Results tagged “newberrylibrary”

Newberry Library’s free fall exhibition, “Artifacts of Childhood: 700 Years of Children's Books,” meant to showcase and explore the relevance of children’s literature, will be the library’s first exhibition in two decades to focus solely on this theme. 65 of Newberry’s most “important and beautiful” children’s books will be displayed, including 500-year-old Italian and French first illustrated editions of Aesop's Fables and a rare 1865 first edition of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Oh boy! The concept of the exhibition is to demonstrate the history of children’s education – from morality-infused school primers to an alternative to modern technology – and the way children’s literature has carved out a place for itself in the literature market.

Did the president of Medill use made-up quotes in a newsletter? We...barely care. What really bugs us is journalists citing the existence of Facebook group as some kind of indicator of anything--"students and alumni joined the new 'Save Journalism at Medill' group on Facebook. On Tuesday afternoon, there were nearly 90 members ...." There are 650 fulltime students at Medill. Fewer than 90 of them . Agh, not news. [Trib]

What started as Chicago actor and director David Blixt’s creative inquiry into the Capulet-Montague feud quickly became so much more. The Master of Verona, Blixt’s debut novel set in 14th Century Italy, explores Italian political life, conspiracy, the life of Dante, and the possible backstory for Romeo and Juliet. While directing the aforementioned Shakespeare play years ago, he found its all-consuming resolution fascinating and troublesome, hinting at but never revealing the source of the families’ feud. So started an intense exploration that took the author to the Newberry Library, the University of Michigan, and the villa Serego Alighieri in Verona.

Everything we theoretically know and can see comprises only 5% of the universe. At least that's what they tell us. They also tell us that the rest of the universe is mostly a mystery, a mystery explained away as "dark;" dark matter holds it together, and dark energy pushes it apart.

Admit it. One of the reasons you read Missed Connections (and we know you do) is because of the unusual ways people find to try and reconnect. In this edition, we highlight some of the past week's posts, where some brave souls have gone outside of the normal CTA/grocery store/local gym route and found potential love interests in some less-than-traditional places.

You'd have to be living under a rock or in a cave (hehe) not to know that the new Batman flick The Dark Knight is currently filming in Chicago. Several spots in the Loop are getting a filmic makeover, and we have some (by now nonexclusive) pics of an interior set. Our source has wisely declined to give us the specific location; after all, you wouldn't want director Christopher Nolan all up in your...

Every kid wants to run away and join the circus. The elephants! The striped tents! The cotton candy! We wanted to be the strong man or the graceful trapeze artist or for some of us, the bearded lady. Most of all, we wanted to experience that magic was real and unbelievable things could happen everyday.

This whole CWM history deal is something of a learning process. Well, hopefully it is for you, Constant Reader, as well as for us. For example, we were well aware of the incredible and ever-swelling numbers of Chicago history books, with their tremendous photographic accompaniment. Hell, we practically have the Dewey Decimal reference number for the "HIST-CHICAGO" section at Sulzer memorized. (It's F548 something something.) So when we were doing a little research at the...

Today, New Line announced the cast for the upcoming film adaptation of The Time Traveler's Wife. Genetically gifted/cursed, Henry DeTamble, will be played by Eric Bana (Incredible Hulk, Troy) and his wife, Clare Abshire, will be Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Wedding Crashers). The rights to the book were purchased by Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's Plan B production company back in 2003. At the time the studio was in discussions with Gus Van Sant to...

As the weather has gotten a bit warmer, we've noticed there are more and more things going on. This weekend we've decided to do some nerdy things before we sit at a bar for the Final Four and embellish to our friends how we were so good at basketball in High School but, had to give it up due to . The knee is healing nicely, thanks. We thought we would make it to Facet's...

Did you know that there's an Oscar available for viewing right here in Chicago, and that you can even make an appointment to see it and actually hold it in your hand? It's at the Newberry Library, a private institution that's open to the public and just far enough west of Michigan Avenue that you won't have to worry about shopaholic tourists when you visit.

Erik Larson is back, and we couldn’t be happier. His new historical fiction novel “Thunderstruck” refashions the story of murderer Hawley Crippen, while alternately telling the story of the invention of wireless communication by Guglielmo Marconi. Set in England in the early 1900’s, “Thunderstruck” follows the gruesome murder of Crippen’s flamboyant, eccentric wife and his rapid, oceanic escape with his new mistress. Through the wireless technology recently discovered, the world can follow the messages being passed from ship to ship that detail the mad chase for Crippen. One review called “Thunderstruck” the “O.J. Simpson car chase of its time.”

Once again, we building lovers are put on the defense. Landmarks Illinois has come out with its fifth annual Chicagoland Watchlist. There are twelve buildings on the list in danger of demolition, including the Chicago Daily Defender Building and the Lakeshore Athletic Club.

Barbara Ehrenreich has been compared to Upton Sinclair. Her muckraking style of journalism was first seen in “Nickel and Dimed”, when Ehrenreich went undercover to try to earn a living making minimum wage.

Well folks, it’s the end of the month, it’s Friday, and it’s hot as underwear outside. We think we need to take a break, you know, do something fun, shake it up a little.

Hey! Guess what?! No one burned or banned any books last night (as far as we know). Way to go! Pat yourselves on the back Chicago, you deserve it.

We usually think of May Day as pretty girls dancing around maypoles, but much of the world celebrates May 1st as International Workers’ Day, commemorating the Haymarket Riot of 1886.

English writer Julian Barnes will read from his novel, Arthur and George, which is based on actual events in the life of Sherlock Holmes creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. (Okay, so it’s fiction about a real guy. That’s still fiction, okay?) Chicagoist has heard stories about Doyle that rival those of his character, Holmes, and can’t wait to get our hands on this mystery novel.

A smorgasbord for the mind, the 2005 Chicago Humanities Festival has rolled into town. This year’s theme is Home and Away, concerning “the role that ‘place’ serves in the creation of our sense of rootedness and belonging.” Sounds like Pretentious-English-Major-speak, but an impressive slate of writers, musicians and performers are addressing such hot button issues as globalization, mobility, national identity, and bridging regional differences. Most tickets are $5, a bargain that ensures many sold out...

earlier this week, and we admire her eloquence and thoughfulness about her writing. She reads--both in her writing and her spoken reading--like a poet, which makes for a great bookstore event. See for yourself at Women & Children First tonight at 7:30.

Watching the Democratic Convention has made Chicagoist want to give a speech. Like, super-badly. And lucky for us, now's our chance. Tonight and tomorrow afternoon, the Bughouse Square Debates will give hippies, hecklers, historians and political types a chance to vent.