Newberry Adult Education Seminars will meet virtually via Zoom. For more information about the Newberry’s virtual seminars, including a Zoom tutorial, please see our Virtual Seminars FAQ page. If you have questions about online learning, please reach out to seminars@newberry.org.

Seminar Description

Chicagoans create their identities in the dynamic of the city’s private, semi-public, and public spaces. In summer, public spaces--streets, parks, and beaches--become especially important, as finer weather and higher temperatures encourage people to connect, or come into conflict, with each other. The summer invigorates the city while also exposing its latent tensions. In this seminar, we will read over a century’s worth of poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction depicting Chicago summers in general, as well as two of the city’s most tense summers, 1919 and 1968.

Six sessions. Registration – $210

Lifelong Chicagoan Bill Savage has taught Chicago literature, history, and culture at Northwestern University and the Newberry since 1992.

Materials List

Required:

• A selection of shorter materials distributed by the instructor.

First Reading:

• There is no reading for this seminar.

Registration Information

Registration opens at 9 am (CST) on Wednesday, May 19th. Newberry Associates members at the Literati level and above will have access to early registration beginning May 12th at 10am. Learn more about membership benefits and becoming a Newberry Associate.

Please note: For more information about registration, including a guide to online registration, see our Registration Information page. Questions? Please contact seminars program staff via email at seminars@newberry.org.

We offer a 10% discount to members, seniors, and students.

This seminar is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about registering for a seminar, program policies, or teaching a seminar.