This program will be held in-person at the Newberry and livestreamed on Zoom. The online version of this event will be live captioned. Registration for the in-person program is is not required, but sign up below to receive event updates. Registration in advance is required for the livestream.
Join us as we kick off our fall programming season with Chicago Storytelling—a celebration of the Windy City featuring a series of storytellers, a chance to view items from the Newberry’s collections, and the presentation of the 2024 Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award at the Newberry Library.
Program Schedule
Legendary Chicago journalist Rick Kogan will emcee the event.
1:30pm: Welcome
1:40pm: Storytellers
- Aaron Golding
- Annie Howard
- Showtime Shanna
- Jim Harvey
2:45pm: Performance by Joel Hall Dancers
Unapologetically diverse and inclusive since its founding in 1974, Joel Hall Dancers & Center highlights and spotlights the Black experience through dance. Joel Hall and Joseph Ehrenberg founded the company to provide opportunities for gay Black and Brown dancers and choreographers to gain visibility. From that work grew a multiethnic and inclusive dance company which inspired the creation of Urban Jazz, a unique Jazz dance vocabulary developed by Hall here in Chicago and recognized internationally for its blend of Classical Western techniques with Jazz, African, House, Street, and Club influences. While holding the highest standards of excellence, Joel Hall Dancers & Center uses dance to dismantle oppressive systems, amplify BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices, and cultivate a better world for all. JHDC rejects the idea that high-quality artistic programming should be a privilege; at JHDC, this level of programming is a right. Moreover, this programming is a tool for community building, fostering creativity, and empowering each person’s unique sense of self.
3pm: Presentation of The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award at the Newberry Library
The 2024 Pattis Book Award will be presented to Thomas Leslie for his new book, Chicago Skyscrapers, 1934-1986: How Technology, Politics, Finance, and Race Reshaped the City. We will also recognize John William Nelson as the shortlist award recipient for authoring Muddy Ground: Native Peoples, Chicago's Portage, and the Transformation of a Continent.
Copies of both titles will be available to purchase, and the authors will sign books after the program.
Collection Presentation
Come face-to-face with items from the Newberry’s collections related to the history of Chicago. Engage with curators and librarians to learn about our vast holdings and how you can explore the archive.
Items will be on display from 1:30 to 4pm.
Exhibitions
Two free Newberry exhibitions will be on view during Chicago Storytelling.
Chicago Style: Mike Royko and Windy City Journalism investigates shifts in the journalistic landscape of Chicago through the lens of famed newspaper man Mike Royko.
Indigenous Chicago examines how Chicago is—and always has been—an Indigenous place. The exhibition highlights more than five hundred years of history on the land now known as Chicago, by centering Indigenous voices.
Exhibitions galleries will be open from 10am to 5pm.
Community Partners
Visit our partners' tables to learn more about the good work they are doing.
Check back for more cultural organizations!
Sponsors
Chicago Storytelling is cosponsored by The Pattis Family Foundation and the Chicago Free For All Fund at The Chicago Community Trust.
Cost and Registration
This program is free and open to all. Registration for the in-person program is is not required, but sign up to receive event updates. Registration in advance is required for the livestream.
Support the Newberry
Your generosity is vital in keeping the library’s programs, exhibitions, and reading rooms free and accessible to everyone.
Past Public Programs
Check out video recordings of past Newberry public programs on our YouTube channel.
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