Chicago Humanities FestivalHBO’s Game of Thrones may have ended this past May, but the Song of Ice and Fire isn’t over--and no one knows this better than George R. R. Martin. Martin’s global bestselling books that comprise A Song of Ice and Fire have sold more than 90 million copies worldwide, inspired the hit HBO show, and earned him comparisons to J. R. R. Tolkien. Central to the acclaimed series is its sprawling, richly-detailed world that--despite the dragons and direwolves--often echoes our own, especially when it comes to power moves and betrayals. Martin is joined by author Eve L. Ewing to discuss his career, his creative process, his latest book Fire and Blood, and why, perhaps counterintuitively, fantasy may be the best way to capture the realities of power. Featuring a performance by special guests Spektral Quartet.
This program is generously underwritten by Ben Axelrad and Christy Bloom, and presented in partnership with the Chicago Public Library Foundation. Spektral Quartet generously underwritten as part of the Stanek Endowed Music series. This program was recorded on October 11, 2019.
An Evening with George R. R. Martin [CC]Chicago Humanities Festival2019-11-12 | HBO’s Game of Thrones may have ended this past May, but the Song of Ice and Fire isn’t over--and no one knows this better than George R. R. Martin. Martin’s global bestselling books that comprise A Song of Ice and Fire have sold more than 90 million copies worldwide, inspired the hit HBO show, and earned him comparisons to J. R. R. Tolkien. Central to the acclaimed series is its sprawling, richly-detailed world that--despite the dragons and direwolves--often echoes our own, especially when it comes to power moves and betrayals. Martin is joined by author Eve L. Ewing to discuss his career, his creative process, his latest book Fire and Blood, and why, perhaps counterintuitively, fantasy may be the best way to capture the realities of power. Featuring a performance by special guests Spektral Quartet.
This program is generously underwritten by Ben Axelrad and Christy Bloom, and presented in partnership with the Chicago Public Library Foundation. Spektral Quartet generously underwritten as part of the Stanek Endowed Music series. This program was recorded on October 11, 2019.
amara.org/v/C01PVRick Lowe on the Transformative Power of Public ArtChicago Humanities Festival2023-02-07 | For artist and MacArthur Fellow Rick Lowe, art doesn't only hang on walls in museums, art is all around us. Art is street murals celebrating Black-owned businesses. Art is the Project Row Houses in Houston’s historic Third Ward. Art is the act we take as members of our communities. At CHF, Lowe reflects on community-based creative practices and the power of art to remake our public lives as he converses with Amanda Williams.
The Festival's Social Justice & Equity Series is generously underwritten by The Allstate Insurance Company.
This program is generously sponsored by The Dolores Kohl Education Foundation as part of Morris & Dolores Kohl Kaplan Northwestern Day.,
The Richard Gray Program recognizes the significant contributions of CHF founding board member Richard Gray. This program is presented in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesJerry Saltz: Art Is LifeChicago Humanities Festival2023-01-31 | Picture an art critic, and you probably think of Jerry Saltz: Pulitzer Prize-winning writer on the importance of art in our cultural lives. At the top of his field, Saltz has a knack for making contemporary art cool and accessible in a way few critics have before. In a conversation with Michael Darling, Saltz looks at how visionary artists have documented and challenged our culture, our times, and our lives.
The Richard Gray Program recognizes the significant contributions of CHF founding board member Richard Gray., This program is presented in partnership with CHIRP Radio.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesIs the Public Still Persuadable? A Conversation with Anand Giridharadas with David CornChicago Humanities Festival2023-01-26 | Anand Giridharadas, author of Winners Take All, on-air political analyst for MSNBC, and publisher of The.Ink joins CHF for a conversation with David Corn, Washington DC Bureau Chief for Mother Jones and author of American Psychosis, about how to change people’s minds in order to change how things are. If you’ve been up at night wondering how to save democracy and communicate effectively with people on the opposite side of the political spectrum, come pick Giridharadas’s brain (and pick up a copy of his new book The Persuaders) for answers.
This program is generously sponsored by The Dolores Kohl Education Foundation as part of Morris & Dolores Kohl Kaplan Northwestern Day.
This annual lecture recognizes the significant contributions to the Chicago Humanities Festival made by its founder and chairman emeritus Richard J. Franke, and is presented in partnership with Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesMichael Shermer: Why People Believe Conspiracy TheoriesChicago Humanities Festival2023-01-24 | The public has always been fascinated by conspiracy theories, but lately more people have started believing in them: from speculations about John F. Kennedy’s assassination to notions that 9/11 was an inside job. At CHF, Michael Shermer (founding publisher of Skeptic magazine) talks with Meghan Daum (The Problem With Everything, The Unspeakable Podcast) about the personality traits and societal factors at play in conspiratorial thinking and how we can counteract these narratives.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesWill Bunch on the Higher Education DivideChicago Humanities Festival2023-01-17 | Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Will Bunch calls higher education the great political and cultural fault line of American life. Join Bunch and Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Anthony S. Chen, as they explore the central question of Bunch’s latest book After the Ivory Tower Falls: How has the fracturing of American people into two groups (one educated and the other not) contributed to political, cultural, and economic unrest; and what can we do to bridge the divide?
This program is generously sponsored by The Dolores Kohl Education Foundation as part of Morris & Dolores Kohl Kaplan Northwestern Day, and is presented in partnership with Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesA Visual Tribute to Black Resistance with Devin AllenChicago Humanities Festival2023-01-05 | You’ve probably seen Devin Allen’s photography on the cover of TIME magazine, featuring images of protests in response to the police murders of Freddie Gray (2015) and George Floyd (2020). At CHF, join Allen—who has spent nearly a decade documenting the Black Lives Matter movement—for a conversation with Michal Raz-Russo, Programs Director at the Gordon Parks Foundation, about No Justice, No Peace, Allen’s latest book honoring the connection between past and present racial justice activism.
The Festival's Social Justice & Equity Series is generously underwritten by The Allstate Insurance Company.
This program has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesMargaret A. Burnham on the Jim Crow Legal SystemChicago Humanities Festival2023-01-05 | “If a law can’t protect a person from lynching, isn’t lynching the law?” asks Margaret A. Burnham, director of Northeastern University’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, in her new book By Hands Now Known. At CHF, Burnham and Courtney Pierre Joseph (Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies at Lake Forest College) explain the ways America’s legal system allowed and encouraged racial violence during the Jim Crow era, how those atrocities extend into today, and what we can do to repair a broken system.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesMarianne Williamson on Love & PoliticsChicago Humanities Festival2022-12-29 | In the wake of the midterm elections, join former presidential candidate, political activist, and spiritual thought leader Marianne Williamson for an intimate conversation with Sen. Nina Turner about the state of American politics. In an era of divisiveness, Williamson comes to CHF with a new vision for American politics built on social responsibility, democracy, and deep human values.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesA Concert with Harpist Mary LattimoreChicago Humanities Festival2022-12-27 | Mary Lattimore’s harp isn’t just her instrument, it’s her friend, also dubbed her “giant 85-pound sculpture.” But, Lattimore’s harp doesn’t belong in museums, or as a relic of the Renaissance—after all, the first concert of her prolific career was in an Arby’s parking lot. Soak up the music at Garfield Park Conservatory with Lattimore, who brings us a contemporary take on this classical instrument.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesJim Jarmusch in Conversation with Jonathan AmesChicago Humanities Festival2022-12-22 | Jim Jarmusch isn’t just the director and screenwriter for classics of independent cinema, including Stranger Than Paradise and star-studded films like The Dead Don't Die, he’s also a prolific collage artist. At CHF, Jarmusch chats with writer Jonathan Ames (creator of HBO’s Bored to Death and author of You Were Never Really Here, A Man Named Doll, and The Wheel of Doll) about being a dilettante and art in its many forms.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesJessica Lange: Capturing the Unplanned MomentChicago Humanities Festival2022-12-20 | When the beginning of the pandemic locked down New York City, award-winning actress Jessica Lange grabbed her camera and went outside. In her latest book Dérive, Lange (who has starred in such classics as Grey Gardens, American Horror Story, and Tootsie) shares the photographs she took in those early days and what inspires her artistic practices. Join Lange at CHF as she shares stories and insights with Chris Jones, editorial page editor and chief theater critic for the Chicago Tribune.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesPatti Smith: Songs & StoriesChicago Humanities Festival2022-12-16 | Patti Smith is one of America’s most acclaimed singer-songwriters, and she is also a beloved photographer and poet. In A Book of Days, Smith shares over 365 photographs – inspired by her wildly popular Instagram – to take readers through a year in the legendary life of this visionary poet, writer, and performer. Join Patti Smith for an intimate performance and conversation charting Smith’s life, music, and passions.
This program is generously underwritten in part by the David C. and Sarajean Ruttenberg Arts Foundation.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesThe Future of the FeedChicago Humanities Festival2022-12-08 | You probably know that algorithms play a huge role in what we see online, but what happens to society when this type of curated content begins to influence our real lives? Join The Verge Deputy Editor Alex Heath and a special guest for a conversation about how personalized and relatable content on social media is redefining our feeds and creating a new lens through which millions view the world.
This program is presented in partnership with The Verge.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesSocial Media and Young Mental HealthChicago Humanities Festival2022-12-08 | It’s often said that social media is bad for our mental health, and while that can be true, the full story isn’t so cut and dry. At CHF, Nicole Wetsman, Health Tech Reporter for The Verge moderates a panel between Dr. Megan Moreno, a leading researcher on adolescent social media, and Margot Lee, a high-profile young adult influencer about how curating public images affect our well-being.
This program is presented in partnership with The Verge.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesHow Social Media Rewired Our Minds & Our World with Max FisherChicago Humanities Festival2022-12-08 | We’ve all been told too much social media is bad for us, but why is that? At CHF, New York Times investigative reporter and author of The Chaos Machine Max Fisher explains how, through the pursuit of unfettered profits and maximum engagement, Big Tech has rewired our minds, and instigated a cultural shift toward polarization and misinformation. Join him and David Pierce (editor at large at The Verge) for a behind-the-scenes look at how social networks prey on psychological frailties, driving people to extreme opinions and actions.
This program is presented in partnership with The Verge.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesAdam Jentleson on the US Senate & the Crippling of DemocracyChicago Humanities Festival2022-07-19 | Senate insider Adam Jentleson takes us into Capitol Hill backrooms for a behind-closed-doors look at how the Senate, once known as “the world’s greatest deliberative body,” has become one of the greatest threats to American democracy. In Kill Switch, Jentleson uncovers the means by which a minority of senators maintain their power, citing the filibuster (historically used to block civil rights legislation) as their principal weapon. At CHF, Jentleson explains how the Senate became so gridlocked and why so many of our current political challenges converge within this body. He is joined in conversation by Russ Feingold, President of the American Constitution Society and former Senator from Wisconsin.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesCatching Up with Sarah CooperChicago Humanities Festival2022-07-15 | It’s time to catch up with Sarah Cooper (writer, comedian, and the presidential lip-syncer who kept you laughing during the pandemic) and, spoiler alert: everything is not fine (but it will be). Why? Because now that the world is re-opening, we all have to learn how to deal with face-to-face human interactions again. Cut to: Let’s Catch Up Soon, Cooper’s take on Dale Carnegie’s infamous self-help book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Introverts, people pleasers, and cameras-off zoomers, join Cooper and music critic for the Chicago Tribune Britt Julious for a chat about how to forge genuine friendships in this new normal.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesEboo Patel & Yascha Mounk: Building & Maintaining Diverse DemocraciesChicago Humanities Festival2022-07-12 | America needs a roadmap for building a diverse democracy: enter Eboo Patel (former faith advisor to President Obama) and Yascha Mounk (leading expert on the crisis of liberal democracy), here with their thoughts on where to start. At CHF, Patel (We Need To Build) and Mounk (The Great Experiment) will discuss why democracy has become so fragile here and around the world, and their vision for a better, more inclusive way forward. This conversation is moderated by Zeenat Rahman (Executive Director of Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago) and is a must-attend event for anyone eager to learn about the state of our democracy and what they can do to fix it.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesChicago’s Public Art with Floating MuseumChicago Humanities Festival2022-06-29 | If you’ve seen musical performances on the green line, a giant inflatable sculpture of Chicago founder Jean Baptiste Point du Sable and his wife Kitihawa, an outdoor art gallery in Garfield Park—you’ve been looking at the work of Floating Museum. This art collective creates site-responsive public installations with the idea that all of Chicago is a museum canvas. For the first time ever the four co-directors—poet avery r. young, designer Andrew Schachman, and artists Faheem Majeed and Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford—sit down for a conversation about their work in relation to the history and present of public art, practices, and institutions. This program is moderated by curator, arts worker, and writer, Megha Ralapati and opens with a special performance orchestrated by avery r. young.
This program is presented as part of Art Design Chicago Now, an initiative funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art that amplifies the voices of Chicago's diverse creatives, past and present, and explores the essential role they play in shaping the now.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesJohn Waters & the Feel Bad RomanceChicago Humanities Festival2022-06-29 | John Waters (legendary filmmaker of the cult classic Pink Flamingos and blockbuster Hairspray, and author of Carsick and Mr. Know-It-All) has turned his brilliant mind to fiction: specifically his first novel and what he calls the “feel bad romance.” In Liarmouth, Waters employs his trademark combination of hilarity and obscenity, weaving a tangled tale of sex, crime, and family dysfunction, with main character Marsha Sprinkle (scammer, suitcase thief, master of disguise) at the helm. At CHF, Waters share his secrets for writing well in a transgressive way. He is joined in conversation by Chicago writer, musician, and filmmaker Richard Knight Jr.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesKim Gordon, Sinéad Gleeson & Laurie Anderson on Women in Music [CC]Chicago Humanities Festival2022-06-23 | Here’s to the women in music who kick in doors, who break genres, who are repeatedly asked: “What’s it like to be a girl in a band?” Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon doesn’t like the question, but her new anthology This Woman’s Work, edited with former music journalist Sinéad Gleeson, gives us multitudes of answers on their own terms. You're invited to join Gordon, Gleeson, and the subject of the anthology's lead essay, Laurie Anderson, for a riotous time spotlighting women's work in the music industry, which includes claiming their stories (and songs), while simultaneously smashing the patriarchy. This conversation is moderated by Pitchfork's Editor in Chief, Puja Patel.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesBelieving Women: Anita Hill in ConversationChicago Humanities Festival2022-06-21 | As a teacher, legal scholar, and advocate Anita Hill has been in the public eye since her landmark testimony during Clarence Thomas’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings in 1991. But, the issue of gender violence that compelled her to testify over thirty years ago is still endemic to American life. At CHF, Hill discusses her latest book Believing, a combination of memoir, law, social analysis, and call to arms on one of the most important topics of our day. Hill is joined in conversation by journalist Laura S. Washington.
This annual lecture honors the late Joanne H. Alter’s pioneering work on behalf of women interested in social action and public service.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesAfro-Punk Creator James Spooner in Conversation with Live Musical PerformancesChicago Humanities Festival2022-06-17 | James Spooner is the filmmaker behind the seminal and award-winning documentary Afro-Punk (2003), which chronicles the experiences of being Black in the predominately white punk scene. Twenty years later, Spooner turns his attention to his own introduction to punk, art, and activism. Join Spooner at CHF for a chat about his coming-of-age graphic memoir The High Desert with writer, producer, and host Jill Hopkins; followed by live musical performances curated by Spooner (who founded the Afro-punk Festival) and featuring Chicago bands; The Bollweevils, Buggin, Canal Irreal, and DJ Major Taylor.
This program is presented in partnership with the Empty Bottle.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesSelma Blair on the Power of Telling Your Story [CC]Chicago Humanities Festival2022-06-14 | Selma Blair has played many memorable Hollywood roles, from “preppy ice queen” in Legally Blonde, to “the ingenue” in Cruel Intentions—but we love her most as herself. In her memoir Mean Baby, Blair gets candid about the roles that have made her compassionate and wise: from friend and mother to advocate for people with disabilities. Join Blair and Rachel Fleit (director of the documentary Introducing, Selma Blair) for an intimate conversation about acting, addiction, activism, and becoming yourself. This program will include clips from Introducing, Selma Blair.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesKwame Onwuachi: Recipes from a Young Black ChefChicago Humanities Festival2022-06-09 | “Why do I need another cookbook?” you may ask, after having spent most of quarantine pouring over this particular genre. We promise you, Kwame Onwuachi’s My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef is worth it. From this James Beard award-winner comes a cookbook that celebrates the cuisine of the African diaspora, “the world’s wisest food.” Onwuachi returns to CHF to season our stage with the stories behind his family’s recipes; the connections between cuisine, place, and culture; and how food helps us make sense of the world. Onwuachi is joined in conversation by Dario Durham and Sara Faddah, hosts of the podcast 77 Flavors of Chicago.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesLessons from the Edge: A Conversation with Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie YovanovitchChicago Humanities Festival2022-06-07 | Former Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, became a household name when she courageously testified during the Trump impeachment inquiry. In her memoir Lessons From the Edge, Yovanovitch claims her narrative on her own terms, reflecting on the arc of her fascinating life and courageous career in foreign policy and diplomacy. In the midst of a massive geopolitical shift, caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (the largest war in Europe since 1945), there is no better person to share their hard-won wisdom than Yovanovitch, who sits down at CHF with Ivo Daalder, President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and former US ambassador to NATO.
This program is generously underwritten by Ellen Stone Belic, and is presented in partnership with The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesNyle DiMarco: Deaf Utopia [CC]Chicago Humanities Festival2022-06-02 | America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars champion Nyle DiMarco knows “just how damn cool it is to be Deaf.” DiMarco’s career (which also includes executive producing the reality show Deaf U and Academy-award nominated documentary Audible) has been dedicated to celebrating what makes Deaf culture so unique and beautiful. Join DiMarco at CHF for a conversation about his new book Deaf Utopia: A Memoir—and a Love Letter to a Way of Life with Chicago Today host Matthew Rodrigues.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesHow Henry Hobson Richardson & Frederick Law Olmsted Reinvented Americas Public Spaces [CC]Chicago Humanities Festival2022-05-31 | Chicago’s Marshall Field Store, Manhattan’s Central Park, Boston’s Trinity Church, and Brooklyn’s Prospect Park: We owe all these quintessential American places to two geniuses of post-Civil War America, the architect Henry Hobson Richardson and landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted. At CHF, join Hugh Howard, the author of the dual biography Architects of an American Landscape, for a talk about how these friends and collaborators married nature and the built environment as they reimagined America’s public and private spaces.
This program is generously underwritten by the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesAn Evening with Molly Shannon and Tim MeadowsChicago Humanities Festival2022-04-18 | Say hello to actress and comedian Molly Shannon! You may already know Shannon from her beloved SNL characters like Mary Katherine Gallagher; popular television shows like HBO Max’s White Lotus and The Other Two (for which Shannon is nominated for a Critic’s Choice Award); and acclaimed films including Other People, Talladega Nights, and Promising Young Woman. At CHF, we have the great pleasure of introducing you to a whole new side to this superstar, whose new memoir Hello, Molly! tells the hilarious, heartbreaking, and honest story of how Shannon crafted her signature brand of daring and empathetic comedy. Shannon is joined in conversation by SNL alum Tim Meadows.
This program is presented in partnership with Time Out Chicago.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesBob Odenkirk with Tim Meadows: Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama [OC]Chicago Humanities Festival2022-03-08 | Bob Odenkirk opens up about the highs and lows of Hollywood with fellow SNL alum Tim Meadows. Odenkirk’s career is a decades-long “odyssey."" He began in Chicago comedy clubs; passed through the sets of SNL, Mr. Show, and Breaking Bad–plot twist: he even reinvented himself as an action film ass-kicker!–and currently stars in the popular crime drama Better Call Saul. Join two legends for a fun night out as they get candid about all the comedy and drama in showbiz that Odenkirk has lived through and writes about in his new memoir.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesAnnie Leibovitz: WonderlandChicago Humanities Festival2021-12-18 | Join Annie Leibovitz, one of the most influential photographers of our time, for an exclusive event to mark the publication of her latest collection Wonderland—a series of photographs chronicling her encounters with fashion over the years. Fashion has been both the subject of, and the vehicle for, many of Leibovitz’s images, which have graced the covers and interiors of countless publications and magazines around the world. In conversation, Leibovitz will share stories from her ambitious fashion shoots. Starting in 1970, when Leibovitz began her groundbreaking collaboration with Rolling Stone, to her work at Vogue and Vanity Fair in the 1980s, and through to present day, Leibovitz will reflect on her career and how her distinctive approach to photography has evolved over the last half century.
This program is generously underwritten in part by the David C. and Sarajean Ruttenberg Arts Foundation and by Ellen Stone Belic.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesImagining Chicago’s Future: A Film Screening & ConversationChicago Humanities Festival2021-12-09 | How can we begin to imagine Chicago’s future? Sometimes, turning to the past can provide a clue to the way forward. In collaboration with the Chicago Film Archives, visual artist zakkiyyah najeebah dumas o'neal, and composer Ayana Contreras; CHF presents a new film meditating on what’s to come for our city. Repurposing archival footage from the Chicago Film Archives’s extensive collection, o'neal has created a speculative visual representation; centering Black women’s cultural contributions to Chicago, Black lesbian experiences, and notions of belonging. The film also features a new soundtrack from Contreras. Join us for a screening, followed by a conversation with o'neal and Contreras about how the creative process be turned toward imagining a different Chicago.
This program is presented as part of Art Design Chicago Now, an initiative funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art that amplifies the voices of Chicago's diverse creatives, past and present, and explores the essential role they play in shaping the now, and is presented in partnership with Chicago Film Archive and with African American Women's Magazine Media.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesEli Saslow: Voices from the PandemicChicago Humanities Festival2021-12-07 | First responder, doctor, patient, grocery store owner, restaurateur, teacher, retail worker—these are the voices from the pandemic. When the global Covid-19 outbreak started, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eli Saslow began interviewing the American people about their experiences of fear, overwhelm, courage, and ultimately resilience during this crisis. Join Saslow and NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith at CHF for a cathartic conversation about how we can begin to grapple with the historic events of the last year and half, as detailed in Saslow's powerful new book Voices from the Pandemic.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesAlan Cumming: Tales from a Fully Packed LifeChicago Humanities Festival2021-11-29 | By his own admission, Alan Cumming is a “happy, vulnerable, fearless middle-aged man, with a lot of baggage.” He is also an award-winning actor, advocate, and author. His latest memoir Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life recounts tales from his life in Hollywood and reminds us not to buy into the movie star ending. At CHF, Cumming shares the lessons learned from meeting legends, making bad decisions, finding joy, and acquiring baggage along the way. He is joined in conversation by editorial page editor of The Chicago Tribune Chris Jones.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesSpeculative InfrastructureChicago Humanities Festival2021-11-24 | Can we adapt infrastructure to withstand the effects of climate change? Where do we begin? Who has already started to build the infrastructure of the future? Communities that live next to rapidly warming and fluctuating bodies of water like Lake Michigan understand firsthand the urgency of these questions. What do community members advise? Join CHF for a panel discussion about emerging visions of eco-futurism and green technocultures in the face of global warming. Panelists will explore art and policy-driven imaginaries for how to transform our rapidly deteriorating infrastructures into sustainable, integrated environments.
This program is the third panel in our Deep Dive: Great Lakes series, curated by Rachel Havrelock.
This program is presented in partnership with University of Illinois at Chicago Freshwater Lab.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesIllinois Poet Laureate Angela Jackson: A CelebrationChicago Humanities Festival2021-11-23 | When Angela Jackson was named Illinois Poet Laureate in 2020, she quoted her legendary predecessor Gwendolyn Brooks, saying ‘Poetry is life distilled." A poet, playwright, and novelist, Jackson’s repertoire—including poetry collections like Pulitzer Prize-nominated It Seems Like a Mighty Long Time and American Book Award-winning novel Where I Must Go—cements her place next to Brooks among Chicago literary giants. Join us for a poetic life distilled: a celebration of Jackson’s remarkable career in one essential afternoon with an amazing line-up of poets reading and performing, emceed by the fabulous poets Parneshia Jones and avery r. young.
This program is presented in partnership with the Poetry Foundation, Lake Forest College, African American Women's Magazine Media, and Northwestern University Press.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesSpektral Quartet with Robin Wall Kimmerer: Plain, AirChicago Humanities Festival2021-11-22 | Multi-Grammy nominated Spektral Quartet’s 2018 commission Plain, Air (by composer Tonia Ko) is inspired by the natural symphony of Chicago’s magnificent lakeshore. From cicada songs to waves on rocks, Plain, Air mixes field recordings with processed sounds, simulating the melodies inherent to our lakeshore surroundings. CHF, Spektral Quartet, and Ko invite you to a special performance of Plain, Air hosted by plant ecologist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer (Braiding Sweetgrass), at the historic Great Hall of Cafe Brauer in the heart of Lincoln Park.
“Plain, Air” by Tonia Ko Performed by Spektral Quartet with Robin Wall Kimmerer
Spektral Quartet: Clara Lyon, Maeve Feinberg, Doyle Armbrust, & Russell Rolen
Spektral Quartet would like to extend special thanks to Jerry Adelmann, Openlands, and Seman Violins.
3:38 - I. soundwalk/ processional 16:02 - II. on the plains 28:27 - III. in the air 34:11 - IV. within the grove 39:00 - V. the secret language of flying creatures 45:07 - Coda: soaring through an activated expanse
This program is generously underwritten by the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesDebbie Millman: Why Design MattersChicago Humanities Festival2021-11-15 | Debbie Millman hosts the popular and award-winning podcast Design Matters, where she talks to writers, artists, curators, musicians, and of course—designers, about why their creative disciplines are so important. Her latest book Why Design Matters, features some of her favorite interviews with visionaries like cartoonist Alison Bechdel, artist Amy Sherald, writer Malcom Gladwell, journalist Anand Giridharadas, and radio host Ira Glass. At CHF Millman discusses the new ways of being and living she’s learned through these conversations, what it means to cultivate a creative life, and why design matters.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesKal Penn: You Can’t Be SeriousChicago Humanities Festival2021-11-15 | You probably know Kal Penn from his successful acting career in hits like How I Met Your Mother, Designated Survivor, and the Harold and Kumar franchise, or as White House advisor to President Obama. His new memoir You Can’t Be Serious details why he rejected the idea of picking a “practical career,” growing up the son of immigrant parents, working in the entertainment industry, and behind-the-scenes scoop from his years at the White House. Penn is joined in conversation by Suroosh Alvi, founder of VICE Media.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesWhats Next: MoneyChicago Humanities Festival2021-11-12 | Money has been the medium of exchange for thousands of years, but what it looks like and how it functions has changed enormously over time. Our current moment is no exception, with the spectre of a cashless society growing every day alongside the increasingly volatile impact of cryptocurrencies like non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Join a group of historians, scholars, and leaders in cryptocurrencies to learn about the complex role currency plays in our society, how our relationship to money continues to evolve, and what new forms money might take in the future.
This series is generously underwritten by Rebecca McDade, the R. Scott Family Fund, and Harpinder Ajmani, in honor of his late parents, Labh and Rajendra Ajmani.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesSarah Ruhl with Jessica ThebusChicago Humanities Festival2021-11-09 | The theater is about the physical expression of emotion, so what happens when a playwright can no longer smile? For MacArthur Genius award recipient, and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, Sarah Ruhl, answering this question is at the center of her memoir. Smile chronicles Ruhl’s Bell’s palsy diagnosis that left one side of her face paralyzed and her ten year search for a cure. Join Ruhl and theater artist, director, and educator Jessica Thebus for a conversation about the inner life of a playwright.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesAquatic Animals of the Great LakesChicago Humanities Festival2021-11-01 | Invasive species often cause imbalances in existing ecosystems, leading to harmful changes in the environment they come to inhabit. As a result, the arrival of these species is often met with panic and violence against the animals and plants themselves, despite the fact that their journey to new territories is largely enabled by human-made channels. Join Director of the Freshwater Lab at UIC Rachel Havrelock; attorney, poet, and journalist Robert Hirschfeld; and artists/professors Sarah Lewison and Andrew Yang for a panel discussion about how invasive species were introduced in the Great Lakes and their detrimental and generative effects on these bodies of water. This program is the second panel in our Deep Dive: Great Lakes series, curated by Rachel Havrelock.
This program is presented in partnership with University of Illinois at Chicago Freshwater Lab.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesAmitav Ghosh: The Nutmegs CurseChicago Humanities Festival2021-11-01 | What does nutmeg have to do with climate change? Quite a lot, says award-winning author Amitav Ghosh in his latest book The Nutmeg’s Curse, a successor to his critically acclaimed The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable. Ghosh argues that the now-ubiquitous spice exemplifies the conquest, colonialism, and exploitation of the New World that led to today’s climate crisis. Join Ghosh and author Srikanth (Chicu) Reddy at CHF for a conversation about how current environmental and social inequalities are rooted in our centuries-old geopolitical order.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesSutton Foster on How Crafting Saved Her LifeChicago Humanities Festival2021-10-29 | Sutton Foster is a star when it comes to our favorite pandemic pastimes: crafting, television, and showtunes. In addition to her leading roles in hits like Broadway’s Thoroughly Modern Millie and the TV show Younger, Foster is a crafter of the highest caliber, specializing in everything from cross stitch to collage. In her new book Hooked, Foster shares all the moments where crafting saved her life and tips (like crochet patterns and recipes) for how it can help you too. Spend the afternoon at CHF with Foster and Marilynn Thoma Artistic Director Alison Cuddy chatting about all things crafts and careers.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesChris Hedges on America’s Prison SystemChicago Humanities Festival2021-10-29 | For nearly a decade, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges has taught college courses in drama, literature, philosophy, and history within New Jersey’s prison system. In his latest book Our Class, Hedges reflects on his experience teaching a course at East Jersey State Prison, where his students began writing a now-published play about the human toll of cyclical and systemic incarceration and poverty. At CHF, Hedges discusses the injustices of America’s prison industrial complex that his student’s stories lay bare. He is joined in conversation by human and civil rights lawyer G. Flint Taylor.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesALGREN Documentary Screening and ConversationChicago Humanities Festival2021-10-25 | It's hard to discuss Chicago literature without mentioning Nelson Algren, posits Michael Caplan’s documentary about the often forgotten writer of celebrated urban novels. Caplan transports audiences back to the gritty city landscape and brilliant mind that brought us The Man With The Golden Arm, winner of the first National Book Award. Join Caplan and journalists Mary Wisniewski and Rick Kogan at CHF for a screening and panel conversation about why Algren is such an integral part of Chicago’s literary legacy.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesWhats Next: CitiesChicago Humanities Festival2021-10-22 | The pandemic’s impact on cities has been enormous: people have fled crowded urban living for more space in the suburbs and rural areas. Key elements of city life - including public transportation and gatherings - remain fraught. With climate change destroying buildings in Florida and threatening the very foundation of Chicago, it’s clear that cities will need to evolve in order to survive in the future. Tune in as a panel of designers, scholars, and urban planners discuss creating urban spaces that are more equitable, pandemic-resistant, and able to cope with environmental changes.
This series is generously underwritten by Rebecca McDade, the R. Scott Family Fund, and Harpinder Ajmani, in honor of his late parents, Labh and Rajendra Ajmani.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesKyle Beachy with Bing Liu: The Most Fun ThingChicago Humanities Festival2021-10-20 | For Chicago novelist and creative writing professor Kyle Beachy (The Slide), skateboarding isn’t just a fun pastime he picked up as a kid. It’s also a way to understand and write about his life—from growing older to navigating marriage. In his essay collection The Most Fun Thing, Beachy delves into what skateboarding means to him and its place in contemporary American life. Join Beachy and filmmaker Bing Liu (Minding the Gap) at CHF for a conversation about the increasingly popular sport, the lessons skateboarding can teach us, and what it means to continue practicing a childhood passion.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesDawn Turner: Three Girls from BronzevilleChicago Humanities Festival2021-10-20 | In Three Girls from Bronzeville, Dawn Turner crafts a uniquely American, uniquely Chicago story of race, fate, and sisterhood. Set in the historic South Side neighborhood where the award-winning novelist and former Chicago Tribune reporter grew up, Turner’s memoir explores her childhood in the wake of the civil rights movement. Join Turner and former Chicago Tribune colleague Dahleen Glanton as they discuss the story of three girls from Bronzeville, whose life paths took dramatically different turns. Their story powerfully illuminates both the particular and ubiquitous nature of our city and our country.
This program is presented in partnership with African American Women's Magazine Media.
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanitiesMakaya McCraven in Conversation and PerformanceChicago Humanities Festival2021-10-20 | Chicago is the place to be for music right now, with a robust and diverse scene characterized by innovations across and beyond musical genres. That creativity is perhaps no better epitomized than in the work of cutting-edge beat scientist Makaya McCraven and his local label International Anthem, co-founded by Scottie McNiece. At CHF, McCraven and McNiece will be joined by artist and musician Damon Locks to discuss our city's genre-defying musical scene, the idea of sonic collage, and how labels have shaped music in Chicago and around the world. Stay tuned after the conversation for a live performance by McCraven and his band.
This program is supported by the Festival’s Creative Chicago endowment established by The Grainger Foundation and is presented in partnership with WDCB.