Ashley Bryan at Calvin College

Earlier this week, I drove up the coast to Grand Rapids, MI to watch Ashley Bryan give a presentation to a packed hall at the Festival of Faith & Writing at Calvin College. He spoke about the African American spirituals that run throughout his books for children, how the spirituals contain themes of positive self image to which all children can identify, and how a child's view of the world can be cultivated in adults. As usual, Ashley jumped from art to history to episodes of his personal story, including his time as a stevedore in the segregated army during the Normandy invasion. He closed with a particularly moving recitation of John Keats's "When I have Fears That I May Cease to Be" before a standing ovation. It's always an honor and a pleasure to be in the presence of this artist, and to see how much joy he finds in the world.

Photos © copyright 2016 by Elliot Mandel. All rights reserved.

Good writers, good wine

As an English major and photographer, I felt perfectly content photographing World Book Night at The Book Cellar.  Co-hosted by the Chicago Writers Conference and Chicago Women in Publishing, the event was part mixer, part reading, with a 100% Midwest feel.  Patricia Skalka read from her novel, Death Stalks Door County, about a former Chicago cop tracking a killer on the northern shores of Lake Michigan.  Then, in his soft Chicago accent, legendary author/lawyer Scott Turow read from his first novel, Presumed Innocent.  Turow talked about writing during his daily commute on the train, and marveled that his first book has sold more copies (25 million) than there are people living in Chicago.  Oh, and there was wine because The Book Cellar is good like that.  

Scott Turow reading from Presumed Innocent.

Patricia Skalka reads from her novel, Death Stalks Door County.

Book lovers. 

Scott Turow at The Book Cellar.