panic defense, political news
A public celebration of the life and work of Howard Cruse, a pioneer in the LGBTQ cartooning movement, will be held in New York City on Saturday, March 28, 6-8:30 p.m., at The LGBT Community Center, ...
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BOOK REVIEW Headcase: LGBTQ Writers and Artists on Mental Health and Wellness
Edited by Stephanie Schroeder and Teresa Theophano. $29.95; Oxford University. Press; 287 pages You had a flu shot this year. You watch your cholesterol, eat better, stay active, and brush twice a day. So why do ...
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Local LGBTQ writers'group marks 40 years
Writing another chapter, LGBTQ writers group Newtown Writers celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Randy Gresham founded the group in August 1980, when he moved to Chicago from Atlanta. He had been involved with some mixed ...
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High-school seniors can pursue journalism award
The Northern Illinois Newspaper Association ( NINA ) will award a $1,000 scholarship this spring to the high school senior picked by the association as the 2020 Northern Illinois High School Journalist of the Year. NINA ...
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BOOKS Ross Mathews drops names, opens hearts in celebrity tell-all
Until recently, the dishy and endearing celebrity stories featured in Name Drop were tales Ross Mathews—a Chelsea Lately alum and current RuPaul's Drag Race judge—only divulged over happy hour. Name Drop—dedicated to "everyone who never got ...
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Women & Children First to host authors Lucy Knisley, Mikki Kendall
CHICAGO, IL ( January 31, 2020 ) - Women & Children First is proud to host more than a dozen events this month ( February ) including book launch parties for local authors like Lucy Knisley ...
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Area author Jacobi addresses love, loss in acclaimed book
Glenview-based author Yehuda Jacobi often received some pivotal advice from his late partner, Arthur. Jacobi recently recalled that Arthur would say, "Everybody is going through something. You may not see it in their face. Give them ...
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BOOK REVIEW Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy
By Hallie Lieberman, $26.95; Pegasus Books; 359 pages Double-A. It has many uses, that little word-dash-letter. It's good for future baseball players. Good for a pre-teen girl. Great, if you're a student trying to bring ...
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LGBTQ+ nonfiction writing class starts Feb. 13
StoryStudio Chicago, 4043 N. Ravenswood Ave., is offering a new course on writing stories from a queer perspective. Conceived by author Jeremy Owens, this class focuses on LGBTQ+ nonfiction writing, and it starts Thursday, Feb. 13, ...
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'She Shot Him Dead' among newest Newberry offerings
The seminar series "She Shot Him Dead: Husband-Slaying in Turn-of-the-Century Chicago" will take place Tuesdays Feb. 11-March 10, 6-7:30 p.m. at Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St. Rachel Boyle, a public historian and co-founder of Omnia ...
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Kathy Acker tribute Jan. 10
"Re: Acker"—a tribute to experimental writer/artist Kathy Acker ( 1947-1997 )—will take place Friday, Jan. 10, 7-9 p.m., at M. LeBlanc Gallery, 3514 W. Fullerton Ave. This dialogue between international and local respondents, curated by Noa/h ...
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Season's readings: Books to choose
So, it's a wrap. Everything's under paper and under the tree. You're done with all your shopping, except for one person. Or two. Maybe four. So what do you get for that hard-to-buy-for person who never ...
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BOOK REVIEW Toil & Trouble
By Augusten Burroughs $27.99; St. Martin's Press; 320 pages Halloween is over this year, but not for you. Your decorations are still up because the season is young. There's plenty of time left for skeletons, monsters, ...
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LGBT neuropsychologist mom pens book about life with very young kids
Dr. Bethany Cook is a 42-year-old licensed clinical psychologist ( and member of the LGBT community ) with a specialty in neuropsychological assessment. She's also a music therapist, a trainer of therapy dogs and is an ...
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MOMBIAN Holiday gift guide for LGBTQ children's books
It's time for my annual gift guide to some of the year's best LGBTQ-inclusive children's picture books! There were happily more books published this year than I can include here, so please visit Mombian.com for a ...
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W&CF hosts 'Honeypot' book launch party, author discussion
One month after the release of Honeypot: Black Southern Women Who Love Women, Andersonville bookstore Women & Children First hosted a launch party and conversation with author E. Patrick Johnson Dec. 5. Johnson is also Northwestern ...
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December at Women & Children First to include Drag Queen Story Hour
CHICAGO, IL ( December 3, 2019 ) - As 2019 comes to a close, Women & Children First is proud to announce our 19 Bestselling Books of 2019! Once again, this list brilliantly reflects our feminist ...
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Season's readings: Books to choose
So, it's a wrap. Everything's under paper and under the tree. You're done with all your shopping, except for one person. Or two. Maybe four. So what do you get for that hard-to-buy-for person who never ...
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Pioneering gay cartoonist Cruse dies at 75
( WILLIAMSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS, Nov. 26 )—Howard Cruse—a pioneer in the LGBTQ cartooning movement and the author of Stuck Rubber Baby, a 1995 award-winning graphic novel about the intersection of race and sexuality in the South—died Nov. ...
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NU professor talks about delving into the heart of 'Infectious Blackness'
The tale of Michael Johnson took a turn this past July—when he was released from a Missouri jail 25 years early. In 2013, Johnson—a Black man who was a college student—was arrested in St. Charles, Missouri, ...
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WINDY CITY TIMES 2019 Holiday Gift Guide Part One of Two
Feel the heat We all know the polar vortex may be revisiting sooner rather than letter, so be ready with Heat Holders socks and gloves ( various prices; HeatHolders.com ). The socks, specially developed with cashmere-like ...
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BOOK REVIEW A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston
Author: Robyn Crawford. $28; Dutton; 319 pages You saw that coming. It was easy to anticipate because the signs were there. It was plain as day, couldn't have been easier to see if it was ...
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Historians seek LGBTQ responses for next work
Writers/historians St Sukie de la Croix and Owen Keehnen are again seeking responses—this time for a third volume of the Tell Me About It series. Participants will answer up to 15 questions about their lives. People ...
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Conversation on the myth of journalistic objectivity Nov. 14
On Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m., Lewis Raven Wallace will be in conversation with Tracy Baim, discussing his book The View from Somewhere: Undoing the Myth of Journalistic Objectivity. The conversation will take place at ...
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Local podcast looks at horror from LGBT perspective
On their podcast FriGay the 13th, co-hosts Matty Zaradich and Andrew Huff use an LGBT perspective to discuss horror in entertainment, horror in real life and how they creep into each other. "[It's] rooted in friendship, ...
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Local LGBTQ activism topic of panel at library discussion
Chicago Public Library's Pride Heritage Committee and Brave Space Alliance hosted a panel discussion, "LGBTQ Activism's Past, Present and Future in Chicago," Oct. 12 at the library's Woodson Regional location. Pride Action Tank Executive Director Kim ...
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BOOKS Life's a witch in Augusten Burroughs' new memoir
After reading Augusten Burroughs' new tome Toil & Trouble some readers might have a "Witch, please?!" reaction to the memoirist's big reveal that he is a practicing witch. In Toil & Trouble, Burroughs writes about discovering ...
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Five Worth Finding: TeaPotBrew, 'The GayBCs' and more
—TeaPotBrew Bakery: Nestled in the South Loop/Prairie District, this bakery ( 1802 S. Wabash St.; 312-966-6001 ) features dozens of teas, delicious sandwiches/pastries and the friendliest staffers you'll likely to encounter. Also, items are available on ...
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'Boystown' author starts new series
Jake Biondi—the author of the Boystown series—will release his new Majesty series Friday, Dec. 13. The official title of the book is Majesty Book One: Death of the King. Majesty is a period piece that opens ...
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Community reacts to Women & Children First anti-trans vandalism
Women & Children First bookstore, the Chicago Therapy Collective and Andersonville Chamber of Commerce joined forces Oct. 20 in a community activation event responding to multiple instances of anti-trans vandalism. During the event, speakers from the ...
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Local author Tedd Hawks writes 'Burn'
Out Chicagoan Tedd Hawks has written the novel Burn—which encompasses the intersecting queer lives of an elderly man in Edgewater, a down-and-out accountant in Lake View and a group of gay men in Boystown. A graduate ...
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BOOK REVIEW Ensemble: An Oral History of Chicago Theater
Author: Mark Larson $13; Lethe Press; 243 pages Chicago has proven itself many times over that it is multifaceted. It is a Midwestern diamond, a lake city, a food hotspot, the foundation of house music. The ...
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Angry Black Hoemo talks race, LGBTQs and sex positivity
Some queer people who have spent time on Twitter have probably discovered the name "Angry Black Hoemo" on their timelines. Angry Black Hoemo, also known as Marq, has been living in Chicago for five years. Originally ...
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Gerber/Hart opens
lesbian history exhibit
Gerber/Hart History & Archives launched a new exhibit, "Lavender Women & Killer Dykes: Lesbians, Feminism & Community in Chicago," with a reception and brief talk the evening of Oct. 12. Curated by Jen Dentel, Isabel Singer, ...
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Women & Children First targeted by anti-trans vandals
The windows at Women & Children First bookstore, 5233 N. Clark St., have been vandalized on multiple occasions with stickers featuring anti-trans messaging, according to its staff. The Andersonville bookseller and others are planning an Oct. ...
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LGBT HISTORY MONTH Authors and activism: A history of LGBT bookstores
By Jason Villemez
"It was unbelievably fun," Ed Hermance said about his time operating Giovanni's Room, one of the first queer bookstores in the world. "You weren't there for the economics, and it would be exhausting if you were ...
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The Second City marking 60 years with special events
The Second City turns 60 on Tuesday, Dec. 16. However, the celebration kicks off this month with special events and launches that give audiences a peek behind the curtain of the comedy theater. The company will ...
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'Thrones' writer, Ewing to receive Sandburg Awards
Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Public Library Foundation announced that fantasy/science-fiction writer George R. R. Martin will receive the 2019 Carl Sandburg Literary Award. Also, the education sociologist Dr. Eve L. Ewing—who has published nonfiction, ...
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BOOK REVIEW The Island of No Secrets and Other Stories
By Lou Dellaguzzo. $13; Lethe Press; 243 pages Island of No Secrets and Other Stories is a book of short stories that aim to portray what it meant to be queer in the United States ...
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Jonathan Van Ness discusses memoir at Music Box
According to Jonathan Van Ness of the Netflix series Queer Eye, "Writing a book is kind of like putting your soul into a food processor." Van Ness discussed that new book, Over the Top: A Raw ...
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Gerber/Hart benefit brings awareness of Midwest LGBTQ history
Gerber/Hart Library and Archives is an open book when it comes to Midwest LGBTQ history and culture—and its benefit, "Out of the Closets and Into the Archives," proved it Sept. 21 at its space on 6500 ...
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BOOK REVIEW Taken by the Wind
By Ellen Hart, $25.99; Minotaur Books; 320 pages Your bag was packed. There wasn't much in it except for the necessities: your two favorite toys, a clean T-shirt, the stuffed animal you couldn't sleep without, and ...
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Michael Carroll's Stella Maris And Other Key West Stories vicious, slippery, fun
Cuban fisherman relied on the Key West lighthouse called Stella Maris, Star of the Sea, as their beacon. Now short story enthusiasts can rely on Michael Carroll's Stella Maris And Other Key West Stories as their ...
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BOOK REVIEW Sage Sapien, From Karma to Dharma
By Johnson Chong, $24.95; Koehler Books; 172 pages It's never clear who exactly Sage Sapien: From Karma to Dharma is for. The book, written by yoga impresario Johnson Chong, leans toward a number of potential audiences—yoga ...
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James Baldwin Residence added to National Register of Historic Places
NEW YORK, NY — September 12, 2019 — The NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project is extremely pleased to share the news that the James Baldwin Residence, located at 137 West 71st Street, has been listed on ...
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Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor talks new children's book at W&CF event
Women & Children First hosted a reading and conversation with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor about her new children's book—Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You—Sept. 11 in Senn High School's auditorium. Just Ask! ...
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Comic Con dazzles with stars, cosplay
Thousands of pop-culture aficionados ( many donning the costumes of their favorite characters ) visited Rosemont's Donald E. Stephens Convention Convention Center on Aug. 22-25 for Wizard World Comic Con. There were many celebrities present—with one ...
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Banned Books Week on Sept. 22-28
Libraries, bookstores and schools place a national spotlight on the freedom to read during Banned Books Week, Sept. 22-28—a time when the American Library Association ( ALA ) works to draw attention to the harms of ...
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September Events at Women & Children First include Sonia Sotomayor
CHICAGO, IL ( August 30, 2019 ) - Women & Children First's conversation and book signing with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor sold out in record time, but the bookstore has nearly a dozen other ...
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Gerber/Hart benefit set for Sept. 21
Gerber/Hart Library and Archives' annual benefit, "Out of the Closets and into the Archives," will take place Saturday, Sept. 21, 7-10 p.m, at the library, 6500 N. Clark St. People are urged to join in a ...
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Hundreds attend Women and Children First 40th anniversary block party
Close to 1,000 people gathered on a sunny and breezy Aug. 24 afternoon to celebrate Women & Children First's 40th anniversary on Honorary Women & Children First Way, Farragut Avenue at Clark Street. Miss Linda (Bubon) ...
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'Savage Love Live' in Chicago on Sept. 26
Author, sex-advice columnist, podcaster, pundit, public speaker and It Gets Better co-founder Dan Savage will bring his famous column to Chicago when "Savage Love Live" takes place at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., ...
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BOOK REVIEW The Ghost Photographer
By Julie Rieger $25; Enliven/Atria Books; 243 pages You know how they do it. It's a snap, really. A little bit of computer imagery, film cells inserted here, a half-screen there, and you've got a movie ...
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MOMBIAN Pushing for inclusivity in children's books, one publisher shows how
Orca Book Publishers of British Columbia, Canada, is an independent publisher with the goal of offering "reading material that represents the diversity of human experience to readers of all ages." Among other titles, they have produced ...
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Goldie Goldbloom on new book, being a queer Chasidic Jew
Chicago author and queer Chasidic Jew Goldie Goldbloom's newest book is On Division. It centers on the life of Surie Eckstein in Brooklyn, New York and what happens to her when she becomes pregnant but decides ...
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Bechdel Fest 7 set for Aug. 25-28
Broken Nose Theatre ( BNT ) has announced the full line-up for Bechdel Fest 7: Momentum—the company's annual festival of new short plays featuring an ensemble of female-identifying and non-binary actors. Presented as part of Steppenwolf's ...
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Author Shapiro speaks at Women and Children First
Fort Lauderdale-based writer Gregg Shapiro, a native of Skokie, visited Women & Children First Bookstore in Andersonville the evening of Aug. 7. Shapiro, a longtime entertainment journalist, poet and fiction writer, read excerpts from his 2019 ...
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Women & Children First to host Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Women & Children First is honored to present U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor for a moderated conversation and audience Q&A followed by a book signing in celebration of her new children's book, Just Ask! Be ...
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Women & Children First, forty years of book-selling history
Full celebration schedule below
To celebrate Women & Children First's 40th anniversary, the store will be hosting a summer block party with a feminist slant Saturday, Aug. 24 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Honorary Women & Children First Way ( ...
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Author Toni Morrison dies at 88
Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison has died at 88. Morrison was the first Black woman to receive the Nobel literature prize, awarded in 1993. Her novel Beloved—in which a mother, Margaret, makes a tragic choice to ...
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Gene Siskel Film Center to present Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am Aug. 23-29
As a venue that celebrates all art forms and a public program of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Gene Siskel Film Center mourns the loss of the celebrated Black author and Nobel ...
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SHOWBIZ Comic-book heroes, Cara and Ashley, Chris Pine, Pride Summit
The animated character Aquaman was confirmed to be LGBT+ on the latest episode of Young Justice: Outsiders—the DC Universe's animated show about teenage superheroes, PinkNews reported. The latest episode, "Quiet Conversations," saw the iconic DC superhero ...
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