Sunday 10/27: Every week, you’re invited to join poets and spectators alike for the Uptown Poetry Slam. This is where slam poetry began and where it continues to grow. 7 PM, $6, The Green Mill.
Monday 10/28: If you’ve been working on a piece to be read aloud, may I suggest stopping by Do Not Submit? This open mic is specifically for the unpolished and raw beginnings of tales to be told aloud. 7:30 PM, FREE, Powell’s.
Tuesday 10/29: The Moth Storyslam presents “Creepy.” Listen to ten stories told without notes, or come tell one yourself. Doors open at 6 PM, stories begin at 8. $8, 21+, Martyrs’.
Join author Rebecca Skloot as she discusses her book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. 7 PM, FREE, Northeastern Illinois University Auditorium.
Wednesday 10/30: Elizabeth Gilbert (author of bestseller Eat, Pray, Love, “The Finest Wife,” and much more) is discussing her new novel, The Signature of All Things, with Chicago Tribune reporter Manya Brachear. 7 PM, $25, The Palmer House Hilton. Get tickets here!
Thursday 10/31: Looking for something a little more casual? Make your way over to a west side blues lounge for Stoop-Style Stories. Hosts Lily Be and Clarence B will keep this lively show rolling. 7 PM, FREE, Rosa’s Lounge.
Friday 11/1: Writer Ian Belknap continues performing his one man show, “Bring Me the Head of James Franco, That I May Prepare a Savory Goulash in the Narrow and Misshapen Pot of His Skull.” It runs through 11/16. $15, 7:30, The Den Theatre.
Saturday 11/2: Join local authors Megan Stielstra (author of the much loved Rumpus essay “Channel B“), Ben Tanzer, Lisa Mrock, Wyl Villacres, and Steve Karas for the launch of their new book, Friend. Follow. Text. #storiesFromLivingOnline. Step away from your laptops, put down your cell phones, and come out to meet the authors in person. 5:30 PM, FREE, City Lit Books.
Join other fans in spending an evening with David Sedaris. He’ll be performing some all-new readings and signing books after. 8 PM, Tickets start at $42.50, Auditorium Theatre.
If you’re not in the mood for Sedaris’s light-hearted wit, perhaps you’re up for some poetry. Chicago publisher Curbside Splendor is teaming up with Chicago Public Library to present A Splendorous Showcase of Curbside Poetry. Join host Jacob S. Knabbe and poets Daniela Olszewska, Colleen O’Brien, Anthony Madrid, Marvin Tate, and Russell Jaffe for an evening of poetry, followed by a wine and cheese reception. 2 PM, Sulzer Regional Library.
Chicago’s libraries are hopping! Adam Levin (author of The Instructions) will be doing a reading, a Q&A session, and a book signing. Catch him Saturday afternoon. 2 PM, West Town Branch Library.
