Now that July Fourth is two weeks gone, you’ve exhausted your fireworks stockpile down to a few piddly sparklers. But don’t despair! Come to The Book Cellar at 7pm on Monday, July 16th for this lineup of writers and performers who will bring the boom-pow-crackle without violating noise ordinances: erica dreisbach is an artist, writer, and computer programmer in Chicago. She’s been a … Continue reading
Good news! By the time the third Monday in July comes around, your neighbors will have burned through the seemingly endless supply of fireworks they purchased in Indiana. You and your dog will soon be able to sleep through the night without veterinary Xanax (two for you, one for the dog). This is cause for … Continue reading
IT’S OUR 8TH BIRTHDAY. You are morally obligated to come down to The Book Cellar on Monday, November 20th at 7pm. Also, this lineup is going to be so good, we might never need to have another birthday: Britt Julious is a journalist, essayist, and storyteller. Her writing has appeared in the Esquire, ELLE, GQ, … Continue reading
Essay Fiesta turns 8 years old this month, which is 56 in dog years, 49 in cat years, and 84.3 in live lit years. Like many middle-aged dogs and cats, Essay Fiesta can be trusted to be left at home alone without wrecking the furniture. It will, however, still pee on the floor from time … Continue reading
On August 21, a major astronomical event will hit the United States – the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in almost a century – it’s just too bad that Essay Fiesta will be eclipsing the eclipse in beauty and wonderment and awe. Join your hosts Karen Shimmin and Willy Nast at The Book Cellar on Monday, … 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
Are you in Essay Fiesta withdrawals? We sure are. Luckily, Willy and Karen produce a literary podcast and this week’s episode features three stories told at Essay Fiesta this year. Hop on over to All Write Already! to hear from Kelsie Huff, Chris Bower, and Erin Diamond on green cars, quarter heists, and a really big … Continue reading
Fall is in the air! There are steins of German beer and to-go cups of pumpkin spice coffee drinks and pots of mulled cider. Men are wearing cardigans. Toddlers are wearing flannel. Everyone you know is Instagramming their apple picking trips to the suburbs. But nothing says fall like an evening of stories at The Book … Continue reading
Essay Fiesta is right around the corner…on Monday. And this is such a great line-up that Alyson and Keith are doing jumping jacks just to get out all our anxious energy in advance. As always, we’ll be benefiting 826CHI and giving away prizes from our wonderful sponsors like Southport Grocery & Cafe, Murder Mystery Maniacs and Chicago Underground Comedy. So … Continue reading
Hey kiddies! We’ve got a doozy of an Essay Fiesta lined up for May. Seriously. Alyson and Keith are thoroughly impressed with the caliber of talent. This isn’t marketing spiel, people. It’s the real deal. Take a look for yourself. Below are the people who will rock your world on May 21 at 7 p.m. … Continue reading
Essay Fiesta 