Author Donna Seaman: River of Books

Chicago author Donna Seaman appears in conversation with fellow local author Alex Kotlowitz to discuss Seaman's new book, River Of Books.With the infectious curiosity of an inveterate bibliophile and the prose of a fine stylist, Donna Seaman charts the course of her early reading years in a book-by-book chronicle of the significance books have held in her life. River of Books recounts Seaman's journey in becoming an editor at Booklist, a reviewer, an author, and a literary citizen. Seaman makes palpable the power and self-recognition that she discovered in a life dedicated to reading.Donna Seaman is the Editor for Adult Books at Booklist, a member of the Content Leadership Team for the American Writers Museum, an adjunct professor for Northwestern University's Graduate Creative Writing Program, School of Professional Studies, and a recipient of the Louis Shores Award for excellence in book reviewing, the James Friend Memorial Award for Literary Criticism and the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award. Seaman created the anthology In Our Nature; her author interviews are collected in Writers on the Air, and she is the author of Identity Unknown. Moderator Alex Kotlowitz is the author of four books, including his most recent, An American Summer, which received the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize. His first book, the national bestseller There Are No Children Here, was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the 150 most important books of the twentieth century. The Other Side of the River received The Chicago Tribune's Heartland Prize for Nonfiction. Alex's work has regularly appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine and on This American Life. His documentary work includes The Interrupters, for which he received a Film Independent Spirit Award and an Emmy. His other honors include two Peabodys, a George Polk Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, the Harold Washington Literary Award and the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Alex is a professor at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. How to Attend:Doors to the Auditorium open at 5:30 p.m., and seating is first come, first served (350 capacity). Books are available for purchase and the author will autograph books at the conclusion of the program.This event will also take place live on CPL's YouTube channel and CPL's Facebook page. You'll be able to ask questions during the event as well! Can't make it to the live stream? We'll archive the video on YouTube to watch later. Accessibility: Need sign language interpretation or other accessibility assistance for this event? Please call (312) 747-8184 or email access@chipublib.org to request accommodations. Requests must be made at least 14 business days before the event.

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