Blizzards can’t stop Chicagoans. Just one day after this winter’s infamous blizzard Publishing Industry Programs and Lake Claremont Press hosted “All Things Local” in the Chicago Publishers Gallery, an event featuring local authors reading from their books about Chicago, as well as food and drinks from local vendors.
Over a hundred and fifty guests whooshed in from the cold, unwrapping scarves and plucking mittens from their hands. A check-in table offered guests an opportunity to win one of twenty Chicago-themed raffle prizes. Beyond, in the main section of the Gallery, guests could buy one of Lake Claremont’s titles and speak to any of the evening’s five featured authors who were on hand to sign books and speak about their work.
The main event of the evening were author readings from four new Lake Claremont titles, all of which focuse on Chicago. Sean Parnell read from Historic Bars of Chicago, Jason Rothstein read the introduction to Carless in Chicago, Sergent David J. Hanes and Christopher Garlington presented The Beat Cop’s Guide to Chicago Eats, and David Anthony Witter rounded out the evening with a reading from his Oldest Chicago.The evening’s reading was bookended with blues music from Scott Madden, JC Cleavenger, Dan Lopotta, Scott Carleton, and Dave Witter.
Refreshments were served throughout the evening. Guests could choose between Shlitz beer or Route 66 root beer for drinks. Snacks and treats included cinnamon rolls from Anne Sather, cookies and baklava from Artopolis, pizza from Pizza Rustica, and crackers and dip from West Town Tavern.
Following the reading, guests mingled and purchased books that they could then have the authors sign. Despite the Chicago cold–or maybe because of it–the evening was a successful showing of what makes Chicago so grand.
The next event to be held in our Chicago Publishers Gallery event series will be a self-publishing bootcamp with Chris-Tia Donaldson. Click here to learn more, and for more pictures from All Things Local, visit our Tumblr.
