1 “The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt: A Tyranny of Truth” (Spertus) Author and cartoonist Ken Krimstein discusses his graphic biography of philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt with Alexandra Salomon, editor of WBEZ’s Curious City. March 14
2 Murder and Mayhem in Chicago (Roosevelt University) All you need to learn about mystery and thriller writing, featuring keynote speakers Sophie Hannah and Scott Turow, with panelists including Steph Cha, Susanna Calkins, Mia Manansala, Bryan Gruley, Marcella Raymond, Tori Telfer, Mindy Mejia, Eric Beetner and Jamie Freveletti. March 23
3 Open Door Series: Jenny Boully and Sara Wainscott (Poetry Foundation) Jenny Boully, author of “Betwixt-and-Between: Essays on the Writing Life,” and Sara Wainscott, author of “Queen of the Moon,” read with emerging poets Lily Someson and Zachary Arvind Swezy. March 19
4 “The Lost Night” (Book Cellar) Andrea Bartz talks about her debut thriller “The Lost Night.” March 13
5 Patrick Radden Keefe (Irish American Heritage Center) New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe, author of “The Snakehead” and “Chatter,” presents “Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland.” March 7
Toni Nealie is the Literary Editor of Newcity and the author of the essay collection “The Miles Between Me.” A Pushcart Prize nominee, her essays have appeared in Guernica Magazine, Rust Belt: Chicago, The Rumpus, The Offing, Essay Daily, Chicago Quarterly Review, Hobart, Entropy and elsewhere. She worked in magazine journalism, politics and PR in her native New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Singapore and now edits, writes and teaches in Chicago. Find her at toninealie.com and on Twitter @tnealie. She can be reached at toni@newcity.com.
Lit Top 5: May 2022 Chicago Humanities Spring Festival and American Writers Festival headline an extraordinary month for book lovers and thought leaders.
