Events Search
Alice Kaplan
Wed., May 22, 6 p.m.Literary Events
One of the strangest side effects of studying a foreign language is the desire not just to immerse yourself in a new culture but to become a part of it, indistinguishable from a native speaker. Few writers have chronicled this phenomenon better than Alice Kaplan, in her 1993 memoir French Lessons and last year's Dreaming in French, a triptych of portraits of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Susan Sontag, and Angela Davis, each of whom spent a year in Paris in her early 20s. In both books, Kaplan demonstrates how a youthful love affair with French can produce lifelong aftershocks, even beyond nightmares arising from trauma induced by irregular verbs. It can shape you into a professor or a film critic or a first lady whose elegance intimidates and terrifies a nation. It can also, as in the case of Davis, turn you into a revolutionary. As a writer, Kaplan is extraordinarily persuasive. She even manages to render Jackie Kennedy interesting, a feat unequaled by any of Kennedy's other biographers. If you had the misfortune to study Spanish or German, you will be consumed by regret after reading her books. Or maybe amazement: Can the mere act of learning a language turn you into a sharper, more thoughtful, sophisticated citizen of the world? —Aimee Levitt
312-747-0511
Small Projects, Big Talent
Wed., May 22Literary Events
Zurich Esposito, the executive director of AIA Chicago, alongside the nine Small Project Award winners, discusses small scale architectural design.
Ghost: Rhythms
Wed., May 22, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.Galleries
McArthur Binion is a painter who doesn't use a brush. Instead, he presses the tip of an oil stick or a crayon onto his canvas. In her review of Binion's latest exhibit, "Ghost: Rhythms," Reader contributor Claudine Isé writes, "When viewed from across the room, many of his paintings appear placid and nearly monochromatic. Draw nearer and you'll see that's an illusion." Runs through 6/23.
Correction: This has been updated to remove an inaccuracy about Binion's artistic technique.
George Anastaplo
Wed., May 22, 6 p.m.Literary Events
Anastaplo discusses his book, Reflections on Slavery and the Constitution.
George Anastaplo
Wed., May 22, 6 p.m.Literary Events
Anastaplo discusses his book, Reflections on Slavery and the Constitution.
Celebrate Hops, History and Craft Beer
Wed., May 22, 6-9 p.m.Drink Events
Learn about Chicago's urban history while sipping on a pint with Denese Neu, author of Chicago by the Pint.
