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Exile in Bookville Presents: Authors on Tap: Anca L. Szilágyi and Rebecca Makkai

Join us IN PERSON on Thursday, September 29 at 7 pm central to help celebrate the launch of Anca L. Szilágyi‘s second novel, Dreams Under Glass.  Anca will be in conversation with Exile MVP Rebecca Makkai!

About Dreams Under Glass:
An art school grad turned paralegal faces a shocking and surreal death at her law firm against a backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis in New York City.

“A darkly delicious exploration of modern entrapment, Dreams Under Glass is both a coming-of-age novel and a horror story about gluttony, greed, and art. Szilágyi binds the spell with confectionary precision and a collector’s sense of wonder and ceaseless want. This book rattles with its refraction of a world in which telling the truth might be the most difficult art.”
-—Nancy Jooyoun Kim, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Story of Mina Lee

“Szilágyi’s sharp, wry prose captures millennial ennui and ambition alike in this sometimes-dark, sometimes-electric, completely fascinating novel.”
-—Sonora Jha, author of Foreign and How to Raise a Feminist Son

About the authors:

Anca L. Szilágyi is the author of Daughters of the Air (Lanternfish Press, 2017), which Shelf Awareness called “a striking debut from a writer to watch,” and Dreams Under Glass (Lanternfish Press, 2022). Her writing appears in Orion Magazine, Lilith Magazine, and Los Angeles Review of Books, among others. She is the recipient of awards and fellowships from Vermont Studio Center, Artist Trust, 4Culture, Hugo House, and Jack Straw Cultural Center, among others. Originally from Brooklyn, she has lived in Montreal, Seattle, and now Chicago, where she teaches creative writing at StoryStudio Chicago and elsewhere.

Rebecca Makkai is the Chicago-based author of the novels The Great BelieversThe Hundred-Year House, and The Borrower, as well as the short story collection Music for Wartime. The Great Believers was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and received the ALA Carnegie Medal and the LA Times Book Prize, among other honors. Makkai is on the MFA faculties of Sierra Nevada College and Northwestern University, and she is Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.

About the event:
You can purchase their books through the respective links or in store and Anca and Rebecca are happy to sign or personalize copies! If you can’t make it to the event, signed copies will be available and we ship nationally!

Please note the following COVID protocols for those attending IN PERSON:

  • Attendees must present a physical copy or a photo of their COVID-19 vaccine card along with a valid photo ID (state, government, or school ID); or
  • Provide a time-stamped printout, photo, or email of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of the event or a negative Rapid Antigen Test taken within 36 hours of the event, along with a valid photo ID (state, government, or school ID).
  • All persons must wear a mask for the duration of their time in the Fine Arts Building, regardless of vaccination status in accordance with our current COVID policies

Please email us at books@exileinbookville.com or phone us at (312)-753-3154 if you have any questions or concerns. 

on August 8 2022· Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Friends of the Bronxville Public Library Presents: Lan Samantha Changin conversation with Rebecca Makkai (Zoom)

Lan Samantha Chang, author of The Family Chao,
in conversation with
Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers

The Friends of the Bronxville Public Library (FOBPL) is pleased to host award-winning author Lan Samantha Chang, who will discuss her new novel, The Family Chao.  FOBPL is equally thrilled to host acclaimed author Rebecca Makkai to moderate this event.

For the recent MyHometownBronxville article, click here


Thursday, April 21, 2022
7:00-8:00 p.m. via Zoom

This event is free, but registration is required.

To register, please click here.

Registration closes on April 21, 12:00 p.m.
(Zoom link will be provided through Eventbrite Registration on April 21.)

THE FAMILY CHAO is an electrifying and devastating portrait of a Chinese American family grappling with trauma, grief, race, love, and longing. Brimming with comedy, suspense, and heartbreak, Lan Samantha Chang’s masterpiece is one of the most ambitious novels about America in recent years.

Lan Samantha Chang is the award-winning author of a collection of short fiction, Hunger, and novels The Family Chao, Inheritance and All is Forgotten, Nothing is Lost.  A recent Berlin Prize Fellow, she also has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.  Chang is the first Asian American and the first female director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Iowa City.  For more on Lan Samantha Chang and The Family Chao, click here.

Moderator Rebecca Makkai is the Chicago-based author of the novels The Great Believers, The Hundred-Year House, and The Borrower, as well as the short story collection Music for Wartime. The Great Believerswas a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and received the ALA Carnegie Medal and the LA Times Book Prize, among other honors.  Makkai is on the MFA faculties of Sierra Nevada College and Northwestern University, and she is Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.  For more on Rebecca Makkai, click here.

Signed copies of The Family Chao are available for sale now at Womrath Bookshop. 

The FOBPL appreciates your donations.  Thank you! 

on April 18 2022· Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Exile In Bookville Presents: Authors on Tap: Steve Almond and Rebecca Makkai

Authors on Tap: Steve Almond and Rebecca Makkai

Friday May 27 2022 7:00pm – 8:00pm

Join us IN PERSON or virtually on Friday, May 27th at 7:00pm central to help celebrate Steve Almond‘s new novel, All the Secrets of the World.  Steve will be in conversation with Exile MVP Rebecca Makkai!
Steve Almond is the author of a dozen books, including “Candyfreak” and “Against Football,” which were both on the New York Times’ Bestseller list for about four seconds.  He’s the recipient of an NEA grant for 2022 and teaches at Harvard and Wesleyan. His work has been published in the Best American Short Stories, the Best American Mysteries, and the New York Times Magazine. Fancy fancy. After 30 years of writing terrible novels, he finally wrote one that doesn’t suck. All the Secrets of the World will be out in May.

Rebecca Makkai is the Chicago-based author of the novels The Great BelieversThe Hundred-Year House, and The Borrower, as well as the short story collection Music for WartimeThe Great Believers was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and received the ALA Carnegie Medal and the LA Times Book Prize, among other honors. Makkai is on the MFA faculties of Sierra Nevada College and Northwestern University, and she is Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.

You can purchase their books through the respective links and Steve and Rebecca are happy to sign or personalize copies! If you can’t make it to the event, signed copies will be available and we ship nationally!

Please note the following COVID protocols for those attending IN PERSON:

  • Attendees must present a physical copy or a photo of their COVID-19 vaccine card along with a valid photo ID (state, government, or school ID); or
  • Provide a time-stamped printout, photo, or email of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of the event or a negative Rapid Antigen Test taken within 36 hours of the event, along with a valid photo ID (state, government, or school ID).
  • All persons must wear a mask for the duration of their time in the Fine Arts Building, regardless of vaccination status in accordance with our current COVID policies

Please email us at books@exileinbookville.com or phone us at (312)-753-3154 if you have any questions or concerns. 

*There is no need to register if you are attending in person!

on April 15 2022· Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In-Person Event with Paul Holes / Unmasked

 

Join Anderson’s bookshop for an in-person event with Paul Holes, the retired cold-case detective behind investigations into the Golden State Killer, Jaycee Dugard, and Laci Peterson cases,  to discuss his new memoir Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases.  Paul will be in conversation with New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Makkai.

After a discussion by the author and a conversation partner, fans will be welcome to join a live signing line to get their book autographed by the author.  COVID safety protocols will be followed.

This event will be held at Wentz Concert Hall on the campus of North Central College, and pre-registration is required as space is limited. 

 

Please read these COVID protection requirements carefully:

Masks are required of all customers, regardless of vaccination status, and must remain properly covering the face for the entirety of the event.

A ticket is required for all attendees, attendance may be capped, and seating may also be restricted in order to allow for social distancing.

Anderson’s Bookshop, the author, and the publisher reserve the right to change the format of this event to a virtual one at any time if it becomes necessary.  A change in format will not entitle ticket holders to any refund.

Failure to follow these guidelines and to treat all participants with courtesy and respect may result in your expulsion from the event.

 

Please be advised that Anderson’s Bookshop assumes no responsibility or liability for any personal injury or other loss you may incur as a result of your decision to attend an event, including the transmission of Covid-19 or related illnesses.  We expect that for the protection of everyone, all applicable Covid related protocols will be followed.  

 

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

More about the book:

In this memoir, Paul Holes takes us through his memories of a storied career and provides an insider account of some of the most notorious cases in contemporary American history, including the hunt for the Golden State Killer, Laci Peterson’s murder, and Jaycee Dugard’s kidnapping. This is also a revelatory profile of a complex man and what makes him tick: the drive to find closure for victims and their loved ones, the inability to walk away from a challenge—even at the expense of his own happiness. Holes opens up the most intimate scenes of his life: his moments of self-doubt and the impact that detective work has had on his marriage. This is a story about the gritty truth of crime-solving when there are no flashbulbs and “case closed” headlines. It is the story of a man and his commitment to cases and people who might otherwise have been forgotten.

About the author:

In 2018, Paul Holes retired as a Cold Case Investigator after spending more than 27 years working in Contra Costa County in California’s Bay Area. Paul specialized in cold case and serial predator crimes, lending his expertise to notable cases, including the murder of Laci Peterson and the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard. Most prominently, Paul’s career culminated with his identification of the Golden State Killer, the most notorious and cunning serial predator in U.S. history.

 

Since the arrest of Joseph DeAngelo, the Golden State Killer, Holes has been very involved on the media side, continuing to assist law enforcement and victims’ families with their unsolved cases through the television shows The DNA of Murder with Paul Holes and America’s Most Wanted, and with the podcast Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad.

Rebecca Makkai is the Chicago-based author of the novels The Great BelieversThe Hundred-Year House, and The Borrower, as well as the short story collection Music for WartimeThe Great Believers was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and received the ALA Carnegie Medal and the LA Times Book Prize, among other honors. Makkai is on the MFA faculties of Sierra Nevada College and Northwestern University, and she is Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.

 

on April 15 2022· Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ragdale Novel Affair 2022

April 30, 2022, 5:30 PM at Shoreacres

Ragdale’s 14th Annual Novel Affair brings together acclaimed authors and guests for an evening of creativity and conversation in support of Ragdale, the region’s most prominent artists residency community located in Lake Forest. The Saturday, April 30 event, held at Shoreacres, begins with a cocktail reception followed by short presentations given by our featured writers/artists. The evening concludes with opportunities for guests to have books signed by featured guests. Books available for purchase by Lake Forest Book Store.

If you can’t attend, but would like to support Ragdale, you can DONATE HERE.

Participants

Jessamine Chan, author

Jonathan Eig, journalist and biographer

Alex Kotlowitz, journalist, author

Scott Lundius, executive director, The Morrison-Shearer Foundation

Sahar Mustafah, author

Melissa Ann Pinney, photographer

Erika L. Sánchez , poet

Natasha Trethewey, poet

Host

Rebecca Makkai, author

on April 15 2022· Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

American Writers Festival

American Writers Festival

My Monticello: Jocelyn Johnson in conversation with Rebecca Makkai
Event Time: 11:30 a.m.
Event Location: Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington, Chicago IL

The inaugural American Writers Festival on May 15, 2022 in Chicago coincides with the American Writers Museum’s fifth anniversary. The free literary festival will be held at four stages inside the Chicago Cultural Center and one stage at the American Writers Museum, and feature more than 75 beloved contemporary authors, artists and playwrights. Participating writers will address their perspectives on many of today’s most timely and controversial topics including immigration, book censorship, racism and equality through themes within their literature.

As a special bonus, the AWM will waive museum admission fees on Sunday, May 15 and Monday, May 16 – AWM’s fifth anniversary – to encourage more people to experience the literary works of the greatest American writers.

 

 

on April 15 2022· Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Virtual Book Launch: THE UPSTAIRS HOUSE by Julia Fine In Conversation With Rebecca Makkai

Join us on Women & Children First’s Crowdcast Channel for the virtual launch celebration for The Upstairs House by Julia Fine! For this event, Fine will be in conversation with Rebecca Makkai.

REGISTER HERE

Ravaged and sore from giving birth to her first child, Megan is mostly raising her newborn alone while her husband travels for work. Physically exhausted and mentally drained, she’s also wracked with guilt over her unfinished dissertation—a thesis on mid-century children’s literature.

Enter a new upstairs neighbor: the ghost of quixotic children’s book writer Margaret Wise Brown—author of the beloved classic Goodnight Moon—whose existence no one else will acknowledge. It seems Margaret has unfinished business with her former lover, the once-famous socialite and actress Michael Strange, and is determined to draw Megan into the fray. As Michael joins the haunting, Megan finds herself caught in the wake of a supernatural power struggle—and until she can find a way to quiet these spirits, she and her newborn daughter are in terrible danger.

Using Megan’s postpartum haunting as a powerful metaphor for a woman’s fraught relationship with her body and mind, Julia Fine once again delivers an imaginative and “barely restrained, careful musing on female desire, loneliness, and hereditary inheritances” (Washington Post).

Julia Fine is the author of the critically acclaimed What Should Be Wild, which was shortlisted for the Bram Stoker Superior First Novel Award and the Chicago Review of Books Award. She teaches writing in Chicago, where she lives with her husband and son.

Rebecca Makkai latest novel, The Great Believers, was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award; it was the winner of the ALA Carnegie Medal, the Stonewall Book Award, the LA Times Book Prize, the Clark Fiction Prize, the Midwest Independent Booksellers Award, and the Chicago Review of Books Award; and it was one of the New York Times' Ten Best Books of 2018. Her other books are the novels The Borrower and The Hundred-Year House, and the collection Music for Wartime — four stories from which appeared in The Best American Short Stories. Rebecca is on the MFA faculties of Sierra Nevada College and Northwestern University. She is Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago.

Event date:
Wednesday, February 24, 2021 – 7:00pm
Event address:
Virtual via Crowdcast

on February 22 2021· Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Cocktails & Conversation: Kimberly King Parsons, Megha Majumdar & Julia Phillips with Rebecca Makkai

What better time to host and celebrate four extremely talented National Book Award for fiction long and short listers? We believe two days after the winners of the 2020 National Book Awards winners have been announced, that’s when. Please join us on November 20th at 7pm central as Exile in Bookville welcomes Kimberly King Parsons (Black Light: Stories), Megha Majumdar (A Burning) and Julia Phillips (Disappearing Earth) in conversation with Rebecca Makkai (The Great Believers).
Exile in Bookville is partnering with Books Are Magic, Brooklyn for this event which will be streamed through Zoom and broadcast on Exile in Bookville’s Facebook Live as well as on the Exile in Bookville website.
You can purchase all of the books mentioned above through the Exile in Bookville website.

on October 26 2020· Tagged: , , , , , ,

Ragdale Ring 2020 Performance: Michael Zapata and The Herbsaint Band

Join Ragdale Ring for a special evening of New Orleans flavor, featuring author Michael Zapata in conversation with Rebecca Makkai, and The Herbsaint Band. This event is outdoors, with limited seating capacity to comply with Illinois COVID safety guidelines

Continue reading ?

on September 4 2020· Tagged: , , , , , ,

Solitude Social Club: A Bookish Happy Hour (Online!)

Solitude Social Club is Hugo House’s offering to readers and writers seeking connection during the social quarantine. On April 10th, guest writer Rebecca Makkai – Author will share a drink and discuss how she’s finding happiness through art and literature in these distancing times. After the conversation, we’ll break out into smaller groups and get to know one another.

RSVP to join the Zoom conversation, or find us streaming on Hugo House’s Facebook Live.

on April 8 2020· Tagged: ,

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