A boiling cauldron of racial and economic discord, crisis and contention, yet simultaneously one of America’s most iconic, historic and fascinating cities.
A boiling cauldron of racial and economic discord, crisis and contention, yet simultaneously one of America’s most iconic, historic and fascinating cities.
For best selling author Alex Kotlowitz, Chicago is the perfect perch from which to peer into the dark heart of America.
He will be exploring America from the ground up at a free public lecture, part of the University’s Festival of Ideas on Friday (23rd October).
Alex grew up in New York, but interestingly describes himself as an ‘accidental Chicagoan’.
By using his personal experiences to inspire him to write, the detailed research that he undertakes before starting a book helps him understand and uncover the real truth on the streets of America.
His characters are ordinary people, a good number of them based on his own friends and guides to Chicago when he first moved to the city.
Kotlowitz locates the city’s soul in his writing, which he claims is found in the self-enclosed neighbourhoods, each with their own spirit and stories, some more gritty than others.
His book ‘There Are No Children Here’, chronicles the lives of two boys struggling to survive in a Chicago public housing complex. After becoming a bestseller, it was chosen by the New York Public Library as one of the 150 most important books of the century. In 1993 it was made into a television film for ABC.
His latest book ‘Never a City so Real’, a selection of short stories, takes readers on a tour of the ‘lifeblood’, the people who have guided him into Chicago’s heart and in a broader sense America’s heart.
Alex admits he is drawn to people who want to clean up, or at least make sense of the mess on the inside and will speak about his experiences and his writing at this one off talk.
No booking is required, the event will take place at Mill Lane Lecture Rooms in Cambridge and will begin at 2pm.
Granta Magazine will present the lecture as part of the University of Cambridge’s Festival of Ideas.
Granta Magazine was founded in 1889 by students at Cambridge and is named after the river that runs through the town. The magazine covers various topics from politics to literary enterprise.
This year, the Cambridge Festival of Ideas will celebrate the University’s 800th Anniversary with over 150 free events open to visitors of all ages.
The public can find out how the study of arts, humanities and social sciences help understand vital issues past, present and future.
For more information on the event and to see the full programme for The Festival of Ideas please use the link top right of this page.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.