Thursday, September 26th
Attend a reception, University of Illinois Rare Books & Manuscript Library, Room 346 Main Library, 3 to 5 p.m., free
Poet Gwendolyn Brooks was the first Black poet to win a Pulitzer Prize for her book Annie Allen. Brooks’ daughter, Nora Brooks Blakely, will be on campus to discuss her mother’s legacy and to open the exhibit, We are each other’s harvest: Gwendolyn Brooks and the Formation of Black Literary Canon, which runs through May 2025. This is quite an opportunity to celebrate one of America’s greatest poetic voices. (AP)
Laugh and drink, Comedy Open Mic Night, The Space, 9 to 11 p.m., show is free, $11 for a bold-fashioned cocktail
Catch a free comedy show and have a laugh. Kristen Unakis’ comedy night is sure to be a good time. She hosts a lineup of aspiring stand-up comedians in quick succession, each comic getting six minutes. I went and had a great time. If you like bourbon, go for The Space’s bold-fashioned which is delicious. (AB)
Friday, September 27th
Go to the circus, Bread and Puppet Theater at Crystal Lake Park, 6 to 7:15 p.m., free and fun for all ages…