Now in its 10th year, the Chicago Humanities Festival is a mammoth undertaking that brings together big names and small for two weeks of performances and thought-provoking lectures through Nov. 14. The best-known speakers and performers this time include Chicago authors Scott Turow and Germaine Greer, jazz great Marcus Roberts, Quebec jazz band Skalene (pictured at left) and playwright David Henry Hwang, but fest president Eileen Mackevich also recruits heavyweights from literary and academic worlds to share their expertise on everything from postmodernism to architecture.
This year, in anticipation of the millennium, the fest’s theme is “New & Old,” and many of the programs deal with the tension between the past and the present that brings texture to the arts.
The programs are held in a variety of venues around town. Best of all, admission to most events is $5 (cash only). For details, call the festival at 312-661-1028, check listings in On The Go or visit metromix.com/go/humanities.
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