November at after-words

November at after-words
Thursday, November 21, 2013  6-7:30
We are pleased to welcome local writers Roger Reeves, Chris Green, Adam McOmber, Laura Durnell, and Lana Rakhman as they read from their latest works.  This reading is sponsored by Fifth Wednesday Journal, a local group we are glad to introduce to our after-words customers.
Fifth Wednesday Journal is an independent literary print magazine published twice yearly by Fifth Wednesday Books, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Lisle, Illinois. Committed to the idea that contemporary literary and photographic arts are essential components of a vibrant and enduring culture, they publish those writers and visual artists who most effectively contribute to this mission.
The unique range of writing and visual art in each issue appeals to a wide spectrum of readers, and their commitment is to publish writing and art that is both entertaining and intellectually meaningful.
Fifth Wednesday Journal is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) publication partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council and The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.
For more information about Fifth Wednesday, check out the website:
http://www.fifthwednesdayjournal.com
Thursday, November 28, 2013
After-words will be CLOSED for the Thanksgiving holiday and cash book buying is suspended.  We will resume cash buying on Thursday, December 5, 2013.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
After-words is a participating member of American Express Small Business Saturday.  Come and shop and support your local bookseller.  For more information:
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/Shop-Small/

World Book Night 2014

Volunteer book givers are central to World Book Night U.S., putting wonderful books into the hands of light or non-readers in their communities.

On April 23, 2013, U.S. book givers personally handed out half a million printed books in 6,200 towns and cities across the country. And we’re doing it again in 2014!

We provide the free books, and the book givers seek out light or non-readers, especially people who may not have access to printed books for reasons of means or geography. Book givers receive 20 free paperback copies of one World Book Night title, not too many to carry but enough to share with a good number of potential new readers.

Applications to become a WBN 2014 Book Giver will begin Oct. 24. Come back then through Jan. 5, 2014 to read up on the guidelines and then apply. Also read up on the book picks beforehand.
Thank you for supporting World Book Night U.S.!

Winding down on the Quarter Quell Sale...

Hey, just a reminder that our sale on kids books in honor of Catching Fire's November 22 release date is coming to a close.  October 31st is the last day to get 30% off on select kids titles.

Quarter Quell Sale!

 

With the Quarter Quell upon us and the November 22 film release of Catching Fire we are having a sale on the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

We have also put on sale some of our other young adult fiction.  Included are some favorite series from the past and some that you may have missed along with selected used titles. 

We have marked a shelving unit in the kid’s section and crammed if full of fun series for you and your children to discover.

From now until October 31, 2013 you can save 30% on our selected titles.  All other offers and coupons will apply.

 

Mystery Sale is Winding Down!

Mystery Lovers:  The sale on our used mystery books is coming to a close.  Last day for the sale is August 31st.  Hurry in and check out what is left.

All the books, in the used mystery section, that are on retirement sale for 25% off will now be 50% off.

Remember, this offer is only valid in our store on books tagged for the used mystery section with a date more than a year old on the label.

Thanks Friends

Dear Customers,

We would like to thank our friends and neighbors for the great outpouring of support and caring.  Now we just want to get back to being your go-to bookstore.  We will be closing at 6:30 pm Friday and Saturday, but we will be back to our normal hours on Sunday, noon-7.

Thanks again,
after-words

Store Hours are Changing

Dear Customers,

after-words will be closing it's doors at 6:30 pm until further notice.  Thank you for your understanding and sorry for any inconvenience.

Thanks again,
after-words

Sale on Used Mysteries

It's a mystery how we got this many books!  So, we are having an in-store sale on our used mystery titles.  All the books, in the used mystery section, that are on retirement sale for 25% off will now be 50% off. ALL SUMMER LONG.  Offer expires August 31, 2013.

Remember, this offer is only valid in our store on books tagged for the used mystery section with a date more than a year old on the label.

July 18th: Signing for first-time, local author, Shannon Stoker

Shannon Stoker will be at After-Words books on July 18, 2013 from 6:30.  She will be reading and signing copies of her book The Registry. Wine reception following.
 
The Registry saved the country from collapse, but stability has come at a price. In this patriotic new America, girls are raised to be brides, sold at auction to the highest bidder. Boys are raised to be soldiers, trained to fight and never question orders. Welcome to a safe and secure new world, where beauty is bought and sold, and freedom is the ultimate crime.

Nearly eighteen, beautiful Mia Morrissey excitedly awaits the beginning of her auction year. But a warning from her married older sister raises dangerous questions. Now, instead of going up on the block, Mia is going to escape to Mexico—and the promise of freedom.
All Mia wants is to control her own destiny—a brave and daring choice that will transform her into an enemy of the state, pursued by powerful government agents, ruthless bounty hunters, and a cunning man determined to own her . . . a man who will stop at nothing to get her back.

Shannon Stoker is a licensed attorney who works for Northern Illinois University.  She received her undergraduate and law degree from Northern Illinois University where she now works as the Research Integrity Coordinator. The Registry is her first novel.  When she's not working or writing Shannon spends the majority of her time playing with her terrier mix, Nucky, or her husband.

Poetry Contest

In celebration of Poetry Month, we are having a contest.  Name the poet that goes with the immortal lines on the form and win a copy of Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg.

To enter for your chance to win, simply email us at bdvorkin@aol.com and we will send you a copy of the contest form.  Print it, fill it out and bring it in for your chance to receive your free book. There is only one entry per customer. If we receive multiple entries with the same contact information, those entries will be disqualified. You must get all ten poets correct to win your copy of Chicago Poems.  You can also just drop in and we will have the forms on the counter.

World Book Night reception April 18th 6:30 p.m.

A celebration for World Book Night and its givers will be held Thursday April 18th at 6:30 at After-Words Books.

We at after-words are happy to be hosting a reception and conversation celebrating World Book Night and its givers.

World Book Night U.S. is an ambitious campaign to give away half a million free, specially printed books across America. Volunteer book lovers will help promote reading by going into their communities and distributing free copies of a book they enjoy to new or light readers, reaching them especially in underserved places – and even some fun spots. Volunteers from your area will be picking up the books they selected to share in locations as diverse as VA hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, ballparks, mass transit, diners, and more.

If you would like more information on World Book Night and how you can participate next year, you can visit: http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/

Or, come drink some wine with us and join the conversation.

On the Road Contest Results

Hello,

We have chosen our winners and they have already been notified. Thank you to all that participated.

after-words

Prize Pack Give Away for the movie of On the Road

Dear Customers,

To coincide with the opening of the film version of On the Road, opening March 22 at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema we are having a give away for two prize packs. Included are a copy of the book, soundtrack, official Movie Companion, poster, postcard and a pass for you and a friend to see the movie at Landmark Century Centre Cinema.

To enter for your chance to win, become a member of our database by contacting us via our website “contact us” form with your name, address, email and phone number. In the message section of the form you must write On the Road Contest. If you are already in our database, just complete the form anyway to enter. One entry per customer. If we receive multiple entries with the same contact information, those entries will be disqualified. Incomplete entries will not be considered.

To be eligible to win you must send us a completed contact form from our website:


Enter now through March 21 for your chance to win!

Can’t wait to hear from you,
after-words

Free Signing for Gold Coast Madam March 7 at 6pm

Now living a quiet life of a typical Florida retiree (church, walks, grandchildren), Rose Laws, a vibrant 77-year-old, is itching to tell you her incredible life story of hardships, heartache, triumphs, and fun--especially about the decades she spent sexing up Chicago. She started arranging dates for men with women in the 1960s to earn enough money to get her children out of a brutal orphanage they were put in after she left a violent marriage. She moved on to running the Addison Motel, offering the area's first advertised 4-hour rates. She ultimately moved downtown, went first class, and amassed a 5,000-person client list of the city and country's rich and powerful (politicians, judges, lawyers, pro athletes, movie stars, business tycoons, and mobsters), earning herself the media nickname "Gold Coast Madam." Take this historical opportunity to meet Rose Laws and ask her all about her reign as perhaps Chicago's most famous madam ever. Rose Laws and co-author Dianna Harris will do short readings from their book, take questions, and autograph copies.

Chicago Fire writer, Derek Haas, Book signing March 2nd at 6pm

There will be a book signing for The Right Hand (Mulholland Books/Little, Brown; Hardback; $25.99) by Derek Haas (writer for NBC’s exciting new series Chicago Fire) to be held Saturday, March 2nd 6pm at After-Words Books. Reception following.

The Right Hand is Haas’ fourth novel, and focuses on Austin Clay, a spy whose work is so covert that the government won’t even admit he exists. He is sent to track down a missing American operative who was captured in the Russian countryside, which leads Clay into a conspiracy that involves a mole that has penetrated the top levels of U.S. government.

There has always been a need in the spy game for covert missions so black no one in the American government, and almost no one in intelligence itself, knows of their existence. The left hand can't know what the right hand is doing.

Austin Clay is that right hand, executing missions that would be disavowed by his own government if he's ever compromised. Clay is sent to track down a missing American operative, a man who was captured outside of Moscow, in the Russian countryside. Clay soon discovers the missing officer is only the beginning of the mission, and soon Clay finds himself protecting a desperate woman who believes a mole has penetrated the top levels of the US government, throwing the international balance of power into jeopardy.

Derek Haas most recent project is NBC’s new TV series, Chicago Fire, which debuted this fall. Additionally, he and his screenwriting partner Michael Brandt are the force behind such kinetic screenplays as the blockbuster hit Wanted, the critically acclaimed 3:10 to Yuma, and The Double. Haas and Brandt also created and executive produce the hit show Chicago Fire, currently airing on NBC. He is also the author of The Assassin trilogy, the best-selling Silver Bear trilogy novels, Columbus, Dark Men, and The Right Hand, which was recently optioned by Universal Pictures. Derek currently lives in Los Angeles and is the editor of Popcornfiction.com, which promotes genre short fiction from top screenwriters and authors.

For more information, please contact: Beverly Dvorkin, After-Words Books 312-464-1110

Charity Book Sale February 16th and 17th noon-6 p.m.

After-words book sale to benefit charity is here, February 16th and 17th from noon to six p.m. $5 per bag of books. If you don't have a bag, we will have some available for purchase for $1.

This year’s sale will benefit the Robin Hood Foundation’s Hurricane Sandy relief fund. Robin Hood has launched a large-scale relief effort to aid those whose lives have been shattered by Hurricane Sandy. The need is great. Know that every cent of every dollar you donate will go the best community organizations that are working to help those whose lives have been torn apart.

Supplies are limited. There are no guarantees on what will be left when you get here.

CLOSED on Sunday, February 10

Dearest Customers,

We will be CLOSED Sunday, February 10th. We are taking inventory. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Thank you,
after-words

Free author Event February 7 at 7pm

C.P. Chang, Kim Morris and Andrew Reilly will be at After-Words books on February 7, 2013 at 7 pm doing free readings and signing copies of their anthology Briefly Knocked Unconscious by a Low-Flying Duck Stories from 2nd Story (paperback, 9780984670062, $20.00). Reception following the readings.

Since early man carved bison and spears on cave walls, humankind has been telling stories. Today, short personal essays are a mainstay on the airways, the web, and in theaters and bars across the country. This anthology brings the vibrant oral tradition to the page through the work of 2nd Story, a Chicago-based collective of story-makers and story-lovers working to build community through storytelling. We culled through
ten years of archived performances to select the twenty-three essays presented in this collection. Each was adapted from the stage to the page.

The twenty-three authors in this anthology cover a wide range of topics and emotions: we've got race relations in Roger's Park, teaching kids about Dr. King, a gay man falling in love with a high school girl in Godspell, sex clubs in Amsterdam, murder in Rockford, death at Sea World Ohio, shower dances with drag queens, Xena Warrior princess, kiss-off letter to major universities, Sam Weller getting propositioned by a porn star two weeks after his wedding, fairies appearing in backyards, a guy trying to replicate Thoreau's Walden cabin in his backyard, chaos at The United Skates of America, slaying the great dragon of addiction, a Korean girl realizing her identity as she puts on eye shadow for the first time, and the life and death nature of teaching creative writing.

C.P. Chang, a company member of 2nd Story, is a writer and software consultant. He received his M.F.A in fiction writing from Columbia College Chicago and was formerly an Associate Producer for Elephant Rock Productions. He is blessed to be married to Jessica Young, a teacher, performer, and writer.

Kim Morris is a writer, performer, storyteller, and editor. Check out Power Love for more: www.power-love.blogspot.com.

Andrew Reilly is 2nd Story’s Director of Publishing. His journalism, essays, photography, and fiction have appeared in a number of fine publications including ALARM, The A.V. Club, and Norman Einstein’s SPorts & Rocket Science Quarterly, among others. Visit him online at andrewreilly.org or in person in Chicago.

After-Words Books is located at 23 East Illinois Street in Chicago, IL.
For more information, please contact: Beverly Dvorkin, After-Words Books 312-464-1110

Lore at the Music Box from The Dark Room by Rachel Sieffert

Music Box Films release of LORE, a powerful examination of the legacy of World War II on ordinary Germans--both survivors of the war and the generations that succeeded them. Left to fend for herself when her SS officer father and mother, a staunch Nazi believer, are captured by the victorious Allies at the end of World War II, Lore, a fourteen-year-old German girl (striking newcomer Saskia Rosendahl,) must lead her four siblings on a harrowing journey across a devastated country. When she meets the charismatic and mysterious young refugee Thomas, (Kai Malina, The White Ribbon,) Lore soon finds her world shattered by feelings of hatred and desire as she must put her trust in the very person she was always taught to hate in order to survive.

LORE was adapted from award-winning author Rachel Seiffert’s novel THE DARK ROOM (Booker Prize finalist), that is based on her mother's experiences as a young girl raised in a Nazi household.

The film will be in opening at The Music Box Theatre in Chicago on February 15th.

LORE is the second film from Australian writer/director Cate Shortland (Somersault), and is Australia's official selection for the 2012 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

For more details you can visit The Music Box:

Suspension Notice

PLEASE REMEMBER WE WILL NOT BUY BOOKS FOR CASH OR CREDIT THE MONTH OF JANUARY

Cash book buys will be SUSPENDED after December 20. We will be buying books for credit through December 31. (Yes, you can buy books from us, but we cannot buy them from you.) We will be CLOSED for INVENTORY on Sunday, February 10, 2013 We will resume buying books for CREDIT on February 11 and for CASH on February 14.

Holiday Hours and Suspension Notice

Our Holiday Hours this year are:

Christmas Eve: 10:30 am to 8 pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
New Year's Eve: 10:30 am to 10 pm
New Year's Day: CLOSED

PLEASE REMEMBER WE WILL NOT BUY BOOKS FOR CASH OR CREDIT THE MONTH OF JANUARY

Cash book buys will be SUSPENDED after December 20. We will be buying books for credit through December 31. (Yes, you can buy books from us, but we cannot buy them from you.) We will be CLOSED for INVENTORY on Sunday, February 10, 2013 We will resume buying books for CREDIT on February 11 and for CASH on February 14.