1. Community of Artists at Recent Book Fair
Thursday, April 17, 2014
By Julia Jakubow
As part of the programming for the Pop-Up Book Fair at the Ernest Hemingway Museum
in Oak Park last Saturday, comic book artist Chris Ware and author Hilary Chute
discussed the art of comics and the valuable role of Chicago to his works
When I asked Ware, most recently the author of Building Stories, about what inspired
him most about the city, he answered, “humility.” He talked about the amount of writers
and artists in Chicago, and how they express themselves through their art works. “There
is a certain honesty in Chicago,” he said. He and a lot of artists can feel comfortable
with sharing their works in the community. They connect with one another on their
passion for the arts.
I was able to see this community because I came to the fair with the Chicago Literary
Hall of Fame.
As part of my internship, I assisted CLHOF founder Don Evans at its information table,
answering questions and offering insight into the organization to people browsing
through our literature. The fair introduced me to this community of writers, readers,
artists, publishers, editors, and others with an interest in the arts.
Here were people taking the time and effort to reconnect with those who share their
passion for literature and art. There were well-established magazines like the Chicago
Quarterly Review and Another Chicago Magazine; publishers like Half Letter Press, Fifth
Star, Dream of Things, Allium Press and Curbside Splendor (one of the event’s primary
sponsors); authors like Scott Jacobs, William Hazlegrove, Frances McNamara and
Delphine Pontvieux; booksellers like Magic Tree Bookstore and 57th Street Books; and
an assortment of others spanning the literary community’s spectrum.
The information tables, like ours, were set up in the lobby of the building on Oak Park
Ave.; programs were conducted at regular intervals throughout the day in the museum
space behind the lobby.
Conni Irwin, the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park’s Volunteer Coordinator,
was impressed by the turnout at the museum and said, “This is the first time we are
doing [the fair] here…and three-hundred people signed up.”
Ware and Chute also talked about the future of comics in the digital age.
Based on his own experience, Ware values print for its ability to make contact with
people. Ware said that when writers and artists combine with digital print, they “cancel
each other out.” Chute talked about Ware’s idea of a “print culture manifesto,” or the
creation of “something people can hold onto.” Ware agreed about the importance of
having the story on something physical to make a connection. He commented on his
own printed book that “it is a book where you can enter at anytime and still get the story.”
Ware and Chute advocate print because it leads to more interaction.

2. As a writer myself, I hope to reach people by putting my works into print as well.
Whenever I read a story, I like to have something physical to solidify this relationship
between the text and the reader. I feel more engaged when I’m turning the pages—
absorbing the words, the crinkle of paper, and even the smell of the ink on the page. I
would like to give my readers the same experience.
Ware also discussed how Chicago is a good place for many writers and comic artists.
He named Chicago as one of those rare places that can fulfill his love of architecture for
his comics. He discussed how the Chicago landscape greatly changed after the
Chicago Fire. The city rose and with the help of architects like Daniel Burnham, “grew”
into a center of rich architecture, he said. He includes Chicago’s setting, particularly Oak
Park, in his works. For one section of his book, he spent all day on a street in Oak Park,
“making sure to capture all the details” in his art, he said. By coming out to Oak Park, I
was able to see this art, in the residences and public buildings I drove past. He said that
Oak Park “should not only be known for Hemingway” but also for its art and architecture.
As I saw the smiles of people at the fair, we acknowledged one another as fellow artists
and literature enthusiasts in the city. Chicago can be the place where artists support
each other and people celebrate literature. As Ware said, “New York is the brain [of the
U.S.]…Chicago is the heart.”