Book Cellar

4736 N. Lincoln Ave.

Chicago

From the Facebook invite:

Long-time Book Cellar employee Jon and his wife Amelia are expecting their first child within weeks, and last Thursday, May 24, their apartment and belongings were lost to a 2-11 alarm fire (close to here, in Albany Park).

While they fortunately had renters insurance, they will ultimately be starting again from scratch at the same time they are starting as parents.

Maybe you’ve interacted with Jon over the years. Always kind and cheery, he has a love and vast knowledge of books, as a co-editor of Knee-Jerk Magazine is involved heavily in the Chicago lit community, and also teaches.

Amelia is a nurse in the Emergency Department at the Norwegian American Hospital, works at the National Call Center for the Alzheimers Association, and is as delightful a person as you’ll ever meet.

Jon and Amelia are the kind of people who make the world a bit brighter; we’re trying to make their world a little brighter in this trying time.

Here’s two ways to help.

A donation page has been set up. Any amount helps.

And on the evening of Thurs, May 31st, writers and friends from all over Chicago are coming together to rally for Jon and Amelia with a night of readings, comedy, raffle prizes, and community.

Cash or check donations will be accepted, as will baby shower items.

THE READERS ARE:

KEITH ECKER, writer, frequent performer all around town, creator of the new webmagazine The Snackpot, and co-host of the popular reading series Essay Fiesta.

LINDSAY HUNTER, author of Daddy’s and co-founder ofthe legendary Quickies! reading series.

ADAM LEVIN, author of the praised and mammoth The Instructions and the recent story collection Hot Pink.

JONATHAN MESSINGER, author of the story collection Hiding Out, co-founder of featherproof books, and books editor at Time Out Chicago Magazine.

AMY SUMPTER, one of our favorite comedians, and co-host of The Kates, the immensely popular bi-monthly comedy show that’s housed here.

ROBBIE Q. TELFER, poetry slam performer, author of the poetry collection Spiking the Sucker Punch, and co-founder and curator of The Encyclopedia Show.

CHRIS TERRY, writer, editor, teacher, and co-host of Neutron Bomb: Chicago’s PunkRock Writing Reading Series.

The Book Cellar will be closed to the public at 6pm on May 31st. Thank you for your understanding!

More info here.

7pm at the Book Cellar in Lincoln Square. Proceeds go to 826CHI. I’ll be reading a new wigger jam that I’m working on.

I read a new version of my story “The Impersonator” at 2nd Story earlier this month, and they made a podcast out of it.

Stream it on their site or download it for free from iTunes.

Props if you recognize the first song that plays under me.

2nd Story “Mixed Roots”

Sun. 3/11 & Mon. 3/12 at Webster’s Wine Bar. Ticket info here.

Whole Foods South Loop Story Hour

Tues. 3/13 at South Loop Whole Foods. 6pm, $3, free appetizers. Reading with Gary Johnson, Ann Hemenway and Cyn Vargas as a lead-in for the wonderful Story Week festival.

Fri. 3/2 from 3-5pm in the SAIC Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan.

Here’s the Facebook Event.

We’re doing a special Neutron Bomb for AWP, co-sponsored by New Herring Press.

FRIDAY, MARCH 2. 9-11:30PM

CAL’S LIQUORS, 400 S. WELLS (CORNER OF VAN BUREN)

FREE, 21+

FACEBOOK INVITE.

More details on the NEUTRON BOMB TUMBLR.

READERS:

SARA MARCUS (Author of “Girls to the Front: The true story of the riot grrrl revolution, New Herring Press co-editor”)

CHRIS HEAVENER (Editor of Annalemma)

KURT KENNEDY (Krunchy)

JESS ARNDT (NHP co-editor)

JASON DANIEL SCHWARTZ (NHP co-editor)

MUSIC BY DJ COLIN

2nd Story is a Chicago storytelling event. I am reading in their “Mixed Roots” show on Sun. 3/11 and Mon. 3/12 at Webster’s Wine Bar. I suggest getting tickets in advance. These events tend to sell out. That may be the only time I ever say that about something I’m involved in.

Columbia College Chicago Fiction Writing Professor and “Temple of Air” author Patty McNair ran a brief profile of my writing space on her website. Click through for proof that my apartment looks like “Sanford and Son” for bookworms.

Just got the good news that my short story “A Review of Sharing A Hotel Room with the Knee-Jerk Guys during AWP” will be printed in Knee-Jerk Offline Vol. 2, out in time for AWP. Proud to be a part of one of my favorite Chicago lit mags.

Also, we had to change the date of the February Neutron Bomb from 2/18 to Sat. 2/11, 7-9pm. So far, we’ve confirmed poet Kayla Sargeson and my cohost Benny Kumming is going to tell a story. More info as it ripens and falls from the trees…

More info to come, but I am reading at West Side School for the Desperate on 1/28 and the “I’m Not Racist, But…”-themed iteration of P. Fanatics at Cole’s on 2/12.

Also, Neutron Bomb, the punk-themed reading series that I co-host is confirming our new dates. As of now, we’re looking at 2/11 and 4/14, plus a special AWP Neutron Bomb on 3/2.

Stay tuned for details…