All the Books are in the Basement!

It's a tight squeeze but the upstairs is empty and waiting for new floors!  Wish us luck!

BIG MOVE!

Well, all the books are safely packed away and today the movers are here to take our shelves and store them while we get all new floors.  Wish us well.

CLOSED for Re-Modeling until further notice

Dear after-words customers:

I am excited to announce the beginning of a new era here at after-words bookstore.

First the big news: We will be temporarily closing our doors for remodeling - effective at the close of business on February 1^st of this year.  We are re-configuring our space, and hope to be re-opened on March 1^st.

We are collaborating with SPACE by Doejo to welcome local creative types into a new kind of working environment. In order to make this collaboration a reality, we have a lot of work to do.  We are going to do it as fast as we can, but we also want to get it right.  So please bear with us until we can announce our plans for the grand re-opening. 

Here is the great news.  We will be remodeling to integrate Bow Truss Coffee Roasters into what is currently the bookstore space.  They will be running their coffee bar in conjunction with our bookstore.  We will maintain our regular store hours and they will have their own hours of operation.

As for us, we will continue to do what we do best.  We will continue to support local authors with events and signings.  We will continue to find great new books as they are released.  We will continue to search the world to find the editions of the books that you as individuals are looking for.  We will still be available to talk your ear off about what we are reading and the books that we love.  We will retain our core staff.  We will also continue to rescue surplus volumes and give them a new home.  In short, we will continue to be the bookstore you have come to know over the last 17 years.

Our current phone number (312-464-1110), e-mail address (bdvorkin@aol.com) and website (after-wordschicago.com) are still going to be active while we are in the re-modeling period.  No, we won’t be in a position to sell you books while we are under construction.  We will, however, remain as organized as we have ever been and will retain most all of your favorite sections.  If you have more specific questions or concerns we will be here.  Just give us a bit longer response time than you might usually.

For more information on our progress, please visit our blog at after-wordschicago.com

For more information on SPACE, visit space.doejo.com.

Thanks for your understanding and for all of your years of continuing support. 

Beverly Dvorkin

Store owner

CLOSED for the Weather

Hello,  Sorry we couldn't make our last day, but the weather conspired against us.  Please call or email if there were books that you were going to pick up today.  We are happy to ship them to you.

Thank you for your understanding.
after-words

Upcoming Calendar Events

Handy guide for when to bring your books (or not).  We hope it helps and cuts the confusion.  Have a great holiday season.

December 18th - Last Day for Cash Book Buys
December 24th - Shortened Hours 10:30 am - 8 pm
December 25th - CLOSED
December 27th - Last Day for Store Credit Book Buys
December 31st - Shortened Hours 10:30 am - 8 pm
January 1st - CLOSED
February 8th - CLOSED for Inventory
February 9th- Resume Store Credit Book Buys
February 12th - Resume Cash Book Buys

Blues Before Sunrise Film Festival FREE Admission

FREE film festival hosted by Steve Cushing, Blues Before Sunrise, WDCB, Jazz Record Mart,  Delmark Records and held at after-words.

Film screenings begin at noon and include black and white 35 mm prints of Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Pigmeat Markham, Dizzy Gillespie, Dorothy Dandridge, Mamie Smith and many many more.

For more info call the Jazz Mart: 312-222-1467 or after-words 312-464-1110

Book Expo Chicago Saturday, December 6th

After-words will be selling books at the third annual Chicago Book Expo this Saturday, December 6, 2014, from 11 am to 5 pm at Columbia College Chicago, 1104 S. Wabash. The event is free and open to the public.


This celebration of Chicago-area publishers and authors features a pop-up bookstore featuring local presses’ and authors’ books, as well as a variety of readings and panel discussions. Local literary nonprofits and organizations will be in attendance.