NAPERVILLE AUTHOR ELECTED TO AMERICAN ACADEMY
Naperville resident Luis Alberto Urrea, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated author and University of Illinois Chicago professor, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.
Urrea, a professor of creative writing, is among 252 leaders in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research and science elected in 2026, a university news release said.
He is the 8th UIC faculty member elected to the academy, founded in 1780 by John Adams and John Hancock among others.
Urrea is a Guggenheim Fellow who has authored 19 books, many of which have won awards for poetry, fiction and essays, the release said.
His 2023 novel, “Good Night, Irene,” based on his mother’s Red Cross service to troops during World War II, was a New York Times bestseller.
His 2004 nonfiction work, “The Devil’s Highway,” about a group of Mexican immigrants lost in the Arizona desert won the Lannan Literary Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the Pacific Rim Kiriyama Prize.
“The House of Broken Angels” was a 2018 finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
He also won an American Academy of Arts and Letters Fiction award in 2017 for his collection of short stories, “The Water Museum,” which was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award.
Urrea’s novel “Into the Beautiful North” was a Big Read selection of the National Endowment for the Arts.
ÉLAN DANCE COMPANY TO PERFORM AT PFEIFFER HALL
Élan Dance Company will present a showcase of hip hop, jazz and ballet dance styles at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 29, at North Central College’s Pfieffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave., Naperville.
Tickets are not needed, but seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, a Naperville Park District news release said.
Élan has a competitive team and a performance-only team, and both participate in several performances throughout the year, the release said. The competitive team also takes part in dance competitions.
Auditions for the 2026-27 season will be held from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, at the Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center, 305 W. Jackson Ave. The company features dancers ages 6 to 18, with audition times depending on age.
To audition, dancers must be 6 by Sept. 1. A $10 audition fee is required. An audition form must be completed by noon Monday, May 18.
For more information and to register for auditions, go to napervilleparks.org/dance.
WILL COUNTY PLANS MAY 23 DRIVE-THRU FOOD GIVEAWAY
Will County and ShareFest Will County will hold a free drive-thru food giveaway from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 23, at the Will County Office Building, 302 N. Chicago St., Joliet.
Appointments are needed to expedite the process and move vehicles through the line quickly, a news release from the county executive’s office said.
Register for a time slot at www.sharefestwillcounty.org. Guests should enter the parking lot from Scott Street and allow volunteers to load groceries into their cars. Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up at the website.
“ShareFest has been an outstanding partner in helping us provide food to residents throughout Will County,” County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said in a statement. “With local uncertainty about the impact of federal SNAP changes and rising grocery prices, it is more important than ever to provide opportunities for assistance to families.”
For more information, email countyexec@willcounty.gov or call 815-740-4601.
