Illinois Libraries Present

An Evening with James McBride 
Tuesday, February 4, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. 
Join us on Zoom. 

Illinois Libraries Present James McBride, an award-winning author, musician, and screenwriter. His landmark memoir, The Color of Water, was published in 1996 and is considered an American classic, read in schools and universities across the United States. His 2013 novel, The Good Lord Bird, won the National Book Award for Fiction and was adapted by Ethan Hawke and Jason Blum into a Showtime series bearing the same name. His latest, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, was named one of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2023. 

In 2016, President Obama awarded McBride the National Humanities Medal "for humanizing the complexities of discussing race in America. Through writings about his own uniquely American story, and his works of fiction informed by our shared history, his moving stories of love display the character of the American family." In 2024 he became the latest recipient of the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. A native New Yorker, McBride is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University. 

Heather Marie-Montlilla of PBS Books will join McBride in conversation. 

Slowing Down with Amy Tan 
Wednesday, February 19, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. 
Join us on Zoom. 

National Humanities Medal winner and bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan joins us to share on her body of work and reflect on the wonder of slowing down and savoring the quiet moments. Her connection to nature is captured in her latest, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, a collection of sketches and essays which debuted at #1 on both the New York Times and the Indie bestseller list. 

Born in the U.S. to immigrant parents from China, Tan’s first bestselling novel, The Joy Luck Club, offered a look at the immigration experience from the perspective of mothers and daughters. Other New York Times best-sellers followed, including The Kitchen God’s Wife, The Hundred Secret Senses, The Bonesetter’s Daughter, Saving Fish from Drowning, and The Valley of Amazement. Tan is also the author of two children’s books, a memoir, and other works. In keeping with her love of science and childhood love of doodling, she recently took up nature journal sketching. When she found herself overwhelmed by our increasingly divisive culture, she turned to nature and the world of bird life outside her own window. 

These events are made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). 

ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility. To request accommodations, please email illinoislibrariespresent@gmail.com.

Exploring Space with Coralie Adam  
Tuesday, March 4 , 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.    

Documentary Screening: 9to5: The Story of a Movement  
March 21 – 23    

The Art of Foraging with Alexis Nikole Nelson  
Wednesday, April 10, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.    

Art and Adventures with Author/Illustrator Dan Santat (Youth Program)  
Saturday, May 3, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.   

Poverty: A Discussion with Matthew Desmond  
Thursday, May 15, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.  

These events are made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events.