Class Description
Every Chicago street corner has a story—many stories—where past, present, and future identities intersect. From Little Village to Little Vietnam, Chicago has stories waiting to be told, and every citizen is a co-author of our city’s shared narratives.
Drawing on oral histories, personal reflections, and the Newberry’s Chicago collection, class participants will have a chance to co-author Chicago’s past, present, and future, while empowering fellow citizens to do the same. Those who wish will be invited to publish their work online and in a forthcoming book.
Discussion topics will include the evolution of neighborhoods and communities; intersections of place and identity; architectural history; narratives around urban planning; demographics; public art; Chicago landmarks; immigration; collective storytelling.
Classroom activities will include interactive discussions of short assigned readings, interview training, writing workshops, and collaborative voice-based storytelling.
Dr. Aaron Greenberg co-founded Biograph, a storytelling technology company. He has served on the Core Faculty of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s Bioethics Clinical Scholars Program and is a lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Materials List
Required:
- Instructor-distributed materials
Recommended:
- Destiny Burrow’s “Leclaire & Bloomingdale”: https://www.biographbook.com/l...
- Krystle Smith’s “Hubbard & Lavergne”: https://www.biographbook.com/h...
- Lise Weil’s “North & Lake Shore Drive”: https://www.biographbook.com/lake-shore-drive-chicago/
First Reading:
- Please survey “On the Corner” stories at https://www.biographbook.com/o... and come ready to discuss your favorites.
Cost and Registration
Four sessions, $215 ($193.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
Support the Newberry
Your generosity is vital in keeping the library’s programs, exhibitions, and reading rooms free and accessible to everyone.
Make a Gift