Amy Danzer works at Northwestern University where she manages several master’s programs, including the MA in Writing and MFA in Prose and Poetry programs. She directs the Northwestern University Summer Writers’ Conference and Chicago’s Printers Row Literary Festival.
She serves on the Board of Directors for the Association for Graduate Liberal Studies Programs, and as President for the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors. She is also on One Book One Northwestern’s steering committee. She has made two appearances on Newcity’s Lit 50 list.
On the side, she interviews authors for Los Angeles Review of Books, Newcity, and The Rumpus, at bookstores and literary festivals. When she isn’t working, reading, or writing, she’s regularly at literary and storytelling events around Chicago, and occasionally shares a story of her own.
Connect with Amy on LinkedIn and follow her on Facebook.
What You’ll Learn In This Episode
- About Printers Row Lit Fest
- Why Amy thinks this festival resonates with authors and readers
- Why some people still like to have an actual book in their hands
- How e-books have affected the way people read
- How the COVID-19 pandemic changed the event
- What Amy sees for the future of Printers Row Lit Fest
This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix
TRANSCRIPT
Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studio in Chicago, Illinois. It’s time for Chicago Business Radio. Brought to you by firm Space, your private sanctuary for productivity and growth. To learn more, go to firm spacecom. Now, here’s your host.
Max Kantor: Hey, everybody. And welcome back to another episode of Chicago Business Radio. I’m your host, Max Kantor. And before we get started, as always, today’s show is sponsored by Firm Space. Big thanks to Firm Space because without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. And on today’s show, we have a good one for you. Today. We have someone who manages several master’s programs at Northwestern University, including the Ma and Writing and the MFA in prose and poetry. She also directs the Northwestern University Summer Writer’s Conference and Chicago’s Printers Row Literary Festival. So please welcome to the show, Amy Danzer. Welcome to the show, Amy.
Amy Danzer: Thanks for having me, Matt. So nice to be here.
Max Kantor: I’m excited to talk to you about everything that you’re doing. So let’s jump right in. Tell me a little bit about the printers Row Lit fest.
Amy Danzer: Gosh, it’s such a joy to be a part of it. It’s this is its 38th year. It’s one of the oldest literary festivals in the country and definitely the largest lit event in the Midwest. It’s going to be Saturday, September 9th and Sunday, September 10th, all day from ten in the morning till 6 p.m. we’ll have programing. So my job, I’m the director of programing for the Lit Fest, so I deal specifically with authors and poets and and that sort of thing. So we’ve got over like 200 presenters who are participating in the programing, 75 plus programs and just something for everyone. We’ve got poets, we’ve got children’s programing, we’ve got nonfiction writers, we also have exhibitors. So we take over like five blocks in the printer’s row neighborhood, which used to be like the printing hub of the publishing hub of the Midwest. And and so we’ve got streets just lined with exhibitors. We’ve got like over 100 exhibitors this year. So you can just kind of walk from, you know, tent to tent and do a little book shopping. But it’s not just book sales. There are literary organizations and publishing houses, MFA programs that are there to kind of talk with people about their programs. So so that’s a little bit about the the program or the literary fest.
Max Kantor: So talking numbers wise about how many authors and poets do you expect and how many visitors are you guys expecting?
Amy Danzer: Yeah. Like on the programing side, we have I think we’ve got like 220 or 230 at this point. Wow. On the exhibiting side. So there are tons of authors that also are exhibiting, I would say. I mean, there are, let’s see, like 118. But that but at each tent, sometimes, you know, authors, there’ll be like a couple or few different authors in one tent. So, I mean, I don’t know, like 500, maybe more than that. So it’s really a great opportunity to talk with writers and, you know, get your book signed by some of your favorite authors, listen to them, talk about, you know, read from their new books, get autographs.
Max Kantor: Totally. And with with numbers that size, I mean, even if you don’t know a single author going to this festival, odds are you find something that you enjoy or interested in.
Amy Danzer: I think so. You know, and I think, you know, sometimes people are like, you know, I want to read more. I just don’t even know where to start. You know, I go to, you know, the bookstore and there are just so many books and people can get overwhelmed. And the lit fest is a really nice way to just kind of sample, you know, just what’s what’s new and out there and just to kind of hear from a variety of of authors. We have just such incredible diversity. It’s just definitely something for everyone. We also have children’s programing. Um, yeah, for the little people in everyone’s life lives. So we’re going to have a storybook parade. Costumes are optional, way more fun, but totally optional. Um, and the, the Chicago Public Library, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary, their great Horned Owl mascot is going to be leading the parade along with Miss Friendship Ambassador Miss Friendship Ambassador with the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. Um, so that’s going to be fun. And then it’s going to kind of end it’s going to kind of circle back to center stage where we’re going to then have like a little bubbles and bookmarks dance party and there’s going to be storytelling On Sunday. We’re going to have a drag story hour with Mrs. Uka. Um, that’s going to be awesome. And then. Hawken is going to do a draw along like a reading and a draw along. So just lots of really fun stuff for the kids.
Max Kantor: Totally. There’s activities for everybody no matter your age. Correct. So you mentioned this festival has been going on for almost now four decades. Why do you think this festival resonates with so many people? What has kept it going?
Amy Danzer: Man. I just I feel like a lot of there are a lot of, like, angels of the festival. Like just guardians, I should say. Guardian Guardian angels of the festival that have just really, um, just help, help keep it going, you know, whether by, you know, helping to fund it, helping to organize it, helping participate in it. There are just so many people that are involved and have such a, you know, fond memories of the, you know, and experiences with the festival. Um, I mean, the festival is free and open to the public and so it’s very inclusive, it’s very accessible. And I think because of that, it just has such a great reach and, and just a lot of people are invested and, and it does so much for the community, I think. So it inspires reading and connections. Um, you know, as much as there’s like fantastic programing going on and shopping to be done, there’s just, there’s also a lot of networking to, to, you know, to, to do at the festival. Um, you know, if you’re a publisher or a bookseller or an aspiring writer or an experienced writer, there are I mean, it’s just a great networking opportunity to just meet, you know, other people in that same, um, in those same fields and just to kind of pick their brains and just establish relationships or, you know, reunite at the at the festival. I feel like a lot of people only see each other from Festive Fest.
Max Kantor: So you talked a lot about just then networking and, you know, the community aspect of this festival, and that’s what it sounds like. It’s not just a festival where you go buy a book and leave. There’s people making connections, talking to each other. Um, and to do that, I imagine you get support from the city to help you put on this festival. So can you talk about the kind of support that you’re getting from the city of Chicago to help you put this on?
Amy Danzer: Yeah. I mean, I, I’m a little bit removed from like budget and that sort of thing. But I do know that DC’s helped make this year’s festival possible. Um. Betty and Joseph Fineberg Foundation also helped make it possible. Um, and then, um, and again, there are just so many volunteers that that help make everything happen. So we’re really fortunate for, for everybody who cares about the festival and wants, wants it to be a success.
Max Kantor: Now, can you talk about some of the author speakers you might be having anyone that you are highlighting or showcasing at this year’s Fest?
Amy Danzer: Yeah. Our, our our opening presenters are 2023 Pulitzer Prize winners for nonfiction, Toluse Olorunnipa and Robert Samuels. They wrote the book. His name is George Floyd One Mans Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice. And they’re going to be in conversation with WBEZ’s South Side reporter Natalie Moore, which were really delighted to have them join us. Just following that that presentation that’s going to be on the the Jose Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation stage is Curtis Sittenfeld. She’s the writer of romantic comedy, which was like a Reese Witherspoon selection. It’s it’s getting a lot of fun attention. But she’s going to be in conversation with WBEZ Susie an also super excited, kind of like a new addition to the festival is Jack Bender. You might know him as the director for Lost and Game of Thrones and The Sopranos, Mr. Mercedes. But he’s an artist and storyteller and writer, and he has a children’s book coming out this fall, which will also be available at the festival. Um, but, and usually I don’t think he’d be able to join us. But because of the writers strike right now, he’s got a little wiggle room in his schedule. So that’s super, super exciting. Um, on a more local level, we’ve got just some incredible writers like John Eigg who will be at the fest.
Amy Danzer: He has a new book out right now. It’s a biography of Martin Luther King Jr. It’s called King A Life. It’s an instant New York Times bestseller. And I think it’s like the first biography of Martin Luther King Jr in like 40 years. So that’s going to be an incredible interview with him. We have a number of poets laureate, so we’ve got Avery R Young, who is Chicago’s inaugural poet laureate. We’ve got Angela Jackson, who was an Illinois poet laureate, and we have Nandi comer who is Michigan’s poet laureate. So they’ll be in they’re going to do a reading and be in conversation with Parneshia Jones, who works with Northwestern University Press, who will have a table there as well. Um, Rebecca Makkai will be there. She has a new book out entitled I Have Some Questions for You. That’s a New York Times best seller. And she’ll be in conversation with Gina Frangello, who’s just a remarkable writer. Um, anyway, I could go on and on. I recommend people take a look at our schedule, which is posted and just kind of, you know, just go through it. Mark whatever, you know, captures your attention. There’s just, again, there’s like 75 programmers or programs and over 200 presenters, so lots to choose from.
Max Kantor: Totally. I know I mentioned this earlier, but to reiterate, you guys truly have something for everybody for sure. Anybody coming to this festival can find something they are interested in, and I think that’s what makes it so cool and interesting. And I’m curious for you personally, is there an event or speaker that either you mentioned or haven’t mentioned yet that you personally are most excited about?
Amy Danzer: Max. They are all my favorites. I really I have to say, I mean, I’m just so excited about each program. I mean, the sad, sad thing for me is that I am stationed in author check and hospitality all weekend, so I miss all the programing, but in my head it’s just it comes off perfectly and everybody is just charming and brilliant and yeah, but I’m also excited about a couple of podcasters that are coming in from out of town and out of country. Actually. There’s just a wonderful poet podcaster named Patrick Otwoma and he has a podcast entitled On Being. And and what he does on that podcast is he reads a poem, unpacks it, and then reads it again. And it just really illuminates the art and the brilliance of of the poet, the poet’s writing. And so he’ll be at the festival interviewing Sheriff Shanahan, who has a new book out right now. Um, and so I think they’re going to that format is going to be kind of similar. Sharif’s going to read from his new book and and Patrick’s going to interview him. We also have Mitzi Rapkin, who has a podcast entitled First Draft, a Dialog on Writing.
Amy Danzer: And she’s also just incredible. She has just so many notable authors on her show. I mean, just, you know, you’re a podcaster. It takes so much more work. Do people have any idea of about And and so she’s going to be interviewing Antoine Wilson at the festival, who was like Barack Obama’s like favorite novelist of 22. Um, so that’s going to be a really incredible interview. I think she’s going to be recording it live, too, from the festival, which is exciting. I think that’s the first time we’ve done that. Um, so and then we also have I’m just thinking about it. Lindsay Hunter is a writer and podcaster, and she’s going to be interviewing Jenna Friedman, who has a collection of essays out right now called Not Funny. Um, and so Jenna, is this a really awesome comedian, feminist, political, um, just really smart and funny and, and that’s another one. I’m really sad I’m going to miss. Um, but yeah, that’s going to be a really good conversation. I’m certain of it. So yeah, those are just a few few more for you.
Max Kantor: Max So, Amy, what do you see for the future of the printers Row Lit Fest?
Amy Danzer: Um, I don’t. You know, I don’t know. I mean, I love it the size it is. Um, I feel like I’d be. I’d be fine with it getting bigger and maybe having some. Some reach into other neighborhoods across the city to kind of bring pieces of the festival to people. Um, but I just, I just love also, um, just its current iteration, I think it’s, it’s, there’s so much for everyone, but it’s also not too overwhelming, um, you know, which I feel can kind of paralyze people sometimes, you know, psychologically. Um, so we’ll see. But, I mean, next year is going to be the, I think it’s like the 40th anniversary of the fest. Um, so this is the 38th annual. But we, you know, we were interrupted with Covid for one year. So, so I’ll be interested to talk with the, the higher ups to see what kinds of ideas they have for next year. But um, yeah.
Max Kantor: So my last question for you is a question I love to ask each guest that comes on Chicago Business Radio for you. What is your favorite thing that you get to do in regards to the printers row lit fest?
Amy Danzer: Mm.
Amy Danzer: It’s so funny. You know, the grass is always greener, right? So when I was first exposed to the lit fest, um, a girl friend that I had gone to, to, to school with, she had invited me and I was like, wow, this is amazing. Like, this is just so fantastic. And it was just such a wonderfully indulgent thing to just kind of go to the festival, listen to authors, talk about their books and read from their books, and then maybe have a glass of wine at like, you know, the, you know, one of the restaurants, you know, right on that on South Dearborn. Um, and talk about what we had just heard and, and and then go listen to some more and browse some books like that was that was just such a treat. And then I was like, you know, very interested in becoming involved. And so at one point I was invited to moderate a discussion and that was super exciting. And then I moderated another conversation and with all I’ve got, you know, a number of different hats that I wear in the literary world. So I’ve got some experience like coordinating events, like literary events and participating in them. And so one thing led to the next, and now I’m in this role and, you know, this is kind of a dream job for me. Like, I really I love so much about it. But there is also a part of me that kind of wishes, you know, is nostalgic, very nostalgic for when the fest was new to me. And I kind of hope that for for other people that they get to have that experience, too.
Max Kantor: So, Amy, the festival is coming up. If people want to learn more about it, do you guys have a website and can you remind us of the dates and times of the actual festival?
Amy Danzer: Yes. So the website is it’s just printers row lit fest.org. And the dates are Saturday, September 9th and Sunday, September 10th, ten inches the morning till 6:00 in the evening. And that’s also the same weekend as Taste of Chicago. So it’s kind of it could be a twofer for people they can pop over to Taste of Chicago, get some good food and then stop over at the lit fest and listen to some good conversations or vice versa. So it should be a really it should be a really exciting weekend. Yeah.
Max Kantor: Reading and eating. It’s a perfect combo. It’s a perfect weekend.
Amy Danzer: Books and food.
Max Kantor: Yes. Well, Amy, thank you so much for being on Chicago Business Radio. It was awesome to talk to you. I mean, you guys are doing great work over at the fest and I can’t wait to stop by in, what is it, next week? I think September 9th and 10th.
Amy Danzer: A week and a half, yeah.
Max Kantor: So thanks again for being on the show today. It was great talking with you.
Amy Danzer: Really nice to be here. Thanks.
Max Kantor: And thank you for listening to another episode of Chicago Business Radio. I’m your host, Max Kanter, and we’ll see you next time.
Intro: This episode of Chicago Business Radio has been brought to you by firm space, your private sanctuary for productivity and growth. To learn more, go to firm Space.com.
