Moby-Dick Makeover; Korean Haiku
Over the transom, with value added.
1. Weird Fiction at Roosevelt University.
China Miéville, the award-winning author whose writing is sometimes characterized as ‘weird fiction,’ visits Roosevelt University on Nov. 5, reading from his latest work at 5 p.m. in the Angell Reading Room of the University’s 10th floor library, 430 S. Michigan Ave.
“The author of nine novels, including The City & the City, Embassytown and Railsea, the short-story collection, Looking for Jake, as well as non-fiction essays and the book, Between Equal Rights, Miéville is part of a new generation of writers who are loosely categorized as being part of what is known as the New Weird genre.
An associate professor of creative writing at Warwick University in England, Miéville is the winner of many literary awards including: the Arthur C. Clarke and British Fantasy awards in 2001 for Perdido Street Station; the British Fantasy and Locus awards in 2003 for The Scar; the Arthur C. Clarke and Hugo awards in 2010 for The City & the City, which drew comparisons to the works of Franz Kafka, George Orwell and Philip K. Dick; and for one of his most recent novels, Embassytown, which has been widely praised for its foray into science fiction.
Sponsored by the Creative Writing Program at Roosevelt University, the reading is free and open to the public.
“In May 2012, award-winning fantasy and science fiction writer China Miéville spoke to Arc’s editor Simon Ings about Railsea, his delirious and parched recasting of Herman Melville’s epic Moby-Dick.”
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2. Rooster-Footed Devils.
The Guild Literary Complex (GLC) continues the seventh year of its Palabra Pura bilingual poetry series with a final 2012 reading titled Rooster-Footed Devils. Curated by Jennifer Patiño, this evening event will explore the complex relationship individuals and communities have to preconceived notions about Latino identity. The event will include poetry in Spanish, English, and Spanglish. Featured readers include Beatriz Ruiz, Anthony Michael Cooremans, and Iztac Metztli.
- Beatriz J. Ruiz was born and raised in Chicago and Guanajuato. She is a writer by vocation, not profession.
- Anthony Michael Cooremans writes poetry and short essays about modern society and history. He is an Aydos Learning National Award Winner in poetry and the current Grand Slam poetry champion for Mental Graffiti – Chicago.
- Iztac Metztli is a Macehual Dancer, writer, and poet. Her short stories have been published in Cezanne’s Carrot and El Mestizo Newsletter.
Rooster-Footed Devils will be in Humboldt Park at La Bruquena restaurant, 2726 W. Division on Wednesday, November 28, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
3. Korean Sijo.
The Poetry Foundation hosts a celebration of traditional Korean sijo and the growing body of sijo in English. Though less familiar than its Japanese cousin haiku, Korean sijo has a similarly rich heritage. Like haiku, it employs three lines, although its 40-some syllables are more flexible and allow for narrative developments that aren’t feasible in haiku’s 17-syllable form.
David McCann, poet, translator, and one of the foremost experts on sijo poetry, teaches at Harvard and is the author of four books of poetry, including Urban Temple: Sijo Twisted and Straight, published in Korean translation by Ch’angbi Publishers in Seoul this year. A reception will follow. Co-sponsored by the Sejong Cultural Society and the Harvard Club of Chicago.
Thursday, November 15, 7:00 p.m., Poetry Foundation, 61 West Superior Street. Admission: Free.
Posted on November 2, 2012