July 2019
Save the Date!
 
 
Friday, August 2
at 7 p.m.
Am I Man Enough?
A Storytelling Show examining toxic masculinity hosted by
Ada Cheng

Monday, August 12
Doors open at 7 p.m. 
Show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Open Mic
 
Thursday, August 15 
at 7 p.m.
Women in Translation:
A Panel Discussion
 
Wednesday, August 21
at 7 p.m.
Stefania Gomez
Once I Loved a Cowboy
Chapbook Release Party
 
Saturday, August 24
from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Women & Children First 40th Anniversary Block Party on Women & Children First Way (Farragut Avenue)
Live Music, Feminist Crafts, Free Food,
and more!
 
Friday, August 30
at 7 p.m.
Rachel DeWoskin
Author Reading
 
Weds., September 4
at 7 p.m.
Isabella Rotman
& Heather Corinna
Book Launch Party
 
Thursday, September 5
at 7 p.m.
Celia Perez
Book Launch Party
 
 
     
Discussion & Potluck
Sunday, July 7
10 a.m. to noon
Suggested Reading: 
On the Brink of Everything
by Parker Palmer
 
Sunday, July 14 at 4 p.m.
We Live for the We
by Dani McClain
 
Sunday, July 14 at 5 p.m.
The Hitchhiker's Guide 
to the Galaxy 
by Douglas Adams
 
Monday, July 15
at 7:15 p.m.
All Our Yesterdays 
by Natalia Ginzburg
 
Tuesday, July 16 
at 7:30 p.m.
The Lake on Fire 
by Rosellen Brown

Sunday, July 21
at 2:30 p.m
Ghettoside 
by Jill Leovy
 
New!! Well-Read Black Girl 
Book Group
Sunday, June 28 at 1 p.m.
Lot: Stories 
by Bryan Washington
 
  Book Group
Sunday, July 28 at 2 p.m.
The Female Persuasion 
by Meg Wolitzer
Pre-order 
Announcements
 By pre-ordering through your local independent bookstore, you can get access to exclusive offers, special giveaways, and signed copies! Explore the current offers listed below to see some forthcoming books we are excited about and any available promotions. We will contact you if you place an order for which the special offers are out of stock. 

Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys
Publishing 
July 16th!


Iliana Regan's
Pubishing 
July 16th!
Signed pre-order books -- limited quantity!


Téa Obreht's
Inland
Publishing
August 13th!
Signed pre-order books -- limited quantity!
 
 
Celia C. Pérez's
Publishing
September 3rd!


Margaret Atwood's  
The 
Testaments
 Publishing
September 10th!
Pre-order now and save the date to join us for a Midnight Release Party with themed snacks, trivia, and more!
 


 
Dear Friends of Women & Children First,

Summer is (finally) here! We are happy to have the return of summer traditions like the Annual Used Book Sale and Where's Waldo? neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt, but we also have some fresh programming to share with you!

First, we are teaming up with powerhouse poet, scholar, and organizer Dr. Eve L. Ewing to present Poets for Reproductive Justice! Learn more about this incredible line-up of more than 20 poets and get tickets HERE. Proceeds for this event benefit the National Network of Abortion Funds.

PLUS! Save the date! Saturday, August 24 will be our 40th Anniversary Block Party! We'll be taking over Honorary Women & Children First Way with live music from acts like She's Cra fty and Drag Queen Story Hour, plus feminist crafts and games, free refreshments from our neighboring restaurants, and much more! Stay tuned to our social media for all the details. 

With love & thanks,  

W&CF
Used Book Sale:  
Donation drop-off 

This year, we'll be accepting donations for our Used Book Sale (benefiting our non-profit arm, the Women's Voices Fund) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays now through July 24th. Any books that do not meet our criteria will be returned to you at the time of donation. Interested in volunteering for our Used Book Sale? Please email Karlee at [email protected]. READ MORE
 
Aleksandar Hemon in conversation with Nami Mun 
My Parents (An Introduction) 
This Does Not Belong to You
Thursday, June 27 at 7 p.m.
Book Launch Party 

Aleksandar Hemon presents two books in one: My Parents (An Introduction) / This Does Not Belong to You tells the story of Hemon's parents' immigration to Canada--of the lives that were upended by the war in Bosnia and siege of Sarajevo and the new lives his parents were forced to build. 
 
Aleksandar Hemon is the author of three short story collections and novels The Lazarus Project, which was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and The Making of Zombie Wars. READ MORE  
Elaine Welteroth  in conversation with
Luvvie Ajayi
More Than Enough:
Claiming Space for Who You Are
Friday, June 28 at 7 p.m.
Book Launch Party 
  

Please note: This ticketed event will be held at Wilson Abbey, 935 W. Wilson. Each ticket includes a copy of Elaine's book.  

In this riveting and timely memoir, groundbreaking journalist Elaine Welteroth unpacks lessons on race, identity, and success through her own journey. As a young boss and the only black woman in the room, she's had enough of the world telling her she's not enough. 

Elaine Welteroth is an award-winning journalist, author, and judge on the new Project Runway and recently the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue. Luvvie Ajayi is the author of I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual, an instant New York Times best-seller.  READ MORE  
Layne Fargo in conversation
with Christina Gorman
Temper
Tuesday, July 2 at 7 p.m.
Book Launch Party 

After years of struggling in the Chicago theater scene, ambitious actress Kira Rascher finally lands the role of a lifetime. An edgy, addictive, and fiendishly clever tale of ambition, deceit, and power, Temper is a timely, heart-in-your-throat psychological thriller that will leave you breathless.
 
Layne Fargo is the co-creator of the podcast Unlikeable Female Characters. Layne lives in Chicago with her partner and their pets READ MORE  
Deborah Shapiro in conversation with
Kathleen Rooney
 
The Summer Demands 
Thursday, July 11 at 7 p.m. 
Author Reading 
 
On the verge of her 40th birthday and shaken by a recent miscarriage, Emily inherits an abandoned summer camp in Massachusetts. She and her husband move onto the property and make grand plans to revitalize it, but they soon discover that their inheritance includes an unexpected guest--a 22-year-old woman named Stella. READ MORE  
Alex DiFrancesco 
All City 
Friday, July 12 at 7 p.m. 
Author Reading with special guests
Margo and Penelope Jeanne Brannen 
 
A near-future New York City ravaged by climate change and economic inequality is facing a superstorm. The only ones remaining in the city to face the storm are those who have nowhere to go or no way to leave. Among those are convenience store worker Makayla and Jesse, an 18-year-old genderqueer anarchist. READ MORE  
Poets for Reproductive Justice  
Monday, July 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Poetry reading at Young Chicago Authors
(1180 N. Milwaukee)   

Women & Children First in partnership with Young Chicago Authors is proud to present an evening of poetry to support reproductive justice. Organized by Eve L. Ewing and inspired by events like Poets for Puerto Rico and Black Poets Speak Out, this reading will feature more than twenty poets. Proceeds from this event will benefit  the National Network of Abortion Funds, whose mission is to build power with members to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortion access by centering people who have abortions and organizing at the intersections of racial, economic, and reproductive justice. BUY TICKETS HERE  

Kristen Arnett in conversation with
Lindsay Hunter
 
Mostly Dead
Friday, July 19 at 7 p.m.
Author Conversation
 
One morning, Jessa-Lynn Morton walks into the family taxidermy shop to find that her father has committed suicide. Shocked and grieving, Jessa steps up to manage the failing business, while the rest of the Morton family crumbles. READ MORE  

Waldopalooza!
Saturday, July 20 at 3 p.m.
Kids' Party
 
To celebrate the annual month-long, neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt for Waldo, we'll be hosting an afternoon Where's Waldo? party hosted by Miss Sophie. Start by picking up your passport at Women & Children First on July 1st or after, and then begin searching for Waldo at participating Andersonville businesses. (The full list is on our website and the printed passport.) When you find Waldo in each business, get your passport stamped by the folks there. READ MORE 
Annual Used Book Sale
Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
 
Women & Children First's Used Book Sale is an annual tradition benefiting the Women's Voices Fund, the non-profit arm of the store that supports all of our programming and events. Our annual used book sale (part of Andersonville's Sidewalk Sale weekend) will take place Saturday, July 27th and Sunday, July 28th. Book lovers and bargain hunters won't want to miss this opportunity to treasure hunt through the stacks for great deals on fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and LGBTQ titles--all priced to sell.   
Well-Read Black Girl  
Book Group
Next Meeting on Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. 
This year, the American Booksellers Association is partnering with Well-Read Black Girl founder Glory Edim to bring book club meetings to independent bookstores nationwide with the goal of amplifying diverse voices and supporting emerging writers of color. We're proud to be a participating location. Our next selection for this meeting is Lot: Stories by Bryan Washington. This group is led by our bookseller Delaney! You can learn more about Well Read Black Girl HERE.

Darrel J. McLeod  in conversation with
Terese Marie Mailhot
Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age 
Wednesday, July 31 at 7 p.m.
Author Conversation

Growing up in a tiny village in Alberta, Darrel J. McLeod was surrounded by the comfort of his Cree family, especially his mother, Bertha. But when Bertha turned wild and unstable and their home life became chaotic, Darrel struggled to maintain his grades and pursue an interest in music while changing homes many times, witnessing violence, caring for his younger siblings, and suffering abuse at the hands of his surrogate father. Meanwhile, his sibling's gender transition provoked Darrel to deeply question his own sexual identity. READ MORE   
Iliana Regan
Burn the Place 
Thursday, August 1 at 7 p.m.
Book Launch Party

Burn the Place is a galvanizing memoir that chronicles Iliana Regan's journey from foraging on the family farm to running her Michelin-starred restaurant, Elizabeth.   READ MORE  
Gregg Shapiro
More Poems About Buildings and Food
and  Sunshine State
Wednesday, August 7 at 7 p.m.
Poetry Reading

Join us for a launch celebration of Gregg Shapiro's two new poetry collections: More Poems About Buildings and Food, published by Souvenir Spoon Books, and Sunshine State, from NightBallet Press.   READ MORE 
Claire Lombardo in conversation with
Elizabeth Taylor

The Most Fun We Ever Had
Thursday, August 8 at 7 p.m.
Author Conversation 

Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s and make a family together. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are each in a state of unrest, sharing only their fear that they will never find a love quite like their parents'. The arrival of Jonah Bendt--given up by one of the daughters in a closed adoption fifteen years before--triggers a year of great tumult. READ MORE   
Lyz Lenz in conversation with Kate Harding
God Land 
Friday, August 9 at 7 p.m.
Author Conversation 

In the wake of the 2016 election, Lyz Lenz watched as her country and her marriage were torn apart by the competing forces of faith and politics. A mother of two, a Christian, and a lifelong resident of middle America, Lenz was bewildered by the pain and loss around her. Part journalism, part memoir, God Land is a journey into the heart of a deeply divided America. READ MORE  
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