This weekend "the Midwest's largest literary event" will hit the South Loop, courtesy of the Trib and Chicago Public Library. The Printers Row Book Fair [1] is bringing dozens of literary talents, including Scott Turow and Augusten Burroughs, downtown on June 7 and 8 for a weekend of discussion and conversation and gleeful book-selling in tents lining Columbia College's campus. And it's all free (though you need to obtain free tickets to gain access to some of the most popular speakers). The majority of the writers are Chicago residents; a few of my favorite writers from the city like Alex Kotlowitz, Audrey Niffenegger and Aleksandr Hemon, will be there reading and/or talking about their work. You can check out the somewhat overwhelming breakdown of the weekend's bookish festivities here [2]. There's also a surfeit of activities for the kids, if you think your children may be bored by Rick Perlstein talking about Nixon for an hour.
Links:
[1] http://www.chicagotribune.com/about/custom/events/printersrow/
[2] http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/acrobat/2008-05/39437976.pdf