Lollapalooza of Literary Events: Columbia Story Week

My friend Anne asked me if I was planning to go to anything for Columbia College Chicago’s Story Week, and I have to admit, I was only dimly aware it was coming up.  This despite the fact that my son is a sophomore there (vocal performance major and the 2011 American Idol).  It’s March 14-19 and the theme for this year’s week is right up my alley: Genre Bending: The Faces of Fiction, reflecting the increasingly porous boundaries between literary and genre fiction.

Perfect for the theme is omniliterary author Joyce Carol Oates as featured reader, with two sessions on Monday, March 15.

Other highlights of note include a panel called Genre Bending – the Faces of Fiction featuring Mort Castle, On Writing Horror; Maggie Estep, Ruby Murphy mystery series; David Morrell, First Blood; Kevin Nance, Poets & Writers / Host: Joe Meno, The Great Perhaps. You’ll know David Morrell as the guy who invented Rambo and, if you’re into short stories via iPod, you probably know Mort Castle from his short stories on Sniplits.  That’s on March 17 at 2:30; 6:00 will bring a reading by Mort, David, and Maggie.

Students from the department have multiple opportunities to showcase their work, and a selection of published alumni will read on Friday, March 19th at 7 pm, including Phyllis Eisenstein, Sorcerer’s Son; Mike Black, Hostile Takeovers; Sean Chercover, Big City, Bad Blood; Stephanie Kuehnert, Ballads of Suburbia; Marc Paoletti, Scorch; Earl Sewell, Have Mercy. I’ve heard Mike Black – crime fiction & mystery writer/real-life cop – and know Earl Sewell, so this would be a panel to come out for.

Programs are free and most are open to the public.