By Steve Rhodes

“The book Sweetness, written by Jeff Pearlman, is highlighted in the current edition of Sports Illustrated and reports Payton was involved in several extra-marital affairs and fathered an illegitimate son,” the Tribune reports. “The author also cites sources who claim Payton routinely mixed a cocktail of Tylenol and Vicodin after his playing days.
“‘I don’t know why people would want to tarnish his image 12 years later with stuff people probably don’t want to hear,’ said former Bears tight end Emery Moorehead, who was a teammate of Payton on the Super Bowl XX champions.”
I’ll tell you why.

Read More

Posted on September 29, 2011

By Emory University

“Michael Leo Owens, associate professor of political science at Emory University in Atlanta, discusses the potentially flawed mechanics of America’s democratic justice system.”

“Owens specializes in urban, state and local politics, political penology, governance and public policy processes, religion and politics, and African American politics. Owens is an associate of Emory’s Office of University-Community Partnerships and Center for the Study of Law and Religion.
“Author of God and Government in the Ghetto: The Politics of Church-State Collaboration in Black America (University of Chicago Press, 2007), his current book project is Prisoners of Democracy, a study of the politics, policies and attitudes that diminish the citizenship of felons in the United States.”

Read More

Posted on September 23, 2011

By AuthorsBroadCast

“Showcase of authors exhibiting at the 2011 57th Street Children’s Book Fair in Hyde Park Chicago. Held indoors at Ray School because of rain.”

Read More

Posted on September 19, 2011

By The Society of Midland Authors

A discussion on e-books and a tour of Chicago transit history will kick off the Society of Midland Authors’ 2011-12 season. The Society will host six public events at the Cliff Dwellers Club in downtown Chicago.
Oct. 11: E-books: A panel discussion on trends in electronic publishing, with Dominique Raccah, Libby Fischer Hellmann and Kelly Griffin.
Raccah is the CEO & publisher of Sourcebooks, a company she founded in 1987 which is now the country’s largest woman-owned trade book publishing company. Sourcebooks is known for its innovative e-books and mixed-media titles. She is the first-ever woman co-chair of the Book Industry Study Group, which recently released a national survey on the state of the book industry.

Read More

Posted on September 13, 2011

By The Poetry Foundation

The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, will host an open house to celebrate the expanded hours and programs of its library. Festivities include readings by local poets of favorite poems from the library collection, poetry fortune-telling, poetry recording sessions, and a scavenger hunt. Wine and light refreshments will be served.
What: Collection and Cocktails: A Poetry Foundation Library Open House
When: Wednesday, September 7, 5:30 to 8:30 PM
Where: Poetry Foundation, 61 West Superior Street
Tickets: Free admission on a first-come, first-served basis
RSVP: www.collectionandcocktails.eventbrite.com

Read More

Posted on August 17, 2011

By The Beachwood Nerd Alert Delta Force

“After last year’s obnoxiously celebrity-focused Wizard convention, I swore off future Wizard conventions in Chicago, but the surprisingly strong guest list (on the comics end; while some might flip for things like a cast reunion of the children from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, I am not one of them) for this year’s event proved that I am nothing if not weak-willed,” Matthew Brady writes.
“There was much to see, purchase, and interact with, and as much as I may get annoyed by aspects of it, it’s still fascinating to see such a huge swath of nerd culture all crammed into one location.”

Read More

Posted on August 15, 2011

Pop Culture Pioneers

“After walking down the aisles and encountering assorted Batmans and Spider-Mans, a battalion of Star Wars stormtroopers and endless queues of people lined up for celebrity autographs, you start to wonder: Where are the actual comic books at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con?” writes Michael Bonesteel for the Sun-Times.
“Oh, they’re there, all right, represented by fewer dealers every year but still holding their own amid the hoopla and Hollywoodization of the event, which has really become more of a celebration of pop culture.”
*

Read More

Posted on August 12, 2011

Captain Picard vs. Billy Corgan

“Geek is chic at this year’s Wizard World Chicago Comic Con,” Debra Lipson writes for The DePaulia.
“Gather with fellow comic book, graphic novel, movie, TV show, gaming and technology fans for four days of nerd-dom at its finest. Famous faces scheduled for the fest range from Patrick Stewart (X-Men, Star Trek), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), James Marsters (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Smallville) to Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins).”
*
Presented by Wizard World, the Pioneers of Pop Culture.
*
Official event Facebook page.

Read More

Posted on August 11, 2011

By Sourcebooks PR

Anderson’s Books, which includes Anderson’s Bookshops in Naperville and Downers Grove, IL, ABC Book Fairs, a school book fair company in Aurora, IL, and Two-Doors East gift shop in Naperville, IL, was recently named Publishers Weekly 2011 Bookstore of the Year.
“This prestigious honor celebrates one bookseller in the nation and cited Anderson’s, a fifth-generation family bookstore, for its role as a community leader and literary destination. Anderson’s, co-owned by recently elected American Booksellers Association president Becky Anderson and her three brothers, traces its roots back 136 years to the founding of W.W. Wickel Pharmacy (now Oswald’s Pharmacy), which sold books and other items before launching a separate bookstore in 1964.
In celebration of this accomplishment and the independent spirit emerging from the western suburbs of Chicago, Naperville-based publisher Sourcebooks will sponsor a Celeappreciation Event on Wednesday, August 10, from 4-8 p.m. at Anderson’s Bookshop (123 W Jefferson, Naperville, IL, 60540). There will be activities, raffles, refreshments, and fun to celebrate being named Publishers Weekly Bookseller of the Year and to show appreciation to the local community of readers.

Read More

Posted on August 7, 2011

By Captain Strangelife

Via the Captain’s YouTube channel, A Strange and Wonderful Life.
1. At the historic Portage Theater.

Read More

Posted on July 13, 2011