Welcome, Chicago Reader readers, to the Chicago Humanities Festival!
Our fall festival is all about technology: it's 'technology' with knowledge at its center. Our programs are an array of terrific events: more than 80 in all, over 2 days in October and 2 weeks in November. The schedule is full of riches, and we've handpicked some to guide you through the festival offerings, especially if this is your first time visiting us. Tickets are very reasonable at $5-15 for many programs, and we offer free and reduced-price tickets to many programs for students and teachers.
Top CHF Events for Chicago Reader enthusiasts
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Science-fiction great William Gibson
talks about both his work and the future of science fiction with Northwestern University's Bill Savage on Sunday, October 16.
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The Encyclopedia Show
is a literary variety extravaganza that creatively considers a different encyclopedia entry each month. Their credo: “It is our ongoing mission to chafe against logic and proof, find meaning in obfuscation, and wrest truth from fact once and for all.” For this special CHF edition on Sunday, October 23, regulars and guests take on "ROBOTS!"
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Chicago beatbox sensation Yuri Lane
reflects on the exhilarating and strange experience of becoming an overnight Internet sensation by turning virtual reality into theatrical fantasy in his new multimedia show MeTube on Friday, November 4.
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Rapper and actor Common
talks about how rap music evolved through a specific technology born of beats and rhymes, as well as delves into his own artistic influences, on Saturday, November 5. The Chicago Reader is the media sponsor for this event!
- Artist Tom Sachs is best known for elaborate re-creations of icons of modern American life. He has replicated toilets, guns, cameras—even a fully functioning McDonald’s restaurant—from scratch. On Sunday, November 6 he talks about his latest project, in partnership with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to stage a full-scale Mars landing.
- Anthropologist Ilana Gershon researches how new media affect our intimate relationships. Join her as she discusses the findings of her new book, The Breakup 2.0, the first academic study of heartbreak in the digital age, with Madeline Nusser of TimeOut Chicago on Saturday, November 5.
- Economist and author Sylvia Nasar, author of the John Forbes Nash biography A Beautiful Mind talks about her latest book, Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius on Saturday, November 5.
- @MayorEmanuel attracted more followings during the mayoral election season than the real Candidate Emanuel, as the fictional escapades of expletive-happy characters wound their way through impossibly funny political situations. Dan Sinker, the man behind the @MayorEmanuel feed, talks about new media and old-fashioned storytelling on Sunday, November 13.
- Guitarist Adrian Belew, lead guitarist for David Bowie, the Talking Heads, Nine Inch Nails, Paul Simon, Frank Zappa, and Laurie Anderson, as well as guitarist and frontman for King Crimson, gives a guided tour of technology and the guitar on Sunday, November 13.
This list only scratches the surface. We hope that you find many more of our fall events of interest to you! Tickets are available online or by calling our box office at 312-494-9509, Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm.
