Category: books

  • Kevin Coval Performs Poetry From L-Vis Lives!: Racemusic Poems

    Spoken-word poet Kevin Coval, co-founder and Artistic Director of Louder Than a Bomb: The Chicago Youth Poetry Festival, will perform at Quimby’s in support of his third collection of poetry L-vis Lives! Racemusic Poems (Haymarket Books, September).

    Coval, who has been hailed as “a new glowing voice in the world of literature” by Studs Terkel, explores the dynamic intersection of race and culture in America today with “L-vis,” an imagined persona and pastiche of artists who have used and misused Black music. In Coval’s poetic novella, L-vis’s story is equal parts autobiography and forgotten and re-imagined history. We see shades of Elvis Presley, the Beastie Boys, and Eminem, and meet some of history’s more obscure “whiteboy” heroes and antiheroes. A free audio preview of L-vis Lives!, with poems read by Coval and beats by Coolout Chris, can be heard here: http://bit.ly/oXSIxZ
    “This book is bold, brave and morally messy – twelve rounds of knock-down, drag-out shadowboxing against a shapeshifter. The dark humor, intellectual fervor, and emotional rigor Coval brings to bear animates these pieces, turns caricatures to characters…”
    —Adam Mansbach, author, Go the F**k to Sleep

    For performance, interview, and review requests, contact: Jon Kurinsky, Haymarket Books, jon@haymarketbooks.org

    Wed, Oct 12th, 7pm

    from hero to most
    i am a hero
    to most. the great hope
    of something other.
    a complex back-story.
    something other than
    the business of my father.
    bland’s antonym.
    jim crow’s black sheep.
    the forgotten son
    left to rise in the darkness
    among the dis
    carded in the wild
    of working class, single
    mother hoods.

  • Todd Dills and Friends Celebrate All Hands On: THE2NDHAND After 10 on 10/3

    THE2NDHAND’s founding editor, Todd Dills, joins contributors to launch the mag’s 10th-anniversary anthology: All Hands On: THE2NDHAND After 10

    THE2NDHAND began its life as an 11-by-17-inch block of black text on white paper peppered variously with photo-illustrations, comics, line drawings and distributed in storefronts first in Chicago, then in an ever-growing list of cities around the U.S. New writing, simply, has been its focus since editor and publisher Todd Dills (author of the novel Sons of the Rapture) founded it in 2000—a small format its physicality, but a loud mouth and a big heart its most important parts.

    “And without Quimby’s, where we began hosting readings shortly after we launched,” says Dills, “we would never have built the community of writers and readers we now enjoy.”

    After a successful Kickstarter campaign raised funds to print the book, All Hands On: THE2NDHAND after 10 arrived in August to lay down the best of the mag’s 10+ years of publishing writing by the budding insurgents of the American lit landscape—and others, no doubt. True to form, the book begins with a section of new, as-yet unpublished work, and follows with sections devoted to some of its best repeat writers, including those on the program for this event.

    Joining Nashville, Tenn.-based Dills at this event them are Time Out Chicago books editor and Featherproof Books publisher Jonathan Messinger (Hiding Out) and longtime THE2NDHAND contributors and Chicago residents Kate Duva and Jill Summers. For more about the book, as well as the writers, visit the2ndhand.com/THE2NDHANDTXT/books

  • Quimby's Podcast Episode #4 is up!

    This episode features a discussion with Jon Kristiansen and Tara G. Warrior talking about Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries (Bazillion Points Publishers). Jon started it in Norway in 1985 and put out 20 issues over the span of 25 years. The zine covered a variety of extreme metal bands, including Emperor, Slayer, Kreator, Nihilist, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Cathedral, Entombed, Morbid, Napalm Death, and more. The Onion AV club called Slayer zine founder Jon Kristiansen “one of the best primary sources for facts and stories about Mayhem, Varg, and what really happened back in the day.” The Chicago Reader called this book “a chronicle of death and black metal at their births but also a personal coming-of-age story.” It’s an awesome 744 page hardcover with tons of pictures and reproduction pages from every issue, and there’s even material from the precursor Live Wire zine. It’s also part memoir. Co-editor Tara interviewed Jon all about his experiences with the zine, and then together they decided what to include.

    Yes, we have Metalion: The Slayer Mag at Quimby’s. It is $39.95. You can come and get in the store or order it here on line!

    Jon and Tara were at Quimby’s for a Chicago release event for the book on 6/8/11. But we conducted this interview in our dark and creepy basement beforehand.

    You can listen to all our podcasts quimbys.podbean.com either streaming live or in downloadable formats. Or you can click on the link there to get it on I-Tunes. Or you can just look up Quimby’s Bookstore Podcast on I-Tunes and subscribe to us there.

  • Christopher Boucher reads from How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive with Adam Levin (The Instructions) 8/24

    By the time Christopher Boucher reaches Chicago he will have driven nearly 3,000 miles across America in his 1972 Volkswagen Beetle, reading from How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive, playing the novel’s theme-song on his banjo, and reading to people, roadsigns, potholes, old barns, paramedics, flowers and railroad tracks. “I see this tour as a natural extension of the book,” he says. “The novel was written in a whimsical, playful style, but it was inspired by…my father, and the sense of wonder that he instilled in me.  That sense of wonder propelled every sentence in the book, and I want it to fuel the tour as well.”

    In How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive Christopher Boucher has created a zany literary universe, a place where metaphors shift beneath your feet, familiar words assume new meanings, objects talk, trees attack, and time actually is money. Modeled on the cult classic 1969 hippie handbook of the same name, How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive is an astonishing tour-de-force that calls to mind the off-kilter comedy and inspired fabulism of Richard Brautigan, Kurt Vonnegut, and George Saunders. The prose summersaults, but the book also tackles some of life’s biggest questions: How do you cope with losing a parent? What’s the secret to raising a child? How do you keep love alive? How do you get your car to start?

    “Writing to save your life—and your 1971 Volkswagen—is at the heart of this wildly imaginative debut… Readers are in for a fresh, memorable ride with this inventive ‘collage of loss’”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

    “A new, exuberant novel-world. Goofiness and grief are in perfect harmony in this impressive, moving debut.”—Sam Lipsyte

    Also joining the bill is Chicago author Adam Levin, author of The Instructions (McSweeney’s).

    More info: mhpbooks.com vwalive.com theboucher.com mcsweeneys.net

    Wed, August 24th, 7pm

  • Heather Augustyn Reads From Ska: An Oral History 7/9

    Ska: An Oral History, with a foreword by Cedella Marley, is the story of ska music, told through the words and narratives of those who invented it. In Jamaica, and later in England, this music defined the culture and social conditions of the people. Through the words of their songs, the uplifting rhythm of their vivacious tunes, and the character and skill of each musician, ska music was the foundation for musical forms and the musicians that evolved. Hearing first-hand the stories of these tumultuous times, these creative times, the story of ska music is finally told by those who were there.

    Heather Augustyn spent over a decade interviewing ska artists and musicians and researching the music and culture of Jamaica and England. Included in her book are never-before heard words from such greats as The Skatalites’ Doreen Schaeffer, Roland Alphonso, Lloyd Brevett, Lloyd Knibb, and Lester Sterling; Derrick Morgan and Patsy (Millicent Todd); Lyn Taitt; Laurel Aitken; Toots Hibbert; Millie Small; Alex Hughes (Judge Dread); The Specials’ Roddy Byers (Roddy Radiation); The Beat’s Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger; The Selecter’s Pauline Black; Lee “Kix” Thompson of Madness; Buster Bloodvessel of Bad Manners; Fishbone’s Dr. Madd Vibe (Angelo Moore); The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Dicky Barrett; Bucket of The Toasters; Tony Kanal of No Doubt; as well as many others.

    Augustyn has been a correspondent for The Times of Northwest Indiana, the state’s second largest newspaper, since 2004. She is also contributing editor for Shore Magazine. She has written for a variety of national publications, such as The Village Voice, In These Times, The Humanist, and World Watch Magazine. She was the last person to interview legendary novelist Kurt Vonnegut before his death in 2007. She lives in Chesterton, Ind. with her husband, Ron, and their two boys.

    For more info about Heather Augustyn see skabook.com

    Sat, July 9th, 7pm

  • The Beat Cop's Guide to Chicago Eats Release Event 6/14

    Join Sgt. David J. Haynes of the Chicago Police Department, and his partner-in-crime, blogger Christopher Garlington on Tues, June 14th at 7pm as they talk about the places where they take a bite out of crime and also bites out of donuts, polish sausage, fried chicken, enchiladas, and omelettes. Peppered with outrageous stories from working cops, Chicago cop lore, and even a few recipes, The Beat Cop’s Guide To Chicago Eats takes you on a gustatory journey through all five Chicago areas, including some of the toughest neighborhoods in the nation.

    Sgt. David J. Biscuit Haynes has spent the past 15 years dodging bullets and chasing down gang bangers on the city’s West Side, running Chicago’s first ever Homeland Security Task Force, and supervising squads in the 19th District at Belmont and Western.  Christopher “The Bull” Garlington is a blogger and author, known for his stories of raising highly intelligent (devious) children published on the blog Death by Children. His writing has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Another Realm, Bathhouse, The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature and more. Together Haynes and Garlington have hosted the radio program The Dave & Chris Show! since 2007, during which they cultivate and maintain a long-standing argument about…everything. From politics and video games to the importance of cool nicknames and secret societies, they cover it on their live weekly broadcast from cigar stores, bars, and other manly locales around Chicago. Their show first aired on WJJG and is now broadcast online on blogtalk radio.

    The book retails at $15.95 and includes $34 in coupons. It’s like being buddies with your alderman. For more info: lakeclaremont.com

  • ‘Dear Sweetness’ Book Release Event With Dan Gleason and Friends 5/21

    We’re going to scintillate your titillations!  This reading will celebrate the global/interplanetary release of ‘Dear Sweetness- Dan Gleason’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 3’ and will feature the Great Mike McPadden (aka El McBeardo), noted diarist Grace LaPeruto, Gabriel Wallace, author of the Great Sheboygan Panty Raid of 18977, Gregory Jacobsen – he of the long flowing locks- and the late Marc Arcuri! Be there!

    This event will mark the release of Dan Gleason’s third compilation of short stories. Mr. Gleason has sold his weirdo zines at Quimby’s for well over a decade now.  Marc Arcuri, of Safety Pin and English Softhearts fame, will sing his songs of whoa.  Grace LaPeruto will recite excerpts from her diaries, and Gregory Jacobsen- former front man of Lovely Little Girls and painter extraordinaire- will punish the audience with a barrage of high-pitched screams.  Gabriel Wallace shall read his odd poetry, and Mike McPadden, Head Writer for Mr. Skin, will deliver the follow-up to his epic tale d’amor (and the torture that that amor can bring) ‘Madonna Boots.’

    Saturday, May 21st, 7:00 pm

  • Calling All Nerdy Sluts & Slutty Nerds: Shappy Seasholtz & Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz Read at Quimbys

    Poets Shappy Seasholtz and Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz have had a pretty incredible last few months. In August, they left New York City (their home for the eight years) to move to Philadelphia, where Aptowicz had been awarded the 2010-2011 ArtsEdge Writer-in-Residency at the University of Pennsylvania– the first time that the honor had been given to a slam poet.

    In October 2010, Seasholtz won the slot to represent Philadelphia at the Individual World Poetry Slam Championships, where he competed in December, placing in the top 10 after the first night of competition. In November 2010, it was announced that Aptowicz had been awarded a 2011 National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship for Poetry. And in 2011, a combined total of five books of poetry – covering the couple’s compete back catalogue – are being released on two separate independent presses.

    Shappy Seasholtz’s Spoken Nerd Revolution (Pennmanship Books, 2011) covers Seasholtz’s 20 year history in Performance Poetry. Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz’s Hot Teen Slut – her memoir-in-verse about the year she spent as a writer for porn – is one of four books by Cristin being re-issued in expanded editions by Write Bloody Publishing..

    “Reading Spoken Nerd Revolution was like looking in a fun house mirror, letting us laugh at and relish in our own oddity.  He makes nerd beautiful. Shappy pees on the shoes of the accepted poetic stereotypes.  He’s not writing the verses that will be dissected into eulogies and greeting cards, or blasted atop break beats until the meaning is lost.   These are real words, from a hilariously cynical and sincere person.  Everyone needs a Shappy in their life..” – John Hancock, The Legendary

    “When Aptowicz graduated from college, she got a job as porn editor. Hot Teen Slut are the poems she wrote about that time. The poems are as much about that first foray into the real world as they are about the day-to-day life of a porn editor. They are funny and painful and funny. I understand that what I’m about to say might seem a little nuts to poetry pros, but I’m going to say it anyway: I have found the greatest book of poetry ever written.” – Melissa Lion, Bookslut

    Quimbys is proud to be welcoming Shaptowicz back! Special guests and refreshments will be provided!

    For more info: uncleshappy.com and aptowicz.com

    Sat, Apr 16th, 7pm

  • Sean Yseult from White Zombie Reads From I’m In The Band 4/4

    Art rock? Noise rock? Punk-metal? Alternative? White Zombie may have been unclassifiable, but it didn’t stop them from carving out a place for themselves in music history. The band became a multi-platinum, two-time Grammy nominee with the release of their 1992 album, La Sexorcisto. But while most people will remember their bizarre look and macabre lyrics, what many failed to realize was that their lanky, high-octane bass player was a woman.

    I’m in the Band charts White Zombie’s rise from the gritty music scene of New York’s Lower East Side in the eighties to arena headliners during the nineties alternative-explosion that followed in Nirvana’s wake, while sharing the unlikely story of a female musician who won the respect and adoration of male metal musicians and fans. From 1985 to 1996, Sean Yseult was the sole woman not only in White Zombie, but in the entire metal scene: bands, roadies, managers, you name it—with the exception of girlfriends and groupies, Yseult was in a world by herself.

    With I’m in the Band, Yseult combines eleven years of tour diaries, flyers, and personal photos and ephemera—many featuring rock icons such as Lemmy Kilmister, Iggy Pop, Joey Ramone, and Lux Interior—into a striking visual memoir. She offers fans a unique vantage on the life of a mega-band during rock’s last golden age.

    Sean Yseult played bass and wrote music for White Zombie from its inception in 1985 through its breakup over a decade later. Since then she’s played with Famous Monsters, Rock City Morgue, and The Cramps; exhibited her photography in galleries across the country; and formed the design company Yseult Designs. She divides her time between New Orleans and New York City.

    “This book has more good stories than a salty old sailor:  tattoos, evil deeds and alcohol breath included!”
    -CJ Ramone, The Ramones

    For more info: seanyseult.com

    Monday, April 4th, 7pm

    ********************

    Tuesday, April 5th, 9pm

    And then the next night, April 5th, we’ll be selling books at Delilah’s where Sean will  be guest DJing!

    Metal Shop at Delilahs, Chicago’s longest-running metal DJ event, is excited to announce that on Tuesday April 5th, former WHITE ZOMBIE bassist SEAN YSEULT will guest DJ! Sean Yseult and DJ Platz will also have rare White Zombie items to giveaway, along with 5 hours of the best in new and classic metal and hard rock!

    Delilahs
    2771 N. Lincoln Avenue. Chicago
    773-472-2771

    Metal Shop is from 9pm-2am, the first Tuesday of each month. As always, NO COVER.

    For more information:
    delilahschicago.com
    seanyseult.com


  • Borders Is bankrupt. So let us order the book you want.

    It’s true. With Borders crossing over into the border of being Border less we can still whatever book you want (if it’s in print and the distributors we go through have it).

    Like what, for example? Like this for example…

    The Renegade History of the United States

    by Thaddeus Russell

    This people’s history of ‘merican scoundrels, nogoodniks, misfits and criminals. This is the balls-to-the-wall version of the U.S. of A. you really do wish you learned about in school. A nice hardcover for only $27.00.