BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//CalDiscovery//caldiscovery//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH DESCRIPTION:Chicago: literary\, Wednesday (Wed Sep 23\, America/Chicago). Rolling: the window moves forward every day\, so subscribe rather than dow nload. Discovered and maintained by CalDiscovery (https://caldiscovery.com ). Event details belong to their publishers. Contains information from Cal Discovery\, which is made available under the ODbL 1.0. SOURCE:https://caldiscovery.com/chicago-il/wednesday-literary.ics X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT12H REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT12H X-WR-CALDESC:Chicago: literary\, Wednesday (Wed Sep 23\, America/Chicago). Rolling: the window moves forward every day\, so subscribe rather than do wnload. Discovered and maintained by CalDiscovery (https://caldiscovery.co m). Event details belong to their publishers. Contains information from Ca lDiscovery\, which is made available under the ODbL 1.0. X-WR-CALNAME:Chicago · literary · Wednesday · CalDiscovery BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sinai Tables: Seniors Reading Short Subjects DTSTART:20260923T170000Z DTEND:20260923T180000Z DTSTAMP:20260915T055844Z UID:10000840-1790164800-1790168400@chicagosinai.org CATEGORIES:community,literary DESCRIPTION:This table is designed for older adults who like to read and d iscuss a range of topics\, including essays\, short stories\, opinion piec es and occasionally books\, one chapter at a time. \nReserve Your Seat at a Table Here: https://chicagosinaicongregation.shulcloud.com/form/Sinai%20 Tables LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T055844Z URL:https://chicagosinai.org/event/sinai-tables-seniors-reading-short-subj ects-2/2026-09-23?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=chic ago-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Chicago Sinai Congregation X-SOURCE-URL:https://chicagosinai.org/join-temple-chicago END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Author Talk: “Migrant Heart” by Reyna Grande (ONLINE) DTSTART:20260923T230000Z DTEND:20260924T000000Z DTSTAMP:20260815T001927Z UID:10011833-1790186400-1790190000@www.chicagoculturalalliance.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Join us for an illuminating conversation streamed live from th e AWM with writers Reyna Grande and Erika L. Sánchez. The two bestsell ing authors sit down to discuss Grande’s new book Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can’t Forget\, an ambitious memoir in essays that illumi nates the hidden cost of the American Dream and the complex journey of hea ling that follows survival. \nThis is the livestream of an in person progr am at the American Writers Museum. When you register for this event\, you will receive access to the livestream link. If you would like to attend t he program in person at the AWM\, get your tickets here. \nMore about Mig rant Heart: \nWhat is the true power of stories? Can they heal the jagged edges of a traumatic childhood? Is the cost of telling the story worth the price of the cure? \nReyna Grande has spent her career capturing the raw reality of life across borders. In this intricate and deeply intimate memo ir-in-essays\, the author of the landmark memoirs The Distance Between Us  and A Dream Called Home again turns her gaze inward to explore the sca rs left by migration and the ongoing work of stitching herself back togeth er. \nWith her signature blend of sophistication and raw honesty\, Grande interrogates how living between two nations\, two languages\, and two iden tities has shaped the woman\, mother\, and writer she has become. Moving f rom the legacy of violence in her hometown of Iguala\, Mexico\, to a bitte rsweet family vacation in Europe spent reconciling her own impoverished pa st with her children’s world of abundance\, she uncovers startling truth s about the nature of survival. \nWhether being racially profiled in the A rizona borderlands or finding unexpected wisdom from the slugs in her gard en\, Grande unflinchingly asks: How do we bridge the gap between who we we re and who we have become? How do we turn pain into power? When memory thr eatens to define us\, how can we use story to heal while still honoring ou r boundaries? \nMigrant Heart is a powerful testament to Grande’s role as a storyteller and cultural witness. It expands our understanding of lif e in the United States and the complex people who cross and live within it s borders. It is an essential read for the seekers\, the dreamers\, and an yone who believes in the enduring\, transformative power of finding one’ s voice. \n\n\n\n\nPraise for Migrant Heart:\n\n\n\n“Migrant Heart is the exact book I needed during this tumultuous time. These essays should b e taught across the country. Reyna’s stories of surviving and thriving a s a Brown woman in the United States are seamlessly told through her sharp \, vibrant prose. This is a book I will return to again and again.” — Erika L. Sánchez\, New York Times bestselling author of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and Crying in the Bathroom \n“With heart and verve\, and her own particular candor\, so warm like a sun\, Reyna Grande writes about writing\, memory\, the Ayotzinapa 43\, the cruelties of the b order\, menopause\, slug sex\, and queen bees. I love Reyna’s way of see ing the world. These essays are heart-big.” —Ingrid Rojas Contreras\, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Man Who Could Move Clouds \n “Migrant Heart is deep\, gorgeous\, and full of unexpected chambers tha t will by turns unsettle you\, infuriate you\, comfort you\, and\, if you let them\, heal you. And while much darkness lies in many of these essays —of human nature\, of life\, of our nation—ultimately\, they are illum inated with love.” —Xóchitl González\, Pulitzer Prize finalist and  New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming \n\n\n\nREYNA GRANDE is an award-winning author whose work powerfully illuminates the c omplexities of immigration\, family separation\, and the pursuit of the Am erican Dream. Born in Mexico\, Grande embarked on a perilous journey to th e U.S. at age nine to reunite with her parents—a defining experience tha t fuels her writing. Breaking generational barriers\, she became the first in her family to graduate from college\, earning a BA from UC Santa Cruz and an MFA from Antioch University.\n\n\n\nHer diverse body of work includ es her celebrated memoirs\, The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home\, and the novels Across a Hundred Mountains\, Dancing with Butterfl ies\, and the historical epic A Ballad of Love and Glory. She amplifies u ndocumented voices as co-editor of Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voic es on Immigration\, Survival\, and New Beginnings. She has earned numerous accolades\, such as the American Book Award\, the Premio Aztlan Literary Award\, the Luis Leal Award\, and the Hummingbird Award in Literary Arts. Her most recent book\, Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can’t Forge t\, was published in English and Spanish in May 2026. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nER IKA L. SÁNCHEZ is the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Her debut poetry c ollection\, Lessons on Expulsion\, was a finalist for the PEN America Ope n Book Award. Her debut young adult novel\, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter was a #1 New York Times bestseller\, a National Book Awards f inalist\, and Tomás Rivera Award winner. Time has recognized it as one of the best YA novels of all time. It is now is being made into a MGM Orio n film directed by America Ferrera. She is an executive producer on the pr oject. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter has also been adapted to t he theater at Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago\, Seattle Rep Theater\, Green way Court Theater in Los Angeles\, and Denver Center for the Performing Ar ts. Also\, her novel has been banned across the country due to its “cont roversial” themes. Most recently\, Sánchez published a critically accla imed memoir-in-essays titled Crying in the Bathroom with Viking Books. I t won the Chicago Review of Books Nonfiction award and has been optioned f or television. Sánchez was a Fulbright Scholar\, a Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent fellow from the Poetry Foundation\, a Princeton Arts Fellow\, a r ecipient of the 21st Century Award from the Chicago Public Library Foundat ion\, and a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in poetry. Sánchez earned a BA from UIC and an MFA from the University of N ew Mexico. Her books have been translated and published in Korea\, Taiwan\ , the United Kingdom\, Brazil\, France\, Mexico\, Poland\, Turkey\, and It aly. She’s appeared on WGN\, PBS\, NPR\, Good Morning America\, Telemund o\, Univision\, and MSNBC. Erika holds an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Let ters from New School University. She lives in Chicago with her family. LAST-MODIFIED:20260815T001927Z LOCATION:American Writers Museum\, 180 N. Michigan Ave.\, Chicago\, IL\, 6 0601\, United States URL:https://www.chicagoculturalalliance.org/event/author-talk-migrant-hear t-by-reyna-grande-online/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campa ign=chicago-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Chicago Cultural Alliance X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.chicagoculturalalliance.org/events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Author Talk: “Migrant Heart” by Reyna Grande (IN PERSON) DTSTART:20260923T230000Z DTEND:20260924T000000Z DTSTAMP:20260816T060234Z UID:10011832-1790186400-1790190000@www.chicagoculturalalliance.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Join us for an illuminating conversation at the AWM with write rs Reyna Grande and Erika L. Sánchez. The two bestselling authors sit down to discuss Grande’s new book Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can’t Forget\, an ambitious memoir in essays that illuminates the hidden cost of the American Dream and the complex journey of healing that follow s survival. Books will be available for purchase and Grande will sign them following the program. \nThis is an in person program at the American Wri ters Museum. This program will also be livestreamed\, and you can registe r for the link to the online broadcast here. \n  \nMore about Migrant He art: \nWhat is the true power of stories? Can they heal the jagged edges o f a traumatic childhood? Is the cost of telling the story worth the price of the cure? \nReyna Grande has spent her career capturing the raw reality of life across borders. In this intricate and deeply intimate memoir-in-e ssays\, the author of the landmark memoirs The Distance Between Us and  A Dream Called Home again turns her gaze inward to explore the scars left by migration and the ongoing work of stitching herself back together. \nW ith her signature blend of sophistication and raw honesty\, Grande interro gates how living between two nations\, two languages\, and two identities has shaped the woman\, mother\, and writer she has become. Moving from the legacy of violence in her hometown of Iguala\, Mexico\, to a bittersweet family vacation in Europe spent reconciling her own impoverished past with her children’s world of abundance\, she uncovers startling truths about the nature of survival. \nWhether being racially profiled in the Arizona borderlands or finding unexpected wisdom from the slugs in her garden\, Gr ande unflinchingly asks: How do we bridge the gap between who we were and who we have become? How do we turn pain into power? When memory threatens to define us\, how can we use story to heal while still honoring our bound aries? \nMigrant Heart is a powerful testament to Grande’s role as a st oryteller and cultural witness. It expands our understanding of life in th e United States and the complex people who cross and live within its borde rs. It is an essential read for the seekers\, the dreamers\, and anyone wh o believes in the enduring\, transformative power of finding one’s voice . \nPraise for Migrant Heart: \n“Migrant Heart is the exact book I nee ded during this tumultuous time. These essays should be taught across the country. Reyna’s stories of surviving and thriving as a Brown woman in t he United States are seamlessly told through her sharp\, vibrant prose. Th is is a book I will return to again and again.” —Erika L. Sánchez\,  New York Times bestselling author of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Dau ghter and Crying in the Bathroom \n“With heart and verve\, and her own particular candor\, so warm like a sun\, Reyna Grande writes about writin g\, memory\, the Ayotzinapa 43\, the cruelties of the border\, menopause\, slug sex\, and queen bees. I love Reyna’s way of seeing the world. Thes e essays are heart-big.” —Ingrid Rojas Contreras\, Pulitzer Prize fin alist and author of The Man Who Could Move Clouds \n“Migrant Heart is deep\, gorgeous\, and full of unexpected chambers that will by turns unset tle you\, infuriate you\, comfort you\, and\, if you let them\, heal you. And while much darkness lies in many of these essays—of human nature\, o f life\, of our nation—ultimately\, they are illuminated with love.”  —Xóchitl González\, Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bests elling author of Olga Dies Dreaming \n \nREYNA GRANDE (left) is an award -winning author whose work powerfully illuminates the complexities of immi gration\, family separation\, and the pursuit of the American Dream. Born in Mexico\, Grande embarked on a perilous journey to the U.S. at age nine to reunite with her parents—a defining experience that fuels her writing . Breaking generational barriers\, she became the first in her family to g raduate from college\, earning a BA from UC Santa Cruz and an MFA from Ant ioch University. \nHer diverse body of work includes her celebrated memoir s\, The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home\, and the novels A cross a Hundred Mountains\, Dancing with Butterflies\, and the historical epic A Ballad of Love and Glory. She amplifies undocumented voices as co -editor of Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Immigration\, Surv ival\, and New Beginnings. She has earned numerous accolades\, such as the American Book Award\, the Premio Aztlan Literary Award\, the Luis Leal Aw ard\, and the Hummingbird Award in Literary Arts. Her most recent book\,  Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can’t Forget\, was published in Eng lish and Spanish in May 2026. \nERIKA L. SÁNCHEZ (right) is the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Her debut poetry collection\, Lessons on Expulsio n\, was a finalist for the PEN America Open Book Award. Her debut young ad ult novel\, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter was a #1 New York Ti mes bestseller\, a National Book Awards finalist\, and Tomás Rivera Awar d winner. Time has recognized it as one of the best YA novels of all time. It is now is being made into a MGM Orion film directed by America Ferrera . She is an executive producer on the project. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexi can Daughter has also been adapted to the theater at Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago\, Seattle Rep Theater\, Greenway Court Theater in Los Angeles\, and Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Also\, her novel has been bann ed across the country due to its “controversial” themes. Most recently \, Sánchez published a critically acclaimed memoir-in-essays titled Cryi ng in the Bathroom with Viking Books. It won the Chicago Review of Books Nonfiction award and has been optioned for television. Sánchez was a Fulb right Scholar\, a Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent fellow from the Poetry Fo undation\, a Princeton Arts Fellow\, a recipient of the 21st Century Award from the Chicago Public Library Foundation\, and a recipient of the Natio nal Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in poetry. Sánchez earned a BA from UIC and an MFA from the University of New Mexico. Her books have been tra nslated and published in Korea\, Taiwan\, the United Kingdom\, Brazil\, Fr ance\, Mexico\, Poland\, Turkey\, and Italy. She’s appeared on WGN\, PBS \, NPR\, Good Morning America\, Telemundo\, Univision\, and MSNBC. Erika h olds an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from New School University. S he lives in Chicago with her family. LAST-MODIFIED:20260816T060234Z LOCATION:American Writers Museum\, 180 N. Michigan Ave.\, Chicago\, IL\, 6 0601\, United States URL:https://www.chicagoculturalalliance.org/event/author-talk-migrant-hear t-by-reyna-grande-in-person/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_ca mpaign=chicago-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Chicago Cultural Alliance X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.chicagoculturalalliance.org/events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:La Grange Writers Group DTSTART:20260923T233000Z DTEND:20260924T013000Z DTSTAMP:20260917T063100Z UID:10003216-1790188200-1790195400@lgba.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Share your writing\, receive feedback and give feedback to oth er local authors. Drop-ins are welcome. \nRoom: Dierkes LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T063100Z LOCATION:La Grange Public Library\, 10 W. Cossitt\, La Grange\, IL\, 60525 \, United States URL:https://lgba.com/event/la-grange-writers-group-2/?utm_source=caldiscov ery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=chicago-il X-SOURCE-NAME:La Grange Business Association X-SOURCE-URL:https://lgba.com/craft-fair END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:YAL Book Club & Bible Study DTSTART:20260924T000000Z DTEND:20260924T013000Z DTSTAMP:20260915T063512Z UID:un15i3nj4d1te9qbk867hv7795@google.com CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:St. George YAL and Community Book Club & Bible Study\n\nJoin w ith Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/ckd-dtpw-rgt\nOr dial: (US) +1 63 1-619-8301 PIN: 244489366#\nMore phone numbers: https://tel.meet/ckd-dtpw- rgt?pin=6070823807971&hs=7\n\nLearn more about Meet at: https://support.go ogle.com/a/users/answer/9282720 LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T063512Z LOCATION:St George Greek Orthodox Church Parking Lot\, 2701N N Sheffield A ve\, Chicago\, IL 60614\, USA X-SOURCE-NAME:STG Public Website Calendar X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.stgeorgechicago.net/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Anti-Racism Book Club DTSTART:20260924T003000Z DTEND:20260924T020000Z DTSTAMP:20260915T060153Z UID:10016595-1790191800-1790197200@www.mishkanchicago.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:External change starts from within. Join a group of people doi ng the work of anti-racism by fostering personal growth and an awareness o f unconscious bias. Meets virtually every other week\, discussing anti-rac ist non fiction books\, novels\, short stories\, as well as viewing films\ , plays\, and tv shows. \nRegister LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T060153Z URL:https://www.mishkanchicago.org/event/anti-racism-book-club-2-5-2/2026- 09-23/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=ics&utm_campaign=chicago-il X-SOURCE-NAME:Mishkan Chicago X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.mishkanchicago.org END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR