This is the archive page for the category [Chicago news]; below you should see headlines and summaries of all entries found here on the subject. Click the appropriate link at each to read the entire entry.

CCLaP Update: 21 May 2013 | May 21, 2013
In today's CCLaP Update: Lauryn Allison wins an major new award; Mason Johnson and Meera Lee Sethi get official book covers; Maureen Foley announces a release party in southern California; and Judy Blume and gay prison sex, together at last! Click through for all this and more! | Read entire entry

CCLaP Update: 30 April 2013 | April 30, 2013
Today in CCLaP's weekly update, now also available as an email newsletter: We attend the Chicago Pop-Up Book Fair; Eleanor Stanford's "Historia, Historia" has a release party; Maureen Foley's "Women Float" gets an official cover; our rare book collection acquires 12 new titles; plus a roundup of recent reviews and links to every essay we posted last week. Click through for it all! | Read entire entry

The CCLaP Update: 16 April 2003 | April 16, 2013
Today, the start of a new general update about the center every Tuesday, which will soon be available as well as an email subscription. Today: Maureen Foley's cover art drops, Eleanor Stanford and David David Katzman's books continue to do well, and Lori Hettler starts building our first national network of bookstore retailers! | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 99: Author David David Katzman | April 9, 2013
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: It's a one-hour talk with Chicago author David David Katzman, whose CCLaP story collection "The Kickstarter Letters" just came out to the general public last week. | Read entire entry

Say hello to CCLaP's new book reviewers! | April 8, 2013
CCLaP is happy to announce two new book reviewers joining our blog staff starting today, Travis Fortney out of Chicago and Yair Ben-Zvi in California, combining with current staffers Karl Wolff and Jason Pettus so to start offering again thoughtful long-form critical essays every single day of the week. Click through for details, photos, a look at our new weekly posting schedule, and an update about our new monthly magazine that gathers up all these reviews! | Read entire entry

Say hello to CCLaP's newest book, David David Katzman's "The Kickstarter Letters!" | April 4, 2013
Surprise! After a four month delay because of unexpected complications, CCLaP holiday book "The Kickstarter Letters" by Chicago author David David Katzman is finally available to the general public, in both ebook form and the deluxe, oversized, illustrated paper edition that caused all the complications to begin with. Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

Book review: "I Am Ready to Die a Violent Death," by Heiko Julien | March 6, 2013
Today's book review: "I Am Ready to Die a Violent Death," by Chicagoan Heiko Julien, part of that super-duper-indie lit crowd that includes Tao Lin and Jordan Castro, a deeply experimental prose/poetry hybrid that often feels like drunken Twitter posts from a madman, and will certainly make anyone over the age of 35 feel like a sad old out-of-touch loser while they're reading it. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Photo Feature: Paul Lask and Anna Bolm, 'Dogs of Chile' | February 1, 2013
It's Friday, which means time for another CCLaP photo feature. Today's feature profiles the work of Chicagoans Paul Lask and Anna Bolm, who recently traveled through South America and took extensive photos of the semi-wild dogs who roam the streets of the cities there. Click through to download or read it right now! | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 97: 'Hair Lit's Nick Ostdick and Jason Behrends | January 28, 2013
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: It's a half-hour talk with RAGAD founder Nick Ostdick and Orange Alert head Jason Behrends, all about their new anthology of stories concerning '80s metal bands, "Hair Lit." | Read entire entry

Personal essay: Why 'Harmontown' is the Best Podcast in the US You're Not Listening To. | January 23, 2013
Today at CCLaP, a few thoughts on the recent Chicago stop of Dan Harmon's confessional, hilarious "Harmontown" podcast tour, and what makes this both a technically and conceptually groundbreaking show that is writing some of the rules that future podcasts will forever follow. | Read entire entry

Hey Chicagoans! Come to the 'Hair Lit' release party tomorrow night! | January 11, 2013
Hey, Chicagoans! What are you doing tomorrow night? It's nothing, right? DON'T LIE TO ME! Instead, come out to the release party for the new lit anthology based on '80s metal bands, "Hair Lit," at the Book Cellar in Lincoln Square. Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

Come join us at the Pop-Up Book Fair this Sunday! | December 7, 2012
Hey Chicagoans! If you're not doing anything on Sunday, come join us at the Pop-Up Book Fair at the Empty Bottle! Featuring 25 local presses and a handful of indie-rock bands, this free-with-RSVP event will be a great place to pick up holiday gifts for all your hipster friends. Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

CCLaP's newest Kickstarter campaign...has begun! | October 22, 2012
CCLaP's newest Kickstarter campaign begins today! It's for our coming deluxe holiday book, "The Kickstarter Letters" by David David Katzman (including 25 new illustrations by Mike Wilgus), and there's a WHOLE LOT to tell you about it. Click through to start your stream-of-consciousness adventure! | Read entire entry

METAPOST: Check out this insanely complex map of CCLaP's peer network | October 17, 2012
Chicago graduate student Lindsey Jancay recently made an organizational chart of CCLaP for a class project, and the results are a lot more complex and stunning than I had been expecting. Click through to check it out yourself! | Read entire entry

METAPOST: Video from our "Podcast Dreadful" Quimby's event is now online! | October 5, 2012
Sorry this took so long, but the video from CCLaP's recent "Podcast Dreadful" live recording at Quimby's Bookstore is now online, split into five parts over at YouTube. Click through for them all! | Read entire entry

Hey, Chicagoans! Drop us a note and get 25 percent off our coming summer writing camp! | July 9, 2012
Yippee! Only one month until the start of CCLaP's first-ever summer writing camp! And as a little incentive to get more locals to sign up, we're running a sale of sorts -- simply drop us a note and explain why you want to take a class, and get 25 percent off the tuition! Click through for the details! | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 88: Author Joe Meno | July 2, 2012
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: It's my talk with contemporary Chicago lit-legend Joe Meno, where we speak for an hour all about his new book coming out this week, the bittersweet relationship tale "Office Girl" from Akashic Books. Click through to download or stream it right now. | Read entire entry

Hey, Chicagoans! Come out to the 'solo/down' release party this Thursday! | June 18, 2012
Hey, Chicagoans! I hope you'll have a chance to come out this Thursday for the official release party of Lauryn Allison Lewis's novella for CCLaP, "solo/down," at Cole's Bar in the Logan Square neighborhood (2338 N. Milwaukee) from 7 to 10 pm. Cupcakes! Music! Ten freaking readers! Plus every person who buys a book gets a free drink too! Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

Chicagoans! Wanna make a hundred bucks the easy way? | June 15, 2012
You remember CCLaP's coming teen summer writing camp this August, don't you? Well, we're sitting on a stack of several thousand postcards for it that we need to get quickly distributed throughout Chicago; so I've decided to just pay people a dollar per drop-off, with about a hundred or so places still left on our list. Wanna hustle for a couple of days and pocket the whole amount? Or maybe hit just your neighborhood for beer money? Click through for the details or just drop me a line! | Read entire entry

Books! Parties! Struggling Kickstarter campaigns! Only four days until CCLaP's in New York City! | May 28, 2012
Holy crap! Only four days until CCLaP's big trip to New York City! Today, some photos of all the handmade books that have been made for the tour, shots from the bon voyage party we threw this weekend at Lauryn Allison Lewis's place in Evanston, and the latest from our sadly struggling Kickstarter campaign, and what you can do to help. Click through for it all! | Read entire entry

Holy interrobang! CCLaP's holding a summer writing camp! | May 22, 2012
Well, whaddya know? CCLaP is doing its very first summer writing camp! It's every Tuesday through Friday this August, consists of eight interrelated courses on the storytelling process, was developed and is being taught by local academes, can be taken individually by existing writers to brush up on specific skills, but was designed primarily as a full program for teens looking to add an impressive asset to college applications. Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

It's the last day of Jason Fisk's virtual author tour! | March 5, 2012
Greetings from day ten of the Jason Fisk virtual author tour, in support of his "hyperfiction" story collection from last summer, "Salt Creek Anthology!" Today Jason finishes up a tiring but successful tour by stopping by the blog of our old pal Ben Tanzer. Click through for the link! | Read entire entry

It's day nine of Jason Fisk's virtual author tour! | March 2, 2012
Greetings from day nine of the Jason Fisk virtual author tour, in support of his "hyperfiction" story collection from last summer, "Salt Creek Anthology!" Today Jason is over at the Lantern Projects blog, an offshoot of Caroline Picard's Green Lantern alternative arts space over in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Click through for the link! | Read entire entry

It's day seven of Jason Fisk's virtual author tour! | February 28, 2012
Greetings from day seven of the Jason Fisk virtual author tour, in support of his "hyperfiction" story collection from last summer, "Salt Creek Anthology!" Today Jason is hanging out with CCLaP pal and fellow local author Pete Anderson, editor of the great PeteLit.com. Click through for the link! | Read entire entry

It's day six of Jason Fisk's virtual author tour! | February 27, 2012
Greetings from day six of the Jason Fisk virtual author tour, in support of his "hyperfiction" story collection from last summer, "Salt Creek Anthology!" Today we've got a very special treat to start week two of the tour; turns out that Jason recently did a reading from the book for Victor David Giron's Curbside Splendor, which got turned into a professional small film by Garett Holden for the Curbside website. Click through for the link! | Read entire entry

It's day five of Jason Fisk's virtual author tour! | February 24, 2012
Greetings from day five of the Jason Fisk virtual author tour, in support of his "hyperfiction" story collection from last summer, "Salt Creek Anthology!" Today, a very special treat to wrap up week one of the tour -- an actual twenty-minute audio interview between Fisk and Jason Behrends over at his popular indie-rock/spoken-word "Orange Alert" podcast. Click through for the link! | Read entire entry

It's day three of Jason Fisk's virtual author tour! | February 22, 2012
Greetings from day three of the Jason Fisk virtual author tour, in support of his "hyperfiction" story collection from last summer, "Salt Creek Anthology!" Today Jason is visiting with fellow Chicago writer Katherine Scott Nelson, author of the big CCLaP hit "Have You Seen Me" from last fall. Click through for the link! | Read entire entry

It's day two of Jason Fisk's virtual author tour! | February 21, 2012
Greetings from day two of the Jason Fisk virtual author tour, in support of his CCLaP hyperfiction story collection "Salt Creek Anthology!" Today Jason is hanging out with fellow Chicago author Delphine Pontvieux, who don't forget has short pieces of her own in both of CCLaP's anthologies from 2011, "American Wasteland" and "Amsterdamned If You Do." Click through for the link! | Read entire entry

For your consideration: "Life After Sleep" for the 2012 Hugo | January 18, 2012
It's a long shot, but I wanted to remind everyone that the 2011 CCLaP science-fiction novel "Life After Sleep" by Mark R. Brand is eligible for this year's Hugo Award, the biggest award in the entire industry. They're being given out this year in Chicago, and CCLaP will be attending, so this would be a great feather in our cap if you can help out! | Read entire entry

SHOP Podcast 04: All The Writers I Know | January 17, 2012
Today on the SHOP Podcast, produced by the Southside Hub of Production and with files hosted here at CCLaP: It's the December edition of queer lit showcase "All The Writers I Know," hosted by Patrick Gill. Recorded in the library of the historic Walter William Fenn House in Chicago's Hyde Park. | Read entire entry

Hey, Chicagoans! CCLaP's first major fundraiser is here! | January 9, 2012
Happy day! CCLaP is finally set to hold its first-ever major fundraiser on February 4th, in honor of the recent "New York Stories" deluxe illustrated book by Ben Tanzer with Laura Szumowski. $100 per couple gets you a copy of the book, free food and liquor, and a multimedia performance, all within the confines of a historic Victorian mansion in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. Click through for all the details, and to purchase tickets right this second! | Read entire entry

SHOP Podcast 03: Jumeck Raféal | January 2, 2012
Today on the SHOP Podcast, produced by the Southside Hub of Production but with files hosted here at CCLaP: It's a half-hour reading by local author Jumeck Rafeal from his novel "Calling Queens," in which a modern African-American high-school teacher is transported to the Middle Ages, and inhabits the bodies of the various wives of Henry VIII. Held at the historic William Wallace Fenn House in Chicago's Hyde Park. | Read entire entry

CCLaP's paying some artists on December 18th! Come join us! | December 8, 2011
Hooray! Time for CCLaP to pay some artists again! This time it'll be Jason Fisk of "Salt Creek Anthology" and Katherine Scott Nelson of "Have You Seen Me;" we'll be meeting up at the Swedish pub Simon's in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood on Sunday, December 18th. Click through for all the details, including the Facebook event page! | Read entire entry

CCLaP's two newest books are now (finally) here! | December 6, 2011
DOUBLE RAINBOW EXCITEMENT! Today sees the release of not just one but two new books at CCLaP: the electronic story collection "So Different Now" and the deluxe paper edition, "The New York Stories," both by Chicago author Ben Tanzer. Click through for lots more details, lots more photos, and direct links to both books' order pages. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 81: Author Ben Tanzer | December 6, 2011
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: It's an hour-long talk with Chicago author Ben Tanzer, on the occasion of the release of his two newest books with the center, the electronic story collection "So Different Now" and the deluxe paper version, "The New York Stories." | Read entire entry

SHOP Podcast 02: Robert Beshara | November 28, 2011
Today on the SHOP Podcast, produced by the Southside Hub of Production (southsidehub.org) and whose files are hosted at CCLaP: It's a half-hour reading by Rober Beshara of his "N.A.R.T.ist Manifesto," a new way of thinking about the relationship between artists, researchers and teachers. | Read entire entry

The Chicago Book Expo is this weekend! | November 18, 2011
The Chicago Book Expo is this weekend! CCLaP will have a booth at it, co-manned by the always vivacious Lauryn Allison; plus we'll having signing hours on Saturday from Sally Weigel (12 to 1), Katherine Scott Nelson (2 to 3), and Ben Tanzer (4 to 5). Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

And don't forget the big Chicago party tonight! | November 10, 2011
And don't forget, Chicagoans, tonight's the big release party for Katherine Scott Nelson's book with CCLaP, the runaway coming-of-age novella "Have You Seen Me," at Women & Children First Bookstore in Andersonville, then moving to a nearby wine bar afterwards. Click through for the details! Hope to see you tonight! | Read entire entry

SHOP Podcast 01: All The Writers I Know | November 10, 2011
Today on the SHOP Podcast, produced by the Southside Hub of Production and whose files are hosted and distributed through CCLaP: It's the November edition of the queer literary showcase "All The Writers I Know," held in the library of the historic Fenn House in Chicago's Hyde Park where SHOP is headquartered. | Read entire entry

Just look at all the busy crap coming up with CCLaP soon! | November 4, 2011
Frustrated by the lack of CCLaP blog updates recently? That's because we have a book release party for Katherine Scott Nelson next week we're working on, then a new book by Ben Tanzer and Laura Szumowski the following week, then our first book fair the next week, then our big high-ticket Victorian-mansion Christmas fundraiser the week after that! Whew! Click through for it all! | Read entire entry

Announcing the SHoP Reading Series podcast! | November 3, 2011
Today at CCLaP, I'm happy to announce an official new addition to our podcast -- regular live literary readings from a new Hyde Park arts organization I've gotten involved with, called the Southside Hub of Production or SHoP for short. Click through for the details, and to see photos from last night's inaugural event, a regular queer-lit showcase called "All The Writers I Know." | Read entire entry

It's Katherine Scott Nelson Day at CCLaP! | October 18, 2011
It's Katherine Scott Nelson Day at CCLaP! And that's in honor of her new book with the center coming out today, the runaway coming-of-age tale "Have You Seen Me." Click through for a wealth of links, including to the book itself, a recent interview, its Goodreads listing, critical essays, a spoken-word MP3, info about the release party, and more! | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 79: Author Katherine Scott Nelson | October 18, 2011
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: It's my twenty-minute talk with local author Katherine Scott Nelson, in celebration of her new book with the center, the runaway coming-of-age tale "Have You Seen Me." | Read entire entry

We're having a party for "Have You Seen Me!" | October 18, 2011
It's Katherine Scott Nelson Day at CCLaP! And in celebration of her new novella with the center, the runaway coming-of-age tale "Have You Seen Me," we'll be throwing a release party on November 10th at Women & Children First Bookstore in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

Download a sneak preview of CCLaP's next book! | September 20, 2011
CCLaP's next original book, the coming-of-age tale "Have You Seen Me" by Katherine Scott Nelson, gets released on October 17th; and lo and behold, we're running so ahead of schedule with its editing, I decided to put together a little sneak preview that you can download right now! Click through to do so! Now! Do it! | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 78: Live from the 'American Wasteland' release party | September 16, 2011
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: It's a special half-hour live-audience edition, recorded at the center's recent book release party for "American Wasteland," last September 9th at Quimby's Bookstore in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Featuring performances from Delphine Pontvieux, Mark R. Brand and Lawrence Santoro. | Read entire entry

Hope to see you at the CCLaP Quimby's party tonight! | September 9, 2011
Just a short reminder about CCLaP's release party at Quimby's Bookstore tonight, for the dark sci-fi 9/11 anthology "American Wasteland." Free beer! Local performances! Sexy nerds! Hope to see you there! | Read entire entry

Don't forget the big CCLaP Quimby's party this Friday! | September 6, 2011
Only four days until CCLaP's big "American Wasteland" release party this coming Friday, at famed Wicker Park destination Quimby's Bookstore! Free beer! Readings from Mark R. Brand, Delphine Pontvieux and Lawrence Santoro! Many, many sexy nerds in funny glasses! Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

CCLaP After Dark 08: The Printers Ball | August 30, 2011
Today in "CCLaP After Dark," the center's new video series on various live Chicago literary events: it's a report from this year's Printers Ball, a massive celebration of print media sponsored by Columbia College, the Poetry Foundation and more, one of the largest of its kind in the entire US. | Read entire entry

Help David David Katzman publish his new novel! | August 30, 2011
My friend David David Katzman, a surrealist author here in Chicago, has decided to go the Kickstarter route for his darkly bizarre new novel, "A Greater Monster." Click through for lots more details, as well as a highly entertaining video he put together about the subject. | Read entire entry

You're invited to the "American Wasteland" Quimby's release party! | August 22, 2011
Hot damn! Fresh on the heels of its big quadruple book release party the other week, CCLaP is happy to announce its newest event, a release party at Quimby's in Wicker Park for the new anthology "American Wasteland: Bleak Tales of the Future on the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11." Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 76: Live from the CCLaP Book Party | August 17, 2011
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: It's a special one-hour, live-audience edition, recorded at the center's big book release party at Chicago's Beauty Bar on August 10th. Featuring performances from Jason Fisk, Sally Weigel, Ben Tanzer, Mark R. Brand, Delphine Pontvieux and Robert Duffer. | Read entire entry

CCLaP's book release party was a big success! | August 12, 2011
CCLaP's big quadruple book release party this past Wednesday was a huge success, with 75 people in attendance altogether and a fun drunken (DRUNKEN) time had by all. Click through for a longer recap and lots of photos! | Read entire entry

CCLaP's big book release party is tomorrow! | August 9, 2011
Holy crap! CCLaP's giant quadruple book release party is tomorrow! Here, final details for those who need them, and links to a series of long interviews and profiles about the center that have recently been showing up around the blogosphere. | Read entire entry

Only one week until CCLaP's big book release party! | August 3, 2011
Hey hey! Just one week until CCLaP's big quadruple book release party and performance extravaganza, taking place August 10th at Beauty Bar over at 1444 W. Chicago Avenue. Click through for more details, and to see a new profile of CCLaP published today by Lori Hettler's "The Next Best Book Blog." | Read entire entry

A chat with Sally Weigel | July 18, 2011
It's release day for CCLaP's latest "Hypermodern" paper book, in this case Sally Weigel's youth/war novella "Too Young to Fall Asleep," originally published electronically in 2009. Here I sit and talk with Sally via text chat about all the things that have been going on with her in the two years since the book first came out. | Read entire entry

Announcing the CCLaP Quadruple Book Release Party! | July 11, 2011
It's official -- CCLaP is throwing its next big live event on Wednesday, August 10th, a special group party celebrating all four paper books the center will have out by then, from local authors Ben Tanzer, Sally Weigel, Mark R. Brand and Jason Fisk. It's at Beauty Bar in the Noble Square neighborhood and will feature free food and performances; click through for all the details, including links to its Facebook page and iCal file. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 74: Author Jason Fisk | July 5, 2011
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: It's my half-hour talk with Chicago author Jason Fisk, telling us everything we ever wanted to know about his new book with the center, the "micro-story" collection "Salt Creek Anthology" which came out right before the July 4th weekend. Click through to download or stream in real time. | Read entire entry

It's Jason Fisk Day at CCLaP! | June 30, 2011
Hooray! CCLaP's newest original book is finally here! It's the micro-story collection "Salt Creek Anthology" by local author Jason Fisk, and today the entire day has been given over to it here at the site, including a series of new essays, a "making of" photo essay regarding the paper book, a new interview with Fisk for the podcast, and more. Click through for links to them all. | Read entire entry

CCLaP After Dark 07: QUICKIES! | June 24, 2011
Today in "CCLaP After Dark," the center's new video podcast series on the various live literary events I'm attending around Chicago this summer: it's a recap from the latest edition of "QUICKIES!," a popular monthly reading held at Wicker Park's Innertown Pub, in which a large group of performers each get exactly four minutes on stage. Click through for the video! | Read entire entry

Metapost: Sorry it's been so quiet here this week | June 22, 2011
Sorry it's been so quiet at CCLaP this week; we're just a week away from the release of the center's newest original book, Jason Fisk's "Salt Creek Anthology," and the million final details are keeping me too busy for the blog. Anyway, click through for sneak-peek photos of it, and to learn more about the freelance book reviewers I'm looking to hire this year. | Read entire entry

CCLaP After Dark 06: Literary Death Match | June 13, 2011
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: It's episode 6 of the center's new video series, "CCLaP After Dark," short recaps of various live lit events across the city this summer. Today's episode features an all-comedy edition of "Literary Death Match," a truly global phenomenon started by Todd Zuniga which is now held in over thirty cities across the planet. | Read entire entry

The new Curbside book is here! The new Curbside book is here! | June 8, 2011
The newest book from our pals at Chicago small press Curbside Splendor just showed up in the mail, a poetry collection called "The Chapbook" by Charles Bane, Jr; and it turns out to be crammed with beautiful full-color illustrations, so I thought I'd post a few shots here before the book's been officially released. Thanks for the copy, Victor David Giron! | Read entire entry

Field report: 2011 Printers Row Book Fair and Lit Fest | June 6, 2011
As regular readers know, I had a chance this weekend to attend the annual Printers Row Book Fair and Lit Fest here in Chicago, so I thought I'd take a moment and post a few of the photos I took while I was there as well. Click through for them all. | Read entire entry

Going to Printers Row? Have a beer with us while you're there! | June 3, 2011
Chicagoans! Going to the big Printers Row Book Fair and Lit Fest this weekend? If so, make sure to join your fellow CCLaP readers at an ultra-casual pub meet-up, in the back of Kasey's Tavern at 701 S. Dearborn from 3:30 to 5:30 on late Saturday afternoon. Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

Meet CCLaP's new cheap labor...er, summer intern! | June 1, 2011
Wow, whaddya know? CCLaP has a summer intern! Meet Traci Kim, a Chicago native who this fall will be starting her final year at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and learn more about the new anthology she will be putting together this summer for the center. Submissions being accepted as we speak! | Read entire entry

And did I mention the "Time Out" article? | May 27, 2011
And I can't send everyone off to their long Memorial Day weekends without first thanking Jonathan Messinger for so prominently featuring both CCLaP and the center's newest book, Mark R. Brand's "Life After Sleep," in a full-page cover story in the Books section of this week's "Time Out: Chicago." Click through for more! | Read entire entry

CCLaP After Dark 04: Essay Fiesta | May 23, 2011
Today in "CCLaP After Dark," the center's new video recap series highlighting all the different Chicago literary events taking place around the city these days: it's "Essay Fiesta," a monthly showcase of entertaining true stories with strong ties to the local theater community, hosted by Alyson Lyon and Keith Ecker at the Book Cellar in Lincoln Square. | Read entire entry

CCLaP After Dark 03: Reading Under the Influence | May 13, 2011
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: It's episode 3 of the center's new "After Dark" video series, short recaps of various literary events going on around Chicago this summer and fall. Today's episode covers the sixth anniversary show of the popular "Reading Under the Influence," held at Sheffield's in the Lakeview neighborhood. | Read entire entry

The Making of a CCLaP Book: Part 2 | May 10, 2011
CCLaP's first paper book, of Mark R. Brand's "Life After Sleep," is finally available for purchase! And to mark the occasion, I'm doing a special four-party photo essay here, showing in obsessive detail every step involved with making and shipping one. Here in day 2, I look at the surprisingly complex process of gluing the book's covers together. | Read entire entry

The Making of a CCLaP Book: Part 1 | May 9, 2011
CCLaP's first paper book is finally available for purchase! And to mark the occasion, I'm running a special four-part photo essay at the site this week, showing in obsessive detail every single step that goes into making one of these handmade, special-edition titles. Today, printing and folding the manuscript, and cutting the materials needed for the covers. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast Extra: "Life After Sleep" commercial | May 5, 2011
Surprise -- I made a creepy-feeling sci-fi online video commercial for CCLaP's newest book, the day-after-tomorrow tale "Life After Sleep" by Mark R. Brand. Click through to watch it right this second, then please spread the word if you can and help make this a viral hit! | Read entire entry

CCLaP After Dark 02: Ben Tanzer book release party | May 2, 2011
Today in episode 2 of CCLaP's new video series, "CCLaP After Dark," it's a recap of the recent release party for Ben Tanzer's new novel, "You Can Make Him Like You," hosted by Victor David Giron and Curbside Splendor at Beauty Bar in Bucktown. Also featuring Jason Fisk, Gina Frangello, Tim Jones-Yelvington and Lindsay Hunter. | Read entire entry

CCLaP After Dark 01: Orange Alert Reading Series | April 18, 2011
Today on the CCLaP Podcast, the debut of a new video series - "CCLaP After Dark," short recaps of various live literary events happening all around the Chicago area this summer and fall. Today's episode looks at the Orange Alert Reading Series at The Whistler in Logan Square, hosted by Jason Behrends of Orange Alert Press. | Read entire entry

Chicagoans, hope to see you this Sunday at Orange Alert! | April 15, 2011
CCLaP will be at the Orange Alert Reading Series this Sunday, supporting author Mark R. Brand and selling for the first time our special "BookCard" edition of his novella "Life After Sleep," and hope to see all you Chicagoans as well. Click through for details on both the reading and this special project, including lots of photos of it in action. | Read entire entry

Only three months until the "American Wasteland" deadline! | April 11, 2011
Only three months until the submission deadline for CCLaP's latest anthology, "American Wasteland: Bleak Tales About the Future on the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11!" And this just in -- the release party is being held at revered local bookstore Quimby's! Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

It's Mark Brand Day at CCLaP! | March 7, 2011
It's Mark Brand Day at CCLaP! We're celebrating the release of his newest book for the center, the day-after-tomorrow tale "Life After Sleep," with a whole plethora of supplemental material like interviews and essays; click here for a round-up of links to everything now available. The book is free, so I hope you'll have a chance to check it out! | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 68: Author Mark R. Brand | March 7, 2011
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: It's my talk with Chicago sci-fi veteran Mark R. Brand, detailing everything you ever wanted to know about his new book with the center, the day-after-tomorrow tale "Life After Sleep" which not coincidentally is also being released today. | Read entire entry

Curbside Splendor will be at the Logan Square Farmers Market this weekend | March 4, 2011
I heard from Victor David Giron of small press Curbside Splendor recently, with some interesting news; they're setting up a booth this weekend at Chicago's Logan Square Farmers Market, and will be hawking their wares to the organic-food crowd. Smart! Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

My talk with Nathan Rabin will be on Chicago television tonight! | February 18, 2011
Just a reminder that my recent talk with "AV Club" head writer Nathan Rabin will be airing on Chicago cable's public access tonight, 11 p.m. on channel 19. Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 65: An Evening with Nathan Rabin | January 17, 2011
Today on the podcast, the long-awaited audio transcript of the center's most recent big live event, a long-form interview with AVClub.com head writer Nathan Rabin last month at Chicago's Stage 773 theater complex. The special 90-minute episode also features an opening story by local author Ben Tanzer. | Read entire entry

CALL FOR ARTISTS: "American Wasteland: Bleak Tales of the Future on the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11" | January 11, 2011
Announcing a call for artists for CCLaP's newest anthology, "American Wasteland: Bleak Tales of the Future on the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11," in which a group of writers will create a shared dark future universe in which mismanagement has brought the US to the brink of collapse. Click through for all the details and submission rules; deadline is July 4th! | Read entire entry

CCLaP's party was a snowy success! | December 30, 2010
We had a nice little crowd show up last night to CCLaP's Royalty Payout and Holiday Party, in which we celebrated Ben Tanzer earning his first royalty check for the running/writing essay collection "99 Problems." Click through for lots of photos, several of them thanks to local author Mark Brand. | Read entire entry

Come to CCLaP's royalty payout and holiday party! | December 27, 2010
It's time for local author Ben Tanzer to receive his first royalty check for his latest CCLaP book, the writing/running essay collection "99 Problems," so in usual fashion we're holding a public party to celebrate, this time at the Andersonville Swedish pub Simon's. Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

Ben Tanzer's story-map looks freaking incredible in Google Earth 6 | December 16, 2010
I recently had a chance to open Ben Tanzer's "story-map," created as a promotional piece for his CCLaP essay collection "99 Problems," in the brand-new Google Earth 6 with thousands of 3D buildings and millions of 3D trees. The results are freaking incredible. Click through for lots of screenshots! | Read entire entry

CCLaP's event was a cold, rainy success! | November 30, 2010
We had eight hours of freezing rain in Chicago yesterday, which kept a lot of people home from CCLaP's "Evening with Nathan Rabin" event, but I and the intimate audience who made it out had a blast, and of course got a great recording to share with you via podcast next week. Click through for lots and lots of photos! | Read entire entry

CCLaP's big event is tonight! Broke artists...er, volunteers still needed! | November 29, 2010
Tonight finally sees CCLaP's newest live event, my live-audience talk with AV Club head writer Nathan Rabin, plus a special opening performance by Ben Tanzer! I'm still in need of a couple of broke artists who'd like to volunteer and earn free tickets and cocktails! Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

One week until my talk with Nathan Rabin! Volunteers needed! | November 23, 2010
Just one week to go until CCLaP's next live event, my talk with "AV Club" head writer Nathan Rabin! I'm still in need of a few more volunteers, so click through to learn how you too can earn yourself a free ticket and a cocktail after the show; plus, links and quotes from Rabin's latest book, the hilarious look at bad movies known as "My Year of Flops." | Read entire entry

Contract: signed! Frightening amount of money: paid! | November 12, 2010
It's official -- the rental contract at Stage 773 has been signed, which means that CCLaP's next live event is a go, my coming long-form interview and Q&A session with Nathan Rabin, head writer of the AV Club. Click through for more, plus photos of the space I took while over there the other day. | Read entire entry

Announcing CCLaP's newest event: An Evening with Nathan Rabin | November 8, 2010
Happy day! It's time to announce CCLaP's newest live event -- a long "Charlie Rose" style interview I'll be doing on November 29th with Nathan Rabin, bestselling author and head writer of the cultishly popular AV Club, with an opening performance by local author Ben Tanzer. $6 tickets! At an actual theatre! Audience Q&A! Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

CCLaP reader makes "Month at the Museum" finals! | September 27, 2010
Holy crap! One of CCLaP's readers, fascinating local artist Felix Jung, has made the finals of the much-publicized "Month at the Museum" contest being sponsored by the Museum of Science and Industry! Click through for the details and to go vote for him now! | Read entire entry

And now, Ben Tanzer being interviewed by an eight-year-old | September 10, 2010
And now for your Friday afternoon pleasure: Chicago author Ben Tanzer being interviewed by his eight-year-old son regarding his latest original book for CCLaP, the running/writing essay collection "99 Problems." YOU'RE WELCOME. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 59: Author Ben Tanzer | August 30, 2010
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: It's a 45-minute talk with local author Ben Tanzer, his third appearance on the podcast over the years, here this time to tell us everything we ever wanted to know about his latest book for the center, the running/writing essay collection "99 Problems." | Read entire entry

"99 Problems:" Now surprisingly successful at Amazon | August 30, 2010
It's week three of CCLaP's newest original book, the running/writing essay collection "99 Problems" by Ben Tanzer, and we received some surprising news recently regarding it: The Kindle version cracked the top 20,000 bestsellers at Amazon this weekend, and unbelievably made the national top 10 of all sports collections being sold there. Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

"99 Problems:" You like it! You really like it! | August 23, 2010
CCLaP's newest original book, the essay collection "99 Problems" by Ben Tanzer, enters its second week of release! Hundreds of downloads! Hundreds of dollars in donations! Critical praise out the yazoo! Amazon Kindle version now available! Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

CCLaP's newest original book is finally here! | August 17, 2010
It's the release day of CCLaP's latest original book, the running/writing essay collection "99 Problems" by Ben Tanzer! Here, the official announcement, containing all kinds of information about the book itself, plus screenshots of it running on an iPhone and a Sony Reader. | Read entire entry

Check out the '99 Problems' story-map! | August 17, 2010
It's the release day of CCLaP's newest original book, the running/writing essay collection "99 Problems" by Ben Tanzer! Here, information on a cool promotional project we were able to put together for it -- namely, we plotted one of the essays on an actual customized Google map, complete with placemarkers and photos illustrating many of the specific locations Ben mentions in the story. | Read entire entry

Personal essay: Why I Signed '99 Problems' -- An Apologia. | August 17, 2010
It's the release day of CCLaP's newest original book, the running/writing essay collection "99 Problems" by Ben Tanzer! Here, a critical essay on why I signed the book in the first place, written in the style of an "apologia" (or deliberately all-positive critical piece). | Read entire entry

And by the way, have you read CCLaP's other books yet? | August 17, 2010
It's the release day of CCLaP's newest original book, the running/writing essay collection "99 Problems" by Ben Tanzer! In this entry, a fond adieu to the center's last book, Sally Weigel's "Too Young to Fall Asleep," which today leaves the site's front page for CCLaP's dreaded dusty archives. | Read entire entry

Field report: Fifth House Ensemble at High Concept Laboratories | August 9, 2010
I had a chance earlier tonight to visit for the first time the new, absolutely astounding Chicago performance space High Concept Laboratories, where I watched the first concert of their new artists-in-residence, the avant-garde chamber-music group Fifth House Ensemble. Click through for details, links, and photos! | Read entire entry

Metapost: I'm hosting an artistic potluck dinner tomorrow night | July 29, 2010
This is a non-CCLaP post about an artistic potluck dinner I've been asked to host tomorrow night, down at the "ad-hoc cultural center" The Op Shop in Hyde Park, which will feature the premiere of a new piece by conceptual sound artist Kiku Hibino, which all of you are invited to. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

Obsession of the moment: Dead Advice | July 21, 2010
Today's obsession: The Chicago-based artistic experiment "Dead Advice," in which people pen letters on life lessons learned only after their theoretical death. | Read entire entry

Metapost: CCLaP's reader meetup cancelled | June 12, 2010
Just a short note, to inform people that inclement weather has convinced me to cancel CCLaP's Printers Row reader meetup, which had been scheduled for later today. Sorry! | Read entire entry

Hope to see you at CCLaP's Printers Row reader meetup tomorrow! | June 11, 2010
Just a reminder that CCLaP is holding an extremely informal pub-based reader meetup tomorrow in the late afternoon down at the Printers Row Book Fair -- we're meeting up in the back of Kasey's Tavern, located at 701 South Dearborn. Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

Won't you join us at CCLaP's Printers Row reader meetup? | June 9, 2010
It's official: CCLaP's pub-based reader meetup at this years Printers Row Book Fair will be taking place this Saturday, 4:30 to 6:30 pm, in the back of Kasey's Tavern at 701 South Dearborn, right in the heart of the fairground itself. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 56: Urban Decay/Urban Renewal | May 31, 2010
Today on the podcast: A recording of CCLaP's first-ever live literary event, held last weekend at the Hyde Park cultural center The Op Shop, featuring brand-new pieces by Sally Weigel, Ben Tanzer, Jason Fisk, Mark Brand and Katherine Hodges. | Read entire entry

CCLaP's first literary event: Success! | May 31, 2010
CCLaP's first live literary event, held this weekend in Hyde Park, was a big success, with more people there than I expected and a fun, slightly drunken time had by all. Click through for a wrap-up, as well as to see some photos from the evening. | Read entire entry

CCLaP's first live literary event is tonight! | May 28, 2010
It's here! It's here! CCLaP's first-ever live literary event is finally taking place tonight, down in Hyde Park. Admission is free! Bring your own spirits! Kick off Memorial Day weekend right! Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

Only five days until CCLaP's first live literary event! | May 24, 2010
Don't forget that we're less than a week away from CCLaP's first-ever live literary event, being held this Friday down in the Hyde Park neighborhood, and featuring brand-new pieces by Sally Weigel, Ben Tanzer, Mark Brand, Jason Fisk and Katherine Hodges. Click through for all the details, if you missed them the first time. | Read entire entry

Announcing CCLaP's first literary event! | May 13, 2010
Happy day! CCLaP's first-ever live literary event is finally upon us! Click through for all the details of the May 28th event, including links to iCal and Facebook, as well as an embeddable map of the venue. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 54: Author Delphine Pontvieux | May 4, 2010
Today on the podcast, it's my interview with local writer and French transplant Delphine Pontvieux, author of the Basque political thriller "ETA." Also featuring the music of Edu K and Most Valuable Players. | Read entire entry

Beachy announces cancer fundraiser for Dave Thomas | April 7, 2010
I heard from author Kyle Beachy today, letting me know about a cancer fundraiser being held for local artist and scene supporter Dave Thomas. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

Obsession of the moment: Borodin | March 31, 2010
Today's obsession: Chicago musician Patrick Spiroff, otherwise known as the one-man band Borodin. | Read entire entry

Sally Weigel's virtual book tour begins! | March 29, 2010
Excelsior! Sally Weigel's virtual book tour, in support of her CCLaP novella "Too Young to Fall Asleep," begins today! Click here for the full revised schedule (plus links to tour stops), as well as info on the book's new listing at the Amazon Kindle store. | Read entire entry

Obsession of the moment: Criminal Class Press | March 8, 2010
Today's obsession: The new Chicago dark-lit small publisher Criminal Class Press. Click through for more. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 50: Author Kyle Beachy | February 22, 2010
Today on the podcast: It's my recent 45-minute talk with local writer Kyle Beachy, author of the 2009 national sleeper hit "The Slide." | Read entire entry

Field report: Chicago Tribune's Algren cocktail party | January 18, 2010
Today, photos and a report from a recent cocktail party thrown by the Chicago Tribune, unofficially celebrating their annual Nelson Algren Award but not having anything officially to do with it. | Read entire entry

Field report: Chicago Public Library mini-branch at Water Tower | December 28, 2009
Today, a field report with photos from the Chicago Public Library's new "mini-branch," inside the Chicago Visitor Center at the tourist-friendly Water Tower, carrying around 300 bestsellers and designed to boost awareness of the entire CPL system. | Read entire entry

Field report: CCLaP 2009 royalty payout party | December 7, 2009
The center's social gathering last weekend, to celebrate CCLaP's first two published authors receiving their first $100 in royalties, ended up going well. Click through for the details and lots of photos. | Read entire entry

New Chicago lit journal's first release party is tomorrow | December 7, 2009
The first release party of a new Chicago literary journal, "Two With Water," is tomorrow at indie-rock hangout the Empty Bottle. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

Don't forget tomorrow's party! | December 4, 2009
Don't forget, Chicagoans, CCLaP's latest social event is tomorrow night! Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

CCLaP's throwing a party, and you're invited! | November 30, 2009
CCLaP's throwing a party! It's this Saturday! In Chicago! Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

Farewell, Uptown Writers Space | October 6, 2009
Sad news in the Chicago literary community this week: Uptown Writers Space, an experiment in providing a "home away from home" for local authors, has sadly closed its doors. Click through for more details. | Read entire entry

Obsession of the moment: TheMobileGarden.org | October 5, 2009
Today's obsession: "The Mobile Garden," an attempt to convert the back car of a Chicago "el" train into a flatbed full of local plants, chugging along throughout the city and reminding citizens of local green issues. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

Will you be going to the big Gapers Block anniversary party tonight? | September 4, 2009
Will you be going to the big sixth anniversary party tonight for Chicago arts-and-entertainment guide GapersBlock.com? Click through for all the details, if you don't know them yet! | Read entire entry

Orange Alert Press announces its newest book | August 24, 2009
My friend Jason Behrends at the Chicago-based Orange Alert Press has just announced their latest original book, an experimental project called "Prose. Poems. A Novel." by Atlanta author Jamie Iredell. Click through for the details, plus a reminder of CCLaP's own upcoming original book, finally coming out in just a few weeks from now. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 39: Gapers Block's Andrew Huff | May 11, 2009
Today on the podcast: It's my talk with next-wave journalist and serial entrepreneur Andrew Huff, best known as the founder of popular local arts-and-entertainment website GapersBlock.com. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 37: Author Charles Blackstone | April 13, 2009
Today on the podcast: An hour-long talk with local author, editor, and sometimes public-radio contributor Charles Blackstone. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 35: Time Out's Jonathan Messinger | March 23, 2009
Today on the podcast: It's my long-awaited interview with "Time Out" Books editor Jonathan Messinger, who also happens to be the co-founder of Featherproof Press, the host of the Dollar Store reading series, and a published author himself. | Read entire entry

Announcing the CCLaP "Repetition Patterns" 2009 virtual book tour | February 9, 2009
Happy day! CCLaP announces its next weirdo fun project, a 12-day "virtual book tour" supporting the original book "Repetition Patterns," by local author Ben Tanzer. So what's a virtual book tour? And how can you become a virtual groupie? Click through for all the details! | Read entire entry

Announcing CCLaP's new microblog -- the "CCLAPocracy" | January 6, 2009
Announcing the latest online experiment from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography: The center's own Twitter-style microblog, in which readers debate recent reviews, announce local artistic events, post goofy personal updates and more. Today, all the details. | Read entire entry

Announcing CCLaP's newest book: "The Great iPod Indie Rock Challenge of 2008." | December 16, 2008
Today, I'm happy to announce CCLaP's third book, the second in its "White Paper" series, minor reprints of longer material that original ran at the site; in this case, a new collection of the four essays that originally chronicled the "Great iPod Indie Rock Challenge of 2008," in which I dared my lazy middle-aged self to get all my sad old '80s and '90s rocks off my little 1-gig iPod Shuffle and replaced with brand-new music by brand-new bands as quickly as possible. | Read entire entry

Obsession of the moment: Orange Alert Holiday Guide 2008 | December 12, 2008
Today's obsession: The fantastic little downloadable holiday guide from cultural website "What To Wear During an Orange Alert," even cooler because of it being made in a way that almost anyone could, but that only OA thought of and actually executed. | Read entire entry

Audrey Niffenegger will be chatting next week online with the Toronto Public Library | December 9, 2008
Cool news today from our friends at the Toronto Public Library; next week they'll be sponsoring a live online chat and interview with Chicago author Audrey Niffenegger ("The Time Traveler's Wife"), and the public is invited to follow along in real time. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

"Repetition Patterns" is throwing a release party! Er, kinda! | October 31, 2008
Great news -- looks like CCLaP will be throwing an official release party next week for it's first-ever original book, Ben Tanzer's "Repetition Patterns." Even better, we're saving money by "piggybacking" to the existing event "Reading Under the Influence," which was already planning on featuring Ben at their next show. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

It's Ben Tanzer Day at CCLaP! | October 27, 2008
Happy day! It's the official release day of CCLaP's first-ever original book, the story cycle "Repetition Patterns" by local author Ben Tanzer. Here, a little reminder of the fact, and an explanation for all the supplemental "Patterns" entries you're seeing at the blog today too. | Read entire entry

One week until "Repetition Patterns!" Er, wanna be a proofreader? | October 20, 2008
It's official -- exactly one week to go before the release of CCLaP's first-ever original book, the "story cycle" "Repetition Patterns" by local author Ben Tanzer. Here, details, a plea for volunteer proofreaders, and a look at the brand new Chuck Klosterman ripoff...er, front cover. | Read entire entry

Field report: Ben Tanzer book release party | September 10, 2008
Chicago author Ben Tanzer has a new novel out; and last weekend was the official release party for it, held at the DvA Gallery in Lincoln Park. Here, a small report from the party, as well as some photos. | Read entire entry

Ben Tanzer's new book is out! All right! | August 8, 2008
Good news from the Chicago arts: CCLaP friend Ben Tanzer's new novel is out, and another friend of CCLaP published it! Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

Obsession of the moment: EveryBlock at the Chicago Tribune | July 24, 2008
The city-data smart-aggregation service EveryBlock.com is at it again; they just announced this week, in fact, a new experimental gadget at the Chicago Tribune website, which tracks all the articles there in the last 48 hours and plots them on a map. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

Dueling Chicago lit events tonight! Choking...from all the...hyperlinks... | June 26, 2008
Two major literary events are happening tonight in Chicago -- the Fixx reading series and the newest release party for THE2NDHAND. Here, details on both, with enough hyperlinks to choke a horse. | Read entire entry

Toot that horn! CCLaP celebrates its first anniversary | June 11, 2008
It was CCLaP's first anniversary last week! Here, a few notes and photos from the Chicago get-together held last weekend to mark the occasion. | Read entire entry

See you tomorrow at Printers Row; and don't forget the colored stickers | June 6, 2008
Just a final reminder that CCLaP is celebrating its first anniversary tomorrow, down at the Printers Row Book Fair here in Chicago. Click through for details, plus more on the colored miniature name tags that will help you spot all of us when you get there. | Read entire entry

CCLaP's turning one! At Printers Row! We're having drinks! Holy crap! | June 2, 2008
CCLaP turns one this week! And I've decided to use it as an excuse to throw CCLaP's first social event, down at the massive Printers Row Book Fair this weekend. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

Field report: Pilcrow Literary Festival | May 26, 2008
Today, a field report from the highly entertaining Pilcrow Literary Festival, which just pulled off its first successful year here in Chicago last weekend. Click through for photos and an analysis of what went right. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 23: Author Amy Güth | May 19, 2008
Today on the podcast: A one-hour talk with Chicago author Amy Güth, founder of the new Pilcrow Literary Festival. | Read entire entry

Literago and I both declare: "You will never see 'Chicago Lit 100' lists at our sites" | April 24, 2008
So have you heard about this "Brooklyn Lit 100" list that has everyone so up in arms? It inspired Eugenia Williamson of Literago to declare that they will never do a similar Chicago list; I thought this was a good idea, so have decided to declare it too. Click through for more! | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 22: Author Nick Ostdick | April 21, 2008
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: A 45-minute talk with Chicago author, small publisher and event organizer Nick Ostdick (RAGAD, "Sunbeams and Cigarettes"). | Read entire entry

Holy crap, the new Chicago Public Library website looks great! | March 5, 2008
Wow, the Chicago Public Library system overhauled its website this week -- and it's freaking great! Click through for all the details, as well as copious links. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 20: 37signals' Jason Fried | February 19, 2008
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: An interview with tech guru and gentleman philosopher Jason Fried, one of the founders of highly popular Chicago software company 37signals. | Read entire entry

Chicago Women In Publishing is having an interesting panel soon | February 5, 2008
A little news today from CCLaP friend Chris Benevich of MediaBistro; that the group Chicago Women In Publishing will be holding an interesting panel discussion soon, regarding how to best negotiate contracts when you're a freelancer. Click through for the details! | Read entire entry

Field report: The Fixx reading series | February 1, 2008
Today, photos and a write-up from my recent attendance of The Fixx reading series, a monthly event here in Chicago hosted by author and raconteur Amy Güth. This particular month featured Scott Korb and Peter Bebergal, co-authors of the book of essays "The Faith Between Us." | Read entire entry

Obsession of the moment: EveryBlock.com | January 29, 2008
Today's obsession: The new info-rich neighborhood-news aggregation site EveryBlock.com, now working for the cities of Chicago, New York and San Francisco. | Read entire entry

Field report: RAGAD #5 release party | January 21, 2008
Today, a report and photographs from the release party for issue 5 of Chicago literary magazine RAGAD, run by CCLaP friend and reader Nick Ostdick. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 19: Author Ben Tanzer | December 18, 2007
Today's episode: An interview with Chicago writer Ben Tanzer, author of the coming-of-age novel "Lucky Man," specifically on the trials and tribulations of being a working day-to-day artist in a large Midwestern city. | Read entire entry

Obsession of the moment: Toghaus | December 14, 2007
Today's obsession: Chicago t-shirt company Toghaus, which among other things sells shirts representing each and every one of the 144 train stations of the city's transit system. | Read entire entry

Field report: Erato Chamber Orchestra at the Chicago Cultural Center | November 19, 2007
Today, photos and a report from the inaugural concert of Chicago's new Erato Chamber Orchestra, dedicated to the showcasing of experimental and minor orchestral work, held down at the Chicago Cultural Center in the Loop. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 15: Split Pillow's Jason Stephens | November 1, 2007
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: A 20-minute talk with Jason Stephens, founder of the Chicago film organization Split Pillow, a group that helps underground filmmakers finish and distribute their experimental projects. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 14: Author Elizabeth Crane | October 22, 2007
Today's episode: A half-hour conversation with Chicago writer Elizabeth Crane, author of the story collections "When the Messenger is Hot" and "All This Heavenly Glory." | Read entire entry

Field report: "Petersburg" screening at Chicago Filmmakers | October 9, 2007
Today, photos and thoughts from my recent screening of the low-budget political thriller "Petersburg," produced by a great filmmaking non-profit in Chicago named Split Pillow. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 13: Reading Under the Influence | October 8, 2007
Today's episode: An eight-minute video report from the fun monthly drunken Chicago literary event "Reading Under the Influence." | Read entire entry

Obsession of the moment: Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! | October 4, 2007
Today's obsession: The National Public Radio humorous game show "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!," which I'm probably the last intellectual in America to actually learn about. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 12b: Filmmaker Joe Swanberg, part 2 | October 2, 2007
Today, part 2 of my recent extra-long interview with Chicago filmmaker Joe Swanberg, one of the more well-known of the so-called "mumblecore" filmmakers getting so much attention these days. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 12a: Filmmaker Joe Swanberg, part 1 | October 1, 2007
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: Part 1 of my recent interview with Chicago filmmaker Joe Swanberg, one of the more well-known of the so-called "mumblecore" filmmakers getting so much attention these days. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 11: Uptown Writers Space | September 10, 2007
Today on the CCLaP Podcast: An interview with Julie Saltzman and Susan Karp, co-founders of the Uptown Writers Space in my Chicago neighborhood, along with an "audio tour" of the facilities supplemented with still photos. Click through to listen and see for yourself. | Read entire entry

The latest "One Book, One Chicago" pick is announced | August 31, 2007
And it's none other than Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," the 1953 scathing indictment of the McCarthy communist witch-hunt going on at the time. Click through for more on the book, on this interesting Chicago arts program, and what exactly will be going on in the city this fall because of it. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 09: The Brew N View | August 27, 2007
Today's episode: A three-minute video tour of the infamous Brew N View (held at Lakeview's Vic Theatre at Belmont and Sheffield), wherein recent movies are shown on a giant screen and liquor sold as well, and audience members encouraged to drunkenly shout at the films. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 08: FearlessRadio's Scott Ridgway | August 22, 2007
Today: An interview with an old friend of mine named Scott Ridgway, a writer and on-air personality at online radio station FearlessRadio.com, along with a "soundscape" audio tour of their downtown facilities. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 07: MediaBistro's Chris Benevich | August 13, 2007
Today's episode: An audio interview with Chris Benevich, one of the hosts who make up the Chicago chapter of MediaBistro, a nationwide social network for freelance writers and other media professionals. Also featuring the music of Creative Commons recording artists Cloudy and Guards of Metropolis. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 05: Greater Wealth Productions | July 23, 2007
Today: A five and a half minute interview with GW Welsh of the multimedia production company Greater Wealth, shot at a recent fundraiser at Lakeview's Spot6 nightclub. Also includes footage of Chicago writer Kate Cullen, Indiana cartoonist Andrew Dimitt, and Georgia band The North And South, plus the visual artwork of "Corey." | Read entire entry

When Chicago was Hollywood, before Hollywood existed | July 23, 2007
Just wanted to point out a great article the Chicago Tribune has online right now, detailing the history behind Essanay Studios and other film production companies in Chicago at the beginning of the 20th century. Click through for the link. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 04: The Harold Washington Library Center | July 16, 2007
Today's episode: A four-minute video tour of the Harold Washington Library Center -- not only the central branch of the entire Chicago Public Library system, but also the largest public library on the planet according to the Guinness Book of World Records. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 03: The Dollar Store Show's Jonathan Messinger | July 9, 2007
Today's episode: A four-minute video interview with Jonathan Messinger -- host of the monthly literary event "The Dollar Store Show," co-founder of small press Featherproof, and Books Editor of "Time Out: Chicago." | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 02: GapersBlock.com's Andrew Huff | July 2, 2007
Today, episode 2 of the CCLaP Podcast: a four-minute video interview with Andrew Huff, editor-in-chief of Chicago arts-and-entertainment website GapersBlock.com. | Read entire entry

CCLaP Podcast 01: Literago launch party | June 25, 2007
Welcome to the new CCLaP Podcast! Today, episode 1: a two-minute video report from the recent launch party for Chicago literary website Literago.org. | Read entire entry

Dr. Sketchy's is coming to Chicago | June 22, 2007
Fun news -- the "Dr. Sketchy" series of nude life-drawing classes, started by "female Crumb" illustrator Molly Crabapple, is coming to Chicago, starting tomorrow. And the first one features a friend of mine, too, burlesque dancer Michelle L'Amour. Click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

Chicago litblogger? The Sun-Times would like to hear from you, please. | June 21, 2007
I caught an interview with Chicago Sun-Times Books editor Cheryl Reed today, where she makes an interesting confesson: that she wants to hire more Chicago reviewers, but can't find any Chicago reviewers. Litbloggers, click through for all the details. | Read entire entry

The Neo-Futurists want your zine | June 18, 2007
Here's interesting news -- cult favorites The Neo-Futurists are creating a zine library in their theatre lobby, to entertain the audience members who sometimes arrive hours before a show is to start. Click through for all the details on where to send your own publication. | Read entire entry

More about the Printers Row Book Fair, and CCLaP's first social event! | June 8, 2007
It's official -- CCLaP is throwing its first social event at tomorrow's Printer Row Book Fair! Read this entry for all the details. | Read entire entry

Are you ready for the Printers Row Book Fair? | June 7, 2007
Today, more information than you ever possibly wanted to know about the 22nd annual Chicago Printers Row Book Fair, the largest free outdoor literary event in the entire Midwest. | Read entire entry

Chicago arts: a $1 billion industry? | June 7, 2007
Today, news on a recent report that shows that Chicago's art industry generated over a billion dollars in revenue in 2005. Man, that's a lot of Monet posters! | Read entire entry