On Thursday, December 17th, 2020, we talked with artist and bookbinder Sylvia Ramos Alotta. Sylvia Ramos Alotta began her classical training in drawing and painting at age of eight. Her first teacher was an artist who fled Budapest to come to America during WWII.
Read moreEp. 34: Riva Lehrer
On December 10th, 2020, we spoke with artist and author Riva Lehrer! Ms. Lehrer is an artist, writer and curator who focuses on the socially challenged body. She is best known for representations of people whose physical embodiment, sexuality, or gender identity have long been stigmatized.
Read moreEp. 33: Pamela Paulsrud
On December 3rd, 2020, we visited with artist, calligrapher, and paper maker Pam Paulsrud. Through her investigation into the concept and process of handwriting, Ms. Paulsrud became intrigued with the ability to communicate beyond the message encoded in the text.
Read moreEp. 32: Betsy Bird
On November 19th, 2020, we spoke with writer and librarian Betsy Bird! Ms. Bird was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, which is a town that's not too big, not too small, not too fast, and not too slow.
Read moreEp. 31: Toya Wolfe
On November 12th, we spoke with writer Toya Wolfe! Toya Wolfe was born and raised in the (now demolished) Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago’s South Side. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago with a Dwight W. Follett Merit Award.
Read moreEp. 30: Trish Shepard
On November 5th, 2020, we spoke with the ever intrepid artist and bookmobile proprietor Trish Shepard! Ms. Shepard began to make handmade paper at Seastone Papers, on Martha’s Vineyard in the late 1990’s.
Read moreEp. 29: Juan Martinez
On October 29, 2020 we spoke with writer Juan Martinez! Mr. Martinez is the author of Best Worst American, a story collection published by Small Beer Press and the inaugural winner of the Neukom Institute Award for Debut Speculative Fiction.
Read moreSpecial Edition Ep. 03: Pam Smy
For this Special Edition, Jamie Thome spoke with writer and illustrator Pam Smy. Ms. Smy has illustrated folktales, chapter books, nursery rhyme collections, picture books and novels.
Read moreEp. 28: Landis Blair
Mr. Blair is the author and illustrator of The Envious Siblings: and Other Morbid Nursery Rhymes, as well as the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller From Here to Eternity and the graphic novel The Hunting Accident, which won Best in Adult Books at the Excellence in Graphic Literature awards.
Read moreEp. 27: Emil Ferris
On 15 October 2020, we talked with graphic novelist Emil Ferris! Emil grew up in pre-Urban Renewal Chicago at a time when Chicago was a down-at-the-heels, blue-collar palace where the silent picture stars of Essanay Studios still hobbled the streets of Uptown. Ferris gets a good portion of whatever strength or inspiration she has from the beauty and tenacity of this amazing city.
Read moreEp. 26: Andrea Dezsö
On 08 October 2020, we were so lucky to be able to have a conversation with visual artist Andrea Dezsö. Andrea Dezsö is a visual artist who works across a broad range of media including drawing, painting, artist's books, embroidery, cut paper, animation, sculpture, site-specific installation and public art.
Read moreEp. 25: Howard Simmons
On 01 October 2020, we kicked off ABH's first annual A House, Haunted month with writer Howard Simmons. Howard completed his MFA at Columbia College Chicago. While in grad school, he co-founded Goreyesque, an online literary journal inspired by the art of Edward Gorey.
Read moreEp. 24: Maria Burke
On September 24, 2020, we talked with the ever-fascinating Maria Burke! Maria has been called an Entropy Fighter and a Professional Googler. In other words, she works as a librarian, which means (depending on whom you ask) she is either "someone [who] has integrity and pluck and has read a great many books in the hope of repairing the world," or a "hideous creature of unimaginable power." Perhaps both.
Read moreEp. 23: Beth Adler
On September 17th, we (virtually) visited the Evanston studio of artist Beth Adler! During this Quarantour, Ms. Adler, Evanston-based designer/ printmaker/ book artist, presented the work she has done during the last six months during the time of the pandemic.
Read moreEp. 22: Liese Ricketts
On September 10th, we talked with visual artist Liese Ricketts. Liese Ricketts is an artistic Jackie-of-Many-Trades. After earning an MFA from SAIC, she pursued her own photographic work as she taught photo at the Lab Schools at the University of Chicago for 26 years.
Read moreEp. 21: Melissa Blount
On September 3rd, we be talked with writer and artist (and psychologist) Melissa Blount. Melissa Blount is a licensed clinical psychologist, writer, and artist who creates textile art and quilts exploring the notions of trauma and white supremacy.
Read moreEp. 20: Khanisha Foster
On 27 August 2020, we spoke with writer Khanisha Foster. Ms. Foster, as a 2017 Fox Fellow, completed a two-year study of the multiracial voice and code-switching on page, stage, and screen.
Read moreEp. 19 : Todd Summar
On 20 August 2020, we spoke with writer and editor Todd Summar! Todd Summar writes novels, short stories, and essays.
Read moreEp. 18 : Krenice Roseman
On 13 August 2020, we spoke with Krenice Roseman, of Young, Black & Lit, one of our favorite literacy organizations!
Read moreEp. 17 : Mark Remy
On 06 August, 2020, we spoke to writer and satirist Mark Remy.
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