Russell J. Archives - Page 10 of 12 - Evanston Public Library

An Interview with Pamela Ferdinand

March 5, 2011

pamferdinand — "Three Wishes" author Pamela Ferdinand

Pamela Ferdinand is an award-winning journalist who covered breaking news for The Boston Globe, Miami Herald, and Washington Post for over a decade. She is a former adjunct journalism professor at Boston University, has written on wide-ranging topics for The Economist and National Geographic News, and most recently, co-authored the empowering memoir Three Wishes: A True Story of Good Friends, Crushing Heartbreak, and Astonishing Luck on Our Way to Love and Motherhood. Picked as a “Tome of the Brave” by Oprah’s O Magazine, Three Wishes is the candid, braided story of how Ferdinand and friends Carey Goldberg and Beth Jones sought their dreams of motherhood with the help of eight shared vials of donor sperm rather than waiting for Prince Charming to arrive. With the talisman of Donor 8282, the trio soon found unexpected luck and love while navigating the compromises and complications inherent in becoming mothers. On Sunday, March 13th, you can hear Ms. Ferdinand read from Three Wishes when she visits EPL’s 1st Floor Community Meeting Room at 2 p.m. along with fellow local authors Christine Sneed and Suzanne Clores. In anticipation of her visit, we recently spoke with her via email about appearing on the Today show, the realities of motherhood, her enduring friendship with Goldberg and Jones, and Three Wishes going to Hollywood .

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A Talk with the Artists of ‘Thursdays with Leslie’

February 19, 2011

Thursdays with Leslie is an impressive collaborative exhibition by ten talented painters from the Noyes Cultural Art Center and the latest show in our popular Local Art @ EPL series. Currently on display through February 28th on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch, Thursdays with Leslie features an ecclectic mix of watercolor, oil, and pastel works created by the skilled students of instructor Leslie Hirshfield. I recently spoke with many of the Thursdays with Leslie artists via email about their artistic backgrounds, experiences at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, and impressions of the Chicagoland art scene.

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An Interview with Rebecca Janowitz

January 20, 2011

Rebecca Janowitz is a lawyer, committed public servant, and the author of the fascinating new book Culture of Opportunity: Obama’s Chicago – The People, Politics, and Ideas of Hyde Park. Written from her informed perspective as a long-time community insider, her book is an engaging exploration of how Hyde Park’s unique blend of independent politics, social activism, and racial diversity has helped nurture the careers of such politicans as Barack Obama, Harold Washington, and Toni Preckwinkle. On Sunday, January 23rd, you can hear Ms. Janowitz read from Culture of Opportunity when she visits EPL’s 1st Floor Community Meeting Room at 3 p.m. In anticipation of her visit, we recently spoke with her via email about her life in Hyde Park, Chicago’s mayoral race, Hyde Park’s relationship with the University of Chicago, and the future challenges the neighborhood must face .

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An Interview with Zuleyka Benitez

December 29, 2010

Zuleyka Benitez is a local painter, business owner, and the latest artist to be featured in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. Her show – titled Narrative Interiors – is currently on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch where you can catch it through the beginning of January. For Narrative Interiors, Ms. Benitez combined images from existing art works, historical magazines and postcards, and other found objects into gouache paintings highlighted with watercolor and pencil. Reminiscent of stage sets or studio photographs, her paintings feature minute, “seemingly decorative elements” that are intended as clues for adding complexity to a viewing experience that unfolds like the plot of a good book. I recently spoke with Ms. Benitez via email about her European childhood, her painting “Hair Club for Men,” and her experience as an artist in Evanston.

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An Interview with Adam Ross

December 16, 2010

"Mr. Peanut" author Adam Ross (Photo © Michael Lionstar)

Adam Ross has had quite a year. Back in June, the Nashville-based author saw his powerful debut novel Mr. Peanut published to rave reviews after months of increasing word-of-mouth buzz. Inventive and deeply moving, Mr. Peanut tells the unsettling tale of David Pepin, a video game designer and wannabe novelist who fantasizes continuously about killing his wife Alice. When Alice turns up dead, David becomes the prime suspect of Det. Ward Hastroll and Det. Sam Sheppard, investigators who have personal experience with marital problems and murder. As the mesmerizing mystery unfolds, Mr. Peanut deftly explores “the proximity of violence and love” in what Stephen King called the “most riveting look at the dark side of marriage since Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Named a 2010 NY Times Notable Book, Mr. Peanut was shortlisted for the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize and has earned Mr. Ross praise as an eloquent and original new voice. Mr. Ross recently spoke with us via email about the positive response to Mr. Peanut, Hitchcock films, the art of M.C. Escher, marriage, and his upcoming short story collection Ladies and Gentlemen.

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Rockin’ Down Memory Lane

December 3, 2010

keith — Sample the audiobook read by actor Johnny Depp.

He’s a songwriter, lead guitarist, and founding member of the legendary rock band the Rolling Stones. He’s an outlaw folk hero, a pirate hipster, and arguably the originator of the decadent “rock ‘n’ roll” lifestyle. He’s Keith Richards, and it should come as no surprise that everyone is clamoring for a copy of his long-awaited memoir Life. In fact, given Richards’ penchant for death-defying excess, Life’s most surprising characteristic might be that it’s much more than just a gossipy showbiz tell-all. Sure, the juicy bits are all there: the drug busts, the infamous Altamont show, his rocky relationship with Mick Jagger. But, as the NY Times writes, Life is also “a high-def, high-velocity portrait of the era when rock ‘n’ roll came of age…, an eye-opening all-nighter in the studio with a master craftsman…, and the intimate and moving story of one man’s long strange trip over the decades.” So, if you want to raise a little vicarious rock ‘n’ roll hell, know the secrets of the Stones, and glimpse some music magic, look no further than Keith Richards’ uncommonly candid new book Life. If you find, however, that this literary concert is temporarily sold out, please don’t be discouraged. Any of the following critically-acclaimed music memoirs are a great way to pass the time while you wait for Mr. Richards to take the stage.

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An Interview with John Sevigny

November 13, 2010

John Sevigny is a photographer, writer, activist, and the latest artist to be featured in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. His show – titled Nomads – is currently on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch where it defiantly dismisses immigration stereotypes in an affectingly intimate photographic series. You can catch Nomads through the end of November, and after that, you can learn more about Mr. Sevigny’s photography and future projects at his website and on his Gone City blog. I recently spoke with Mr. Sevigny via email about Spanish Baroque painting, social justice, innocent male wanderlust, and his forthcoming book El Muerto Pare el Santo.

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A Street Well Traveled

November 7, 2010

Chances are good you’ve been there before. It’s a place where the days are sunny, the air is sweet, and the friendly neighbors are on a first-name basis with everyone they meet. The place is Sesame Street, and this month the PBS phenomenon celebrates its 41st year of educating and entertaining children of all ages.

The show’s story is really quite remarkable. Conceived around a Manhattan dinner table in late 1966, Sesame Street debuted on November 10, 1969 with the lofty goal of harnessing television’s then untapped potential to teach kids. With Jim Henson’s Muppets center stage, children nationwide were soon laughing out loud while they learned about letters, numbers, self-respect, and fair play. But kids weren’t the only ones having a good time. Part of the reason that Sesame Street currently airs in 140 countries and is viewed by 6 million American preschoolers each week lies in its extraordinary ability to entertain children and adults simultaneously. The show’s genius is that it can use a Muppet spoof of Mad Men to teach about emotions while getting parents and kids laughing for completely different reasons. So celebrate the anniversary of this revolutionary program by taking a behind-the-scenes tour through its history with the following books and DVD’s. And, as a special birthday treat, don’t miss the video clips of Mad Men and True Blood done Sesame Street style.

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A Great Time to be a Zombie

October 30, 2010

Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be a zombie these days. With a single-mindedness that only an animated corpse could muster, the zombies have recently risen from the grave to enjoy unprecedented heights of popularity. But even as they rub rotting elbows with the “beautiful people,” the zombies have always managed to stay true to their rancid, flesh-eating roots. Sure, they’ve experimented a little on their way to the top. They’ve dipped a gangrenous toe into classic literature, played slapstick for laughs, and even done a bit of thrilling song and dance. But the bottom line is that the zombies have earned their stardom by remaining committed to doing what zombies do best. Namely, they’ve doubled and redoubled their efforts to scare you snotless, and let’s face it, you’ve got to respect their work ethic even as you run screaming from their lurching pursuit. So this Halloween celebrate the Year of the Zombie with a book that captures all of their consistent creepiness. In each of the following gory reads, you’ll thank the zombies for keeping it real… real scary.

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