In our most recent seasonal newsletter, we dubbed this the "Summer of Connection." So far, we've made good on that promise--connecting with loved ones and also with books we love! If you're still searching for summer reading recommendations, check out our list!
We want to make a special shout-out to Eve L. Ewing, whose IRL book-signing was pure joy! ICYMI, we have signed copies of Eve's delightful new middle-grade book, Maya and the Robot!
A few housekeeping notes: curbside pickup will NOT be available on Monday, Aug. 2 as we will be busy with our annual inventory. We'll also be closing early on Sunday, Aug. 15 in order to prep for a ticketed event with beloved poet Kaveh Akbar at the patio outside Reza's Restaurant. Get your tickets today!
Happy reading!
With love & gratitude,
W&CF
P.S. We have a TON of amazing events coming up this month! We've heard that some email providers "clip" our newsletter. Be sure to click "view entire message" at the bottom of your screen so you don't miss anything!
Upcoming Events
Pssst! Most of our events are recorded and uploaded with closed captioning to our YouTube Channel. Watch them any time!
Agatha has lived every day of the last nine years with her sisters: they work together, laugh together, pray together. Their world is contained within the little house they share. The four of them are devoted to Mother Roberta and to their quiet, purposeful life.
Join us for a joint virtual reading with Katie Kitamura (Intimacies) and Dana Spiotta (Wayward) introducing their new novels!
In Intimacies, An interpreter has come to The Hague to escape New York and work at the International Court. A woman of many languages and identities, she is looking for a place to finally call home.
Throughout the summer (weather permitting), Story Time will be held a few blocks away in the magical garden behind the Edgewater Historical Society (5358 N Ashland Ave). The performance is designed for 2 to 5 year olds who are ready to sit, listen, and participate, but children of all ages are welcome. Our co-founder Linda Bubon reads and performs 5 or more stories along with leading some finger plays. We ask for a $1 donation.
Story times will be held at 10:30 a.m. on:
Wednesday, August 11
Wednesday, August 25
Sun, Aug 15, 2021 4:15 PM CST
Outdoor Poetry Reading: PILGRIM BELL by Kaveh Akbar
Join us for a ticketed, outdoor poetry reading and book-signing celebrating Pilgrim Bell, Kaveh Akbar’s exquisite, highly anticipated follow-up to Calling a Wolf a Wolf.
With formal virtuosity and ruthless precision, Kaveh Akbar’s second collection takes its readers on a spiritual journey of disavowal, fiercely attendant to the presence of divinity where artifacts of self and belonging have been shed.
Pssss! Beyond this virtual event, Megan will be in the bookstore from 11 a.m. to Noon on Aug. 17 to sign copies of her books! You can stop by then to have your copy personalized.
Join us for a virtual celebration of the reissues of Megan Stielstra's short story collection, Everyone Remain Calm and essay collection, Once I Was Cool. For this highly anticipated dual re-release, Stielstra will be in conversation with writer and performer Khanisha Foster.
In celebration of her bestselling book, The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom, author Felicia Rose Chavez will be in conversation with Eileen Favorite.
A captivating mix of memoir and progressive teaching strategies, The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom demonstrates how to be culturally attuned, twenty-first century educators.
The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop is a call to create healthy, sustainable, and empowering classroom communities. Award-winning educator Felicia Rose Chavez exposes the invisible politics of power and privilege that have silenced writers of color for far too long. It's more urgent than ever that we consciously work against traditions of dominance in the classroom, but what specific actions can we take to achieve authentically inclusive communities?
Join us for a virtual lunch date with New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network,Chandler Baker and the one and only Samantha Irby for the release of The Husbands, a novel that asks: to what lengths will a woman go for a little more help from her husband? This event will be held on Women & Children First's Crowdcast Channel and is BYOB :))
Nora Spangler is a successful attorney but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too… but why does it seem like she is always working so much harder?
For this event, local author and educator Lisa Sukenic will be in conversation with Carol Coven Grannick.
After moving from her beloved Detroit neighborhood to an unfamiliar suburb on the outskirts of the city, Georgia lies to prevent becoming disqualified from the contest (which is for Detroit residents only) by using her aunt Birdie’s address. With her older brother deployed to Vietnam, and her family worried about when—or if—he’ll make it home, Georgia tries to settle into her new life. But she misses the old—her friend Ceci, the cracks in the sidewalk that used to catch her skates, the hide-and-seek tree, and the deli on the corner. She wonders if she’ll ever make new friends or feel like she belongs. To make matters worse, she must also find a way to intercept the contest finalist announcement that will be mailed to Aunt Birdie’s mailbox before her family uncovers her deception. During that summer, Georgia discovers her own resiliency in the face of upheaval and the power of truth when lies ring hollow.
A memoir and a call to action, this intimate look at America’s long-standing struggle to adequately educate vulnerable children offers valuable insights for effecting change in families, communities, and nationwide.
At the root of every important problem we face, from mass incarceration to income inequality, is an education system influenced by our nation’s fraught history. Just as past generations fought to ensure that all Americans could enjoy the right to fully participate in our democracy, so must we rally tirelessly to advance an educational agenda that promotes equity and inclusion. With the gap between white academic achievement and that of students of color widening, now is the time to turn our attention to the basics, and few would argue with the fact that the single most essential aspect of a good education is literacy. Beyond reading and writing, literacy encompasses a whole host of skills that allow us to develop our potential and succeed in society, including critical thinking, self-discipline, curiosity, leadership, and motivation. Helping all our nation’s young people, especially those who live in low-income communities, improve their literacy skills should be a top priority.
Beautifully written and deeply personal, this book follows the struggles and triumphs of one single, immigrant mother of color to raise an American feminist son. From teaching consent to counteracting problematic messages from the media, well-meaning family, and the culture at large, the author offers an empowering, imperfect feminism, brimming with honest insight and actionable advice.
Kat Chow has always been unusually fixated on death. She worried constantly about her parents dying---especially her mother. A vivacious and mischievous woman, Kat's mother made a morbid joke that would haunt her for years to come: when she died, she'd like to be stuffed and displayed in Kat's future apartment in order to always watch over her.
