It’s a hard knock life, the writer’s life, and we (yes, I consider myself a member in relatively good standing in this crowd) seem to be getting steadily battered by all sorts of bad news. There were those e-books, the vanishing of book review sections and book reviews from newspapers, struggles of independent bookstores in the face of Amazon and, most recently, the invasion of AI, with its Claude, Perplexity, ChatGPT and Gemini with their seductive and threatening ways.
But amid all this woe and worry comes the third annual and ever-ambitious two-day gathering of nearly 100 writers, as well as a much bigger gang of the people who read them. It is called the American Writers Festival, a collaborative effort of the American Writers Museum and the Chicago Public Library, and it takes place June 6-7.
It will be, I sensed from hearing from some of the authors participating, a fine opportunity not to lament but to celebrate.
This is what writer Catherine-Esther Cowie has to say: “During my journey from a new poet writing bad poems to my recently published debut collection, ‘Heirloom,’ I have been welcomed and supported by a community of writers in Chicago, Evanston, Palatine, Highland Park, Logan Square and Arlington Heights.
“I remember sharing early drafts of poems at an event in Evanston, teaching poetry workshops on craft in Palatine and Evanston, attending a reading at the Poetry Foundation in downtown Chicago and then being interviewed by the Poetry Foundation for their podcast. When ‘Heirloom’ was published, Secret World Bookshop in Highland Park hosted my first live reading. … Attending these events has led to friendships with other poets, and other amazing opportunities to share my work and experience the work of other writers.”
Lest you think Cowie is the lone optimist, author Amy Bizzarri told me: “I live and work in Logan Square, and I ride my bike so much along its tree‑lined streets and historic boulevards, especially now that spring has finally arrived, that the neighborhood has become part of my creative engine. The literary energy is always alive in my neighborhood: cafés filled with people drafting novels, bookstores hosting readings, the mix of voices drifting up from Milwaukee Avenue as you pass by. Somehow, these bike rides have become my main idea‑generating mode; there’s something about being in motion through a place I love that opens up my creative mind in a way sitting at a desk never quite does.
“And there’s the Chicago Public Library system, one of the best in the country. I love how easy it is to check out research materials, discover new authors, or find a quiet corner in my local branch to write for an hour or two. CPL makes the city feel like a giant, interconnected creative space for anyone who cares about books.”
I have spent most of my life and career talking to writers. My father was one, and also ran a book section for the Sun-Times and had a circle of writer friends more likely to attend a book reading than a hockey game.
Karen Su is an author and she says this: “It’s an amazing honor to be part of the vibrant literary community in Chicago being showcased by the American Writers Museum. I am thrilled to be doing a storytime for kids where I hope everyone will have fun sharing exclamations and love languages.”
Feeling better about things?
Here’s Sara Benincasa, a writer relatively new to Chicago: “My current book project, set to be published next year, is a biography of Abraham Lincoln … so I guess you could say this Jersey girl has gone full Illinois. I’ve spent most of my adult life in NYC or LA, and moved here from NYC in 2023.
“I’m thrilled to be part of the American Writers Festival. It’s my first time at a Chicago literary festival as an author. Plus, the invitation reminded me to renew my membership to the American Writers Museum. My boyfriend told me about the museum during his very successful Chicago propaganda campaign to get me to move here from Brooklyn. I love this city.”
She is part of a “Classic Tales Re-told” event, and she describes it as something “that should be fun for readers who love a new creative twist on an old myth, fairy tale or legend. All three authors have re-envisioned and reinterpreted well-known stories with our own voices.” Hers, “Great,” was inspired by “The Great Gatsby.” Jeaniene Frost was inspired by “Beauty and the Beast” and Naima Simone’s “Huntsman” by “Snow White.”
Naturally, there are some big names, nationally known writers, scheduled for the festival. There’s the 2026 Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Kraus of Evanston. Also Eve Ewing and Susan Orlean. There’s also a new writer, Bill Kurtis, who can now devote more time to literature, having last week made his final appearance on “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me” with a celebratory farewell.
So have a look at the schedule. Saturday events take place at the American Writers Museum and Sunday’s at the Harold Washington Library. They are all FREE (emphasis mine). There are more than 40 of them, with nearly 100 authors. There are other names you will recognize, programs that might intrigue you. It’s really quite a word feast, and a chance to meet new voices.
It may also renew your faith in the written word and that would be a fine thing.
rkogan@chicagotribune.com
If you go
American Writers Festival runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 6 at the American Writers Museum (180 N. Michigan Ave.), and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 7 at the Harold Washington Library Center (400 S. State St.); free (including Saturday museum admission), schedule and more information at chipublib.org
