Tag: interview

Meet Steven Erikson!

September 22, 2012

Author Steven Erikson visits EPL on Saturday, Sept. 29th at 4 pm.

EPL is bringing fantasy to life.  Fantasy fiction, that is.  In case you haven’t heard, NY Times Bestselling novelist Steven Erikson is coming to the library, and we couldn’t be more excited.  Author of the critically acclaimed “Malazan Book of the Fallen” fantasy series, Erikson will visit the Community Meeting Room of EPL’s Main Branch on Saturday, September 29th at 4 p.m. to read from Forge of Darkness – the first book in his new Kharkanas trilogy.  As we eagerly await this very special event, we thought we’d share a pair of pleasant diversions to help pass the time until Mr. Erikson’s arrival.  First off, check out this excellent intro to Forge of Darkness written for new fantasy readers by the author himself.  Then, as a final literary appetizer, don’t miss this fascinating Tor interview in which Mr. Erikson discusses escapist lit, the merits of fantasy fiction, and his growth as a writer.  Enjoy, and see you on the 29th!

An Interview with Timothy L. Campbell & Alice DuBois

June 28, 2012

Timothy L. Campbell and Alice DuBois are Evanston-based artists who made their solo Local Art @ EPL debuts back in 2010.  Now the pair have joined their creative forces for a stunning return exhibit currently on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch.  Mixing oils, acrylics, and collage, the show presents two dozen spirited and surreal works inspired by history, travel, alchemy, music, and even books from the shelves of EPL.  You can catch their show through July 7th, and after that you can view more of their work by visiting the following: Mr. Campbell’s Flickr site and Ms. DuBois’ Flickr site.  Recently, we spoke with Mr. Campbell and Ms. DuBois via email about drawing vs. painting, Egyptian imagery, Henryk Gorecki’s 3rd Symphony, the circus, and what they’re working on next.

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Meet Alan Furst!

June 10, 2012

Author Alan Furst visits EPL on Saturday, June 16th at 4 pm.

That’s right, folks.  NY Times Bestselling author Alan Furst is coming to EPL, and we couldn’t be more excited.  Described by Vince Flynn as “the most talented espionage novelist of our generation,” Furst will visit the Community Meeting Room of EPL’s Main Branch on Saturday, June 16th at 4 p.m. to read from Mission to Paris – the latest of his 12 critically acclaimed books.  As we eagerly await this very special event, we thought we’d share a pair of pleasant diversions to help pass the time until Mr. Furst’s arrival.  First, to help whet your appetite for Mission to Paris, check out this glowing NY Times review in advance of the novel’s June 12th release.  Then, as a final literary appetizer, don’t miss this insightful Wall Street Journal interview with Mr. Furst himself.  Enjoy, and see you on the 16th!

An Interview with John Huston

May 24, 2012

Polar explorer John Huston visits EPL on May 31st at 7 pm. (Photo © ForwardEndeavors.com)

When John Huston was eight years old he wanted to be Indiana Jones, and minus the snakes and booby traps, he’s living that boyhood dream.  In 2009 – after years as an Outward Bound wilderness instructor and major expeditions to Greenland and Antarctica – the Evanston adventurer reached the pinnacle of polar exploration with a historic Arctic journey he chronicles in his new book Forward: The First American Unsupported Expedition to the North Pole.  Illustrated with breathtaking photos and interwoven with the rich history of polar travel, Forward puts you right alongside Huston and his expedition teammate Tyler Fish as they guide their 300-pound loads over the unforgiving surface of the frozen Arctic ocean on a 55-day adventure that pushed them to the limits of human endurance.  On Thursday, May 31st, you can meet Mr. Huston when he visits EPL’s 1st Floor Community Meeting Room at 7 p.m. for a multimedia presentation that includes readings from Forward, a display of expedition gear, and a discussion of the lessons he learned in leadership, teamwork, and perseverance while conquering the North Pole.  In anticipation of his visit, we recently spoke with him via email about his love for the wintery North, his 7000 calorie daily diet, the differences between Chicago and Arctic cold, and his upcoming expedition to Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic.

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An Interview with Ronnie Dukes

May 3, 2012

Ronnie Dukes is a local painter, illustrator, designer, and the latest artist to be featured in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL.  His show – titled Vitruvian Hero: Act I – was on display at EPL’s Main Branch throughout April and inspired by Da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man drawing.  The first of a planned three-part series, the collection explores the possibilities of “super” human evolution using elements of sci-fi and fantasy in the striking style of comic-book illustrations.  If you missed it, however, don’t fret.  You can view more of Mr. Dukes’ work by visiting his website, and he recently spoke with us via email about his artistic beginnings at Maggie Daley’s Gallery 37 and in Harlem, his creative process, and his vision for his forthcoming graphic novel.

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An Interview with Kendra Pierre-Louis

April 22, 2012

The message was seemingly clear.  If we would only swap Mr. Clean for Seventh Generation, switch from old light bulbs to compact fluorescents, and start schlepping our organic groceries in reusable bags, we could reverse the damage we’ve caused the Earth and heal our ailing planet.  But according to sustainability expert Kendra Pierre-Louis, our commitment to shopping “green” is only a small first step toward righting our environmental wrongs.  In her eye-opening new book Green Washed: Why We Can’t Buy Our Way to a Green Planet, the New York-based environmentalist thoroughly examines the rise of organic food, green housing and clothing, solar power, and the hybrid car before persuasively concluding that the true path to helping the Earth is not buying “green” but buying much, much less.  Pointing to America’s growth economy as the main culprit behind our unchecked consumption, Pierre-Louis ultimately advocates for adopting an alternative system that doesn’t pit “our short-term well-being against our long term survival.”  In honor of Earth Day, we recently spoke to Ms. Pierre-Louis via email about nature in New York City, the “IKEA effect,” alternative economies, the importance of community engagement, and how she plans to celebrate today.

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An Interview with 'The Family Fang' author Kevin Wilson

February 16, 2012

“The Family Fang” author Kevin Wilson

Kevin Wilson has the book world buzzing for a reason.  A pair of them, actually.  Back in 2009, the Tennessee native hit the lit scene with Tunneling to the Center of the Earth, an artful, mischievous short-story collection that nabbed him a 2010 Alex Award.  Now Wilson is back with his first novel The Family Fang, and the critics are raving.  Comic, tragic, and endlessly inventive, The Family Fang tells the madcap tale of siblings Annie and Buster as they return to their childhood home after years spent avoiding their performance artist parents Caleb and Camille.  For Annie – a movie actress shamed by an Internet nudity scandal – and Buster – a novelist nearly brained in a potato gun mishap – their reluctant homecoming is born from a desperate need to nurse their wounds in seclusion.  Their parents, however, couldn’t be happier to have them back.  After years of casting their kids as the stars in their Candid Camera-style stunts, Caleb and Camille have plans for one final family performance that might not actually be a performance at all.  Named a Top Ten Book of 2011 by TIME Magazine, Esquire, and Booklist, The Family Fang has been described by Ann Patchett as “a tour-de-force examination of what it means to make art and survive your family… I have never seen anything like it before.  The best single word description would be genius.”  Mr. Wilson recently spoke with us via email about the positive response to The Family Fang, novels vs. short stories, the tricky business of parenting, “true” art, Nicole Kidman as Camille Fang, and, of course, potato guns.

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An Interview with Martha Meyer

December 30, 2011

Martha Meyer is a local photographer, business owner, and the latest artist to be featured in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL.  Her show – titled Grecian Spring, Italian Summer – is currently on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch where it invites you to slow down and appreciate the world’s beauty with a radiant photographic series captured during a recent trip abroad.  You can warm your winter days with Grecian Spring, Italian Summer through January 5th, and after that, you can learn more about Ms. Meyer’s work by visiting her Fotogiardino website. We recently spoke with Ms. Meyer via email about her artistic inspirations, taking “pretty” pictures, and the blessing that is Lake Michigan. Continue reading “An Interview with Martha Meyer” →

An Interview with Cameron McWhirter

November 26, 2011

Cameron McWhirter is a Winnetka native and a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal.  In 2007, he was awarded a Nieman Fellowship in Journalism at Harvard University where he began work on his first book Red Summer: The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America.  Published in July, this well-researched history chronicles the explosion of race riots and lynchings that followed World War I and shook American cities from Charleston and Washington D.C. to Chicago and Omaha.  Both riveting and unsettling, Red Summer traces how this widespread violence gave rise to the NAACP and ultimately set the stage for the civil rights movement.  On October 16th Mr. McWhirter visited EPL to read from Red Summer, and as an encore, he recently spoke with us via email about the reaction to his book, the complex causes of 1919’s racial violence, why this important episode in American history has been is so widely forgotten, and what he hopes readers will take away from Red Summer.

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