Are you the type of movie watcher who enjoys the bonus content on your favorite flick? We get that feeling all the time about books so we set up some time for you to Meet the Authors. These virtual presentations are excellent ways to get into the minds and thought processes of that book you just read.
Here is what we have booked for you next:
Meet Chef Kwame Onwuachi
Wednesday, June 22nd at 7 PM via Zoom
Kwame Onwuachi is a James Beard Award-winning chef who was born on Long Island and raised in New York City, Nigeria, and Louisiana. Onwuachi was first exposed to cooking by his mother, in the family’s modest Bronx apartment, and he took that spark of passion and turned it into a career. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America and opened five restaurants before turning thirty. A former Top Chef contestant, he has been named Food & Wine's Best New Chef 2019 and a 30 Under 30 honoree by both Zagat and Forbes. Onwuachi’s 2019 memoir, Notes from a Young Black Chef received critical acclaim.
This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering high-quality events. Illinois Libraries Present is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a Department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
Download Notes from a Young Black Chef the Audiobook on Libby
An Evening With Michelle Zauner
NEW TIME: Thursday, June 30th at 7 PM via Zoom
Due to her upcoming Saturday Night Live performance, Michelle has rescheduled her event with us from May 18th to June 20th. We appreciate your understanding. Be sure to tune into SNL on May 21st.
Michelle Zauner is best known as a singer and guitarist who creates dreamy, shoegaze-inspired indie pop under the name Japanese Breakfast. She has won acclaim from major music outlets around the world for releases like Psychopomp (2016) and Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017). Critically acclaimed Jubilee (2021) was nominated for two Grammy awards. Crying in H Mart is her first book.
Jessica Hopper is a music critic, producer and author based in Chicago. In a career spanning more than twenty years, Hopper has earned acclaim as a provocative, fearless music journalist. She is the author of The First Collection of Criticism By A Living Female Rock Critic.
This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering high-quality events. Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library, a Department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
Past Featured Authors
Meet Jessamine Chan & Emily Maloney
Wednesday, May 25th at 7 PM via Zoom
Jessamine Chan is the New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good Mothers. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and lives in Chicago with her family.
Emily Maloney is the author of Cost of Living, a collection of essays. She holds an MFA from The University of Pittsburgh and lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her partner and their dog.
This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering high-quality events. Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library, a Department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
Small Beginnings: An Evening With Abbi Waxman
Thursday, May 5th at 7 PM via Zoom
Hailed by the New York Times as "both irreverent and thoughtful," Abbi Waxman's novels feature strong, quirky, and often bookish heroines that face real-world issues, such as depression and relationship struggles. Born and raised in England, Waxman worked as a copywriter and then as a creative director at various advertising agencies in London and New York. Eventually, she quit advertising, had three kids, and started writing books, TV shows, and screenplays, largely in order to get a moment's peace. She's the author of four novels, including The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, which our very own Library Reads Book Club will be discussing on the evening of Thursday, April 21st, 2022.
Those who register will be entered into a drawing to get a free advanced signed copy of Abbi's new book, Adult Assembly Required.
An Evening with Nick Offerman & Jeff Tweedy
Wednesday, April 27th at 7 PM via Zoom
Best known for his breakout role as Ron Swanson in the acclaimed series Parks and Recreation, Nick will be discussing his newest book, Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside.
Nick Offerman is the New York Times bestselling author of Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America’s Gutsiest Troublemakers, Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man’s Fundamentals for Delicious Living, and co-author of The Greatest Love Story Ever Told: An Oral History, written with his very funny and talented wife, Megan Mullally. He also publishes the Substack newsletter Donkey Thoughts. Born in Joliet, Illinois, and raised in nearby Minooka, he now lives in Los Angeles and, in his spare time, can be found at his woodshop building hand-crafted items from wood.
Jeff Tweedy is the founding member and leader of Grammy Award-winning rock band Wilco, and one of contemporary music’s most accomplished songwriters and performers. Jeff has released three solo albums, written original songs for eleven Wilco albums, and is the author of two bestsellers, Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, etc. and How To Write One Song. Originally from Belleville, Illinois, he lives in Chicago with his family.
This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering high-quality events. Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library, a Department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
Truth Hurts: Meet Jenny Lawson
Jenny is an American journalist, author and blogger known for her great candor in sharing her struggle with mental illness. "The Bloggess" lives in Texas with her husband and daughter and was constantly “buying too many books” (“Not a real thing,” she insists), so she decided to skip the middleman and just started her own bookshop, which also serves booze because books and booze are what magic is made of. She has previously written Let’s Pretend This Never Happened and Furiously Happy, both of which were #1 New York Times bestsellers. She would like to be your friend unless you’re a real asshole. (And yes, she realizes this paragraph is precisely the reason she shouldn’t be allowed to write her own bio.)
