On Monday, June 19, 1978, the first Garfield comic strip made its debut in 41 newspapers. Since its inception, the cutting-edge comic has never been afraid to shy away from controversial topics like Mondays, naps, and lasagna, so it’s no wonder that Garfield sprawled to over 2,500 newspapers and spawned a billion-dollar-a-year merchandising enterprise. (Yes, … Continue reading
Once again it is May. No way, you say? We say way. So put a beret on your toupee and eat a parfait at the gourmet buffet. Don’t let a case of Monday Dismay keep you away from the Book Cellar Cafe on the third Monday in May (that’s May 15th). Join hosts Willy Nast … Continue reading
April in Chicago began with a variety of midwestern half blizzard/half hurricanes, but now that we’ve had about 48 hours of delightful weather, we’ve all completely forgotten that this city is more often than not a meteorological hellscape. The weather is supposed to be 70 degrees and sunny, so you have no reason not to … Continue reading
September is upon us, and once again the sexiest holiday of the year draws nigh: National Punctuation Day. That’s right. We saw the way you used those brackets indicate a change in capitalization. Reports indicated that “[i]t drove us wild.” We want to be the semi-colon between your closely-related independent clauses; we want to be … Continue reading
On August 17th, 1982, the first ever compact disc – or CD, as the cool kids call them (that’s pronounced “cee-deez”) – was stamped on a Philips Electronics assembly line in Germany. To mark such an historic occasion, the good people at Philips thought long and hard about what piece of music ought to be … Continue reading
On July 20, 1801, a community of devout Baptists in Connecticut combined their powers to create a 1,235-pound wheel of cheese, which they sent down the eastern shore via sailboat and sleigh to Washington D.C., where President Thomas Jefferson awaited the gift. According to newspaper accounts, Jefferson “stood in the White House doorway, arms outstretched, … Continue reading
On June 15th, we will be less than a week away from the summer solstice, the day of the year on which the daylight glows longest. After the solstice, of course, the sun shines less and less each day. As early as the Fourth of July, while distracted by flashy exploding things, we will already … Continue reading
Every April 20th, Americans celebrate the legacy of Smokey the Bear by lighting many small, controlled blazes of their own and subsequently feasting on campfire staples such as s’mores, hot dogs, and Doritos Locos Tacos. So after you wake from your Taco Bell-induced nap, come on down to The Book Cellar (where they have cupcakes and scones … Continue reading
Monday is Presidents’ Day. Presidents’ Day reminds us of Abraham Lincoln, who was pretty good at writing things down and reading them in front of people. If you join us at the The Book Cellar (in LINCOLN Square) on Monday, February 16th at 7pm, you’ll be treated to this lineup of humans who are also … Continue reading
Presidents’ Day is the day on which we observe the birthday of every US president. It’s totally weird that all presidents were born on the same day. Doesn’t anyone else think this is an odd coincidence? No one? Huh. Come on down to The Book Cellar on Monday, February 16th at 7 pm, for a Presidents’ … Continue reading
Essay Fiesta 