Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration between public libraries offering high-quality events, welcomes author and Academy Award winning actress Marlee Matlin on Wednesday, Sept. 14.
On Thursday, June 30th, at 7:00 p.m. central, the LaSalle Public Library, in partnership with Illinois Libraries Presents, will virtually host bestselling author and musician, Michelle Zauner, in conversation with Jessica Hopper, Chicago-based music critic and author. <br/><br/>Zauner will discuss her memoir, “Crying in H Mart,” and her music career. Zauner’s memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity, was a New York Times notable book of the year. As a Grammy-nominated musician, she has won acclaim from major music outlets around the world. She is best known as a singer and guitarist who creates dreamy, shoegaze-inspired indie pop under the name Japanese Breakfast. Her releases include Psychopomp, Soft Sounds from Another Planet, and Jubilee. <br/><br/>In a career spanning more than twenty years, Jessica Hopper has earned acclaim as a provocative music journalist. She has written for GQ, Rolling Stone, The Ne
On Wednesday, June 22nd, at 7:00 p.m. central, the LaSalle Public Library, in partnership with Illinois Libraries Presents, will virtually host award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi, as he discuses his new cookbook, “My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef.” <br/><br/>Onwuachi’s new cookbook, “My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef,” with more than 125 recipes, celebrates the cuisine of the African diaspora as handed down through Onwuachi’s own family history. Born on Long Island and raised in New York City, Nigeria, and Louisiana, Kwame was first exposed to cooking by his mother in the family’s modest Bronx apartment. Onwuachi will share stories behind his family’s recipes, and the importance of the connections between cuisine, place, and culture. <br/><br/>Kwame Onwuachi is a James Beard Award-winning chef and a former Top Chef contestant. He was named Food & Wine’s best new chef in 2019 and Esquire’s chef of the year in 2019.
On Wednesday, May 25th, at 7:00 p.m. central, the LaSalle Public Library, in partnership with Illinois Libraries Presents, will virtually host Illinois authors Jessamine Chan and Emily Maloney. Together, they will discuss the systems of power that impact our lives, our families and our finances, through the lens of their acclaimed books, “The School for Good Mothers,” and “Cost of Living.” <br/><br/>Chan’s debut novel received critical acclaim and is a New York Times bestseller. A former reviews editor at Publisher’s Weekly, she holds an MFA from Columbia University and currently resides in Chicago. <br/><br/>In addition to writing, Maloney’s work has ranged from dog grooming to pastry chef to general contractor. Her essays have appeared in the Washington Post, Glamour, and The Atlantic. She holds an MFA from The University of Pittsburgh and lives in Evanston, Illinois.<br/><br/>The program is free and open to the public, and made p