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Literary Circle Travels from Updike's America to Mao's China

 

NEWS RELEASE
September 16, 2002

For further information contact:
Judy Hoffman, 847/353-7137

The Library Community Foundation's seventh Literary Circle season boasts an impressive lineup of literary favorites who will share their view of the creative process from the hills of Tuscany to Mao's China to contemporary America. The lecture series, which begins on October 14, has provided $87,000 in special grants to libraries over the past six years.

Chicago Public Radio has signed on for a second year as a full season sponsor. WBEZ on-air personalities will emcee all four events. This year's hosts will be News Correspondent Tony Sarabia; News Director Robbie Harris; WBEZ's Stories on Stage Producer Kathe Telingator and Gretchen Helfrich, host of Odyssey. In addition to WBEZ, the underwriters for the series are Chicago Tribune, Barnes & Noble and Illinois Arts Council.

The series begins on Monday, October 14 with Frances Mayes, whose number one New York Times bestseller, Under the Tuscan Sun, remained on that list for over two years. It was followed by the memoir, Bella Tuscany, also an international best seller. Her first novel, Swan, set in Georgia, where she grew up, will be published in October 2002.

On November 19, Literary Circle patrons will be treated to a talk and reading by literary giant, John Updike. He has written poetry, children's literature and literary essays, and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Rabbit is Rich. In addition to being one of the most prolific contemporary American writers, the film rights for his books Couples and Witches of Eastwick have made him one of the most financially successful writers.

Anchee Min will recount life in China and the journey to America on January 27. Min's celebrated memoir, Red Azalea, described her life as a stanch party supporter of Mao's China. When she emigrated to the United State, Min spoke no English, but within ten years had published both a best-selling memoir and novel in her new native language. Her most recent novel, Wild Ginger, was published in April.

The season will wrap up on March 31 with U.S. Poet Laureate, Billy Collins. No poet since Robert Frost has managed the high critical acclaim and broad appeal as Billy Collins. His work has appeared in New Yorker, Paris Review, and American Scholar, and he is a Guggenheim fellow and New York Public Library "Literary Lion." Collins sees his poetry as "a form of travel writing" and considers humor "a door to the serious." His last three collections of poems have broken sales records for poetry.

All programs start at 7:30 p.m. and will be held at Glenbrook South High School, 4000 West Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois.

A series ticket for all four lectures can be purchased for $95 for general admission and $165 for patron tickets. Patron tickets offer preferred seating, and include an invitation to post-lecture receptions with the authors. Individual tickets are also now available. General admission - $25 each; Patron tickets - $48 each.

Frances Mayes will be the guest host for a special Tuscan dinner before her lecture on October 14. The Foundation fund raising event will take place at 5:00 p.m. at Phil Steffani's Tuscany at 550 S. Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling. Tickets are $100 per person.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Anne Johnson at (847) 353-7143. An order form and additional information is available on the Foundation Web site at www.librarycommunityfoundation.org.

Library Community Foundation seeks philanthropic support for library programs benefiting members of the North Suburban Library System, other Illinois libraries, and their patrons. The North Suburban Library System is an organization of over 650 academic, public, school and special libraries in the north and northwest Chicago suburbs. It is one of 12 library systems in Illinois, funded through the Illinois State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, Jesse White.