📚 Black booksellers and writers in Chicago

Plus: a close look at Haki Madhubuti - a name you should know. [View this email in your browser]( [READER Logo]( Daily Reader | February 9, 2024 It’s an exciting time in the world of Black-owned bookstores and literary organizations! [Semicolon Bookstore]( which had its grand opening in 2019, is a non-profit bookseller known for #ClearTheShelves - once a month, CPS students can take home whatever books they’d like free of charge. Owned and operated by DL Mullen, their [brick-and-mortar is currently closed]( but they’re excited to maintain a presence at pop-ups around the city and online until mid-August. Also unforgettable is [Da Book Joint]( created by owner Verlean Singletary, first launched in May of 2007. Their current home is in the Boxville marketplace in Bronzeville, and they particularly target young readers through events and a wide selection of books. Singletary’s nonprofit [Options for Literacy]( also raises funds to donate books to “underserved youth”. Finally, Block Club Chicago [recently reported]( that Call and Response Books, owned by Courtney Bledsoe, is on track to open a Hyde Park-area store in a few months. Tons of author talks, open mics, and other community events are planned for the space. Keep reading to hear about some exciting recent releases, plus a close look at author [Haki Madhubuti]( from the Reader archives. Enjoy! Maja Stachnik | Marketing Associate at the Reader [an older man in a suit standing in front of a book shelf]( [Haki Madhubuti has lived his life as an act of defiance]( August 2018 | And the 76-year-old educator, essayist, activist, and founder of Third World Press is as radical as ever. by [Patrick T. Reardon]( | [Read more]( → [Rediscovering Frank London Brown]( June 2023 | The short stories of Black Renaissance writer Frank London Brown offer a fascinating look at Chicagoans of all kinds. by [Reema Saleh]( | [Read more]( → [The mother of a movement]( July 2023 | Miss Major Speaks in powerful new book. by [H. Melt]( | [Read more]( → [Super Sad Black Girl plumbs the highs and lows of life]( January 2023 | Diamond Sharp’s debut poetry collection cuts as deeply as it heals. by [Atavia Reed]( | [Read more]( → [Prison health care, school vouchers, turmoil at Northwestern]( by [Shawn Mulcahy]( | [Read more]( → The Sit Down with Shawnee Dez On episode 2 of The Sit Down, host Shawnee Dez speak to Justus Cornelius Pugh about storytelling, what it means to adopt Afro-Transcendentalism as a lifelong practice, and the power of writing. With new episodes dropping twice a month, Shawnee has engaging conversations with the individuals who embody community, and help make this such a dynamic place to call home. [LISTEN TO EPISODE TWO OF THE SIT DOWN!]( Get the latest issue of the Chicago Reader Thursday, February 8, 2024 [READ ONLINE: VOL. 53, NO. 9]( [VIEW/DOWNLOAD ISSUE (PDF)]( [Become a member of the Chicago Reader.]( [Twitter icon]( [Facebook icon]( [Instagram icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( [YouTube icon]( [Website icon]( [Logo] You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from the Chicago Reader. Want fewer emails from us? [Click here to choose what you want us to send you](. Or, [unsubscribe from all Reader emails](. We’ll miss you! [Sign up for emails from the Chicago Reader]( | [Forward this e-mail to a friend]( © 2024 Chicago Reader. All rights reserved. Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616