Friday 8/15 – Thursday 8/21
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When Michael Workman and Marie Walz started publishing Bridge magazine out of their apartment in November 2000, they didn’t realize it would grow into an arts empire. Two and a half years later the triannual journal has 600 subscribers, 21 people on the masthead, a West Loop space it shares with 1R Gallery, and a Web edition. The second-anniversary issue features writing by everyone from Miranda July to Bill Ayers to Rick Moody, a cover by Galesburg-born photographer Chris Verene, and a DVD of short films. “What we’re doing now is developing the programming side of Bridge,” says Workman–like the sand sculpture competition they’re hosting with 1R Gallery at Oak Street Beach next weekend. Tonight’s benefit party for Bridge magazine starts at 9 PM at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western. On the bill is music by Elvin, Apartment, and New Boss; video projections of artist Eric Fensler’s G.I. Joe Public Service Announcements; and a raffle of prizes donated by local businesses like Specimen Guitars, Jinx Cafe, and Uprise Skateboards. It’s $10. For more information call 312-421-2227 or go to www.bridgemagazine.org.
16 SATURDAY It’s been 100 years since Wilbur and Orville Wright first took to the skies at Kitty Hawk, and 45 since the first Chicago Air and Water Show. Two million people are expected to crowd the lakefront from Fullerton to Oak for the free exposition this weekend; drivers, consider yourselves warned. The city has imported squads of A-10 Thunderbolts, F-18 Hornets, F-14 Tomcats, and B-1B Lancers to buzz the skyline from 11 to 4 today and tomorrow, August 17, and starting at 9 both days there’ll be waterskiing and wakeboard demonstrations at North Avenue Beach. Call 312-744-3370 or see www.cityofchicago.org/specialevents for more information.
20 WEDNESDAY When Jill Nelson needed a publisher for her first novel, Sexual Healing, she turned to local editor Doug Seibold, who last year founded the independent Agate Publishing. The sexually explicit tale of two successful African-American women in their 40s who open a male brothel had been rejected by several editors before Nelson showed it to Seibold. But he’d edited her first book, a scabrous–and best-selling–memoir of her days as a reporter for the Washington Post, and after reading this one he signed it as the debut title for his fledgling press. Sexual Healing came out in June, and their second collaboration seems to have paid off–it’s “a post-feminist fable of sexual empowerment that’s smart, explicit, and side-splittingly funny,” raved a recent review in Ebony. Nelson will read from the book tonight at 7:30 at Barbara’s Bookstore, 1100 Lake in Oak Park (708-848-9140). She also appears Tuesday, August 19, at 7 at Mothaland, 1635 E. 55th (773-955-6969), and Thursday, August 21, at 7:30 at Women & Children First, 5233 N. Clark (773-769-9299). All events are free.
