Become a Rumpus Member
Join NOW!Friday 7/28: The RHINO Reads open mic is happening at Bookends & Beginnings in Evanston, with special guests Roger Reeves and Doug Ramspeck. 6 p.m., free. The wonderful Women & Children First bookstore hosts its annual member sale all weekend. Members receive 20% off through Sunday. Become a member and buy some books!
...moreBen Tanzer discusses his new essay collection Be Cool, why running is so important to him, and not being precious about his work.
...moreFirst, Grant Snider’s favorite things, in rhyme. In The Last Book I Loved, Richard Kramer delves into the “determined and effective” Judith Schneiderman’s memoir, I Sang To Survive. A “propulsive drive” lies behind the Auschwitz survivor’s writing. “What I love most about her book,” Kramer writes, “is the joy with which she tells it, the […]
...moreI took a break this weekend from reading Eula Biss‘s On Immunity to go hear Biss speak as part of the Chicago Humanities Festival. Biss’s book is a study of both the history of and current wild confusion around vaccination through various different kinds of bodies. To wit, in the words of Katie Watson, her interviewer, […]
...more
I made work in any little spare minute I could… Everything was scattered and all over the place, and the question was: how can you grab this moment and live it as hard as you possibly can?
...moreIn talking to Molly Backes for this week’s Sunday Interview, Megan Stielstra mentions that she wants her readers to put down her book while reading in order to think, act, or write about the ideas being discussed. Her strategy sure worked on me. Before I got Once I Was Cool, I read an excerpt online […]
...more
On a darkened street in Prague, an older man assaults a younger woman, while an American teacher–safe in her apartment above–watches from the window. More than a decade later, Megan Stielstra remembers, interrogating accountability, time and language.
...moreBetween the holidays and the weather, it’s a quiet week here in Chicago. If you’re jonesing for some word love, you’ve still got a few options. Sunday 12/22: As always, Marc Smith and J.W. Basilo are hosting the Uptown Poetry Slam. Come see local 7 p.m., $6, The Green Mill. Monday 12/23: Still looking for the perfect gift? […]
...moreSunday 12/15: Today at the Uptown Poetry Slam, stop in for the open mic, a featured performance from Gregory Pickett, and then the slam, of course. 7 p.m., $7, The Green Mill. Tuesday 12/17: 2nd Story has teamed up with Lakeview Orchestra to create an evening of words and music. Catch Rumpus contributor Megan Stielstra, […]
...moreSunday 12/8: The Uptown Poetry Slam keeps up its weekly schedule. Stop in early for the open mic, and then stay late for the slam itself. 7 p.m., $6, The Green Mill. Monday 12/9: It’s a busy week for The Moth. They kick off this week with the usual StorySLAM at Haymarket, with stories on the theme of […]
...moreSunday 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 […]
...morePostpartum depression takes on a recognizable form in Megan Stielstra’s Rumpus essay, “Channel B,” as she describes her experience of finding solace in watching another mother on a high-tech video baby monitor, a reminder that we are never truly alone. A live performance of Megan’s piece was recently podcasted by 2nd story. Megan’s essay will […]
...moreAwesome news! Megan Stielstra’s Rumpus essay “Channel B” will appear in The Best American Essays 2013, guest edited by our very own Cheryl Strayed (aka Dear Sugar). Seth Fischer’s “Notes from a Unicorn” will be listed as a notable essay. Congratulations to Megan and Seth, and thanks for contributing your talents to the Rumpus!
...more