Chicago's first nonprofit literacy bookstore! We accept donated books (50,000+ in stock) and sell them to support our literacy programs. Authors, storytimes, book discussions! Please join this group to stay informed on what's coming up in the Open Books store!

Hello and welcome to Critique This, a Meetup group for serious writers with serious goals. If you're looking for encouragement, direction, interesting discussions and writing support, you've found it! When a writers' group really works, it can be the highlight of your week. I belonged to another writers' group for five years. Having others read and critique my work has contributed more to my growth as an author than any class or workshop. Reading and critiquing others' work, and the camaraderie …

Inspired by Kinna Reads' Africa Reading Challenge, I decided to create an offline space to share my newfound appreciation for African literature. If you are interested in reading books from the African diaspora (with emphasis on authors from Africa and the Caribbean), join us! Check us out on Tumblr: http://CHI-ReadingAfrica.tumblr.com & on GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/87568-chicago-reading-africa

This a book club based around the Persephone Books series from the UK (for more info: http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/). If you're not familiar with Persephone Books, they are fiction and non-fiction books written by forgotten female authors of the twentieth century and they are amazing! If you are into feminism, literature, history and/or anglophilia, you should join us! PLEASE NOTE: Participation in the club will probably require a small investment in purchasing the books each month (they are …

Our mission is to encourage, support, and cultivate a writers’ culture in Milwaukee. We are a diverse group of writers. We share writing, publishing, and marketing tips with each other; as a result members gain a variety of different perspectives. There are many opportunities to network with other writers published and non-published from all genres. Milwaukee Writer’s Circle has an outstanding editing team and critique group to help members improve their writing skills. At meetings we offer opp …

Meet with writers and poets who are motivated to publish their own work or who just enjoy writing for themselves. Share your own work and listen to others. Meet with local authors who can share their experiences with being published. Gain some valuable feedback of your work. Make some new friends who might help to inspire you to accomplish your goals and keep you writing on.

The Chicago Africentric Book Club is dedicated to the celebration of African, Caribbean, Afro-Latino and African-American culture, history and politics through spirited and idea-generating discussions of the classical authors (e.g., Carter G. Woodson, Cheikh Anta Diop and Frantz Fanon), book titles testing new intellectual ground and film works that address the issues, concerns, hopes and power of Black people across the Diaspora.

Join us at the Chicago Self-Publishing Meetup Group as we explore the dynamic world of self-publishing and indie publishing. We meet every month and we welcome anyone interested in learning about self-publishing: self-published authors who want to learn more or share their experiences writers looking for information on how to self-publish professionals who are not writers but want to publish material related to their work book designers, graphic designers, and ebook formatters publishing indust …

Love good wine, reading books, & discussing ideas with other friendly people? Then come join us at our monthly discussions while enjoying wine at House Red! The goal is to have fun discussing & sharing our thoughts & ideas on the literature we've read over glasses of wine. The group is new (Spring 2012) & was started with a small group that met at a wine bar. We're growing now & would like to welcome new members. I've noticed many groups are women only; we aren't gender restrictive, but you must …

We all have those books we love and want to share with others. We all have those books we have heard about but just haven't gotten around to reading. Meet other locals to discuss the books and authors related to the Queer Experience. Actually we will read anything that strikes our collective fancy. This meetup is for ANYONE who is interested in learning more about GLBTQ authors and books, and about queer themes in mainstream literature. We will also share tips about where to find/buy queer boo …

Learn the ins and outs of self-publishing on Amazon, CreateSpace, Kobo, Barnes&Noble and iTunes without breaking the bank. If you have a book ready to go, or are thinking of what to do after you finish your work in progress, this is the group for you. Those aspiring to a traditional book publishing experience may also want to find out about self-publishing in order to weigh their options.

Inbound Marketing University is where you to go to learn why content is king and the business blog is still king of social media. You also learn from real-world case studies how to do inbound, aka content, marketing from professionals who have 'been there done that' again and again and .... Weekly training is offered up WEBINAR style until we reach critical mass. At which time, professional blogger Bill Belew, MBA marketing professor, published author and international in-demand speaker will com …

ADHD is as prevalent among grown-ups as children - and it's just as essential to manage the condition with a range of behavioral, organizational and other techniques. This is a support group for adults with ADD/ADHD and people who suspect they might have ADHD due to issues with procrastination, organization and time management. We usually meet 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month to discuss challenges and share information and experiences in a supportive environment. …

Taught by Bob and Cheryl Moeller, married for 32 years with 6 kids, one daughter-in-law, one son-in-law, and one grandson. www.forkeepsministries.com. A group of Christian Singles together to learn about what the Bible has to say about Christian relationships whether you are single or single again. Singles attend that are unattached or attached (dating, courting, engaged).  Topics may vary but are always from God's Word (The Bible). It usually begins with a dinner at a restaurant where you can g …

This group for those for those in the Bdsm lifestyle. Adults only. I have been in the lifestyle for 10 years but I know its hard for others to find others this the place to find others in the lifestyle. this group is talking and learning about bdsm or looking for a partner for a long Term Relationship.the book 50 shades of grey is a little off people have rights and a mind of their own.bdsm is not all about sex its about bonding and like marriage.you need to earn some one trust Just as theirs. I …

You're invited to join like minds in preserving what our founding fathers established in the Constitution. If you're unsettled, uneasy or just disgusted with the direction our country is headed...we're here for you. 9/12 stands for the day after Sept. 11, 2001 when we as a country came together putting aside our political affiliations for the betterment of the United States of America. It also represents the following... THE 9 PRINCIPLES 1. America is good. 2. I believe in God and He is the c …

In this group, we discuss where the church is or should be going in the 21st century. We will explore numerous authors, worship expressions, and ideas for the church. We will read and discuss one book per month from authors in the Emergent Church movement. If you are interested in learning and sharing input on what you think the church should be, then come join us! All faith backgrounds are welcome!

We meet twice a month to discuss designated during the taping of Insight Radio.  (If you have not listened, here is the last show:  Insight Radio is looking for guests for our next show on current events.  Here are recent shows: Guest: Fran Hawthorne, Author of Ethical Chic: The Inside Story of the Companies We Think We Love. Award-winning journalist Fran Hawthorne has been a writer or editor at Fortune, BusinessWeek, Institutional Investor, Crane's and other publications. She is the author of …

First and foremost: We are not a critique group. We are not a workshop group. We are a group of writers who get together to...just write. This is a group that meets to WRITE, to socialize, and to offer encouragement and inspiration to others as we practice our craft. We're focused on the process, not the product.  Writing can be a solitary activity...but it doesn't have to be. This is a group where the focus is actually on DOING the work as opposed to critiquing already finished works. I found s …

Welcome fellow writers (or aspiring writers). Whether you are just starting out, coming back to writing after years away, or an accomplished writer this group is for you. We meet the 1st Monday of the month at the Culver's off of I-94 on Hwy 20 in Sturtevant, WI. to discuss ideas, critique work, and encourage one another. Just as with writing, this group is a work in progress and will undergo revisions as needed. We know that you all are busy but to keep our membership current we ask that you ch …

This is a group for adults in the DeKalb area who are serious about writing.  If you want helpful readings of your work from other writers, and if you'd like to read others' writing-in-progress, this is a great opportunity.  We welcome any creative genres (poetry, memoir, fiction, creative non-fiction, screenwriting, etc.)--but not academic-style writing intended for academic journals. Our goal is to create a positive, encouraging, honest, and fun atmosphere that is consistent enough to build tr …

A group for writers in Lake Conty, IL. Write-Ins held on various days at various times and locations. This is not a critique circle, just a group for people with an interest in or passion for writing to get together and write.  All levels welcome from newbies to published authors.

Join us at City Lit Books where we regularly host events and discussions with local authors. Have an idea for an event? Let us know!

The Chicago Tao Cultivators seeks to explore the ironic, absurb and penetratingly insightful gentle "way" of wisdom - and hopefully in the process reach the end of logic and enjoy a really good laugh. Taoism can signify an unknowable and emphemeral cosmology - the "Void" - out of which every experience and being is born. But it can also reflect the smaller notion of understanding one's own nature as captured by the concept of "the uncarved block." Seemingly both simple and enigmatic, the writing …

Do you live in the western suburbs? Are you looking to meet some new people and discuss some interesting books? If so, this group is for you! We're hoping to meet other readers in their 20's, 30's and 40's for some lively discussion at local coffee houses or bars. The hosts of this meetup group live in Naperville and Downers Grove, so meetup spots will be in that general area. We'll plan out the first 3 books and then we're hoping new members will submit some recommendations of their own so we c …

If you’ve seen the critically acclaimed Peter Joseph independent film, Zeitgeist The Movie, and are curious and/or intrigued by the information presented in Part 1 of the three-part film, and would like to be part of a discussion to learn more, join us! Whether you call yourself a mythicist, atheist or agnostic – we’re just looking for people who want to share their knowledge or learn more about how ancient religions have influenced some of the major religions of today’s modern age. Our goal is …

Join us as we explore the question of the century - "Where Is Your Village?" We'll share how we can surthrive here in The Age of Climate Crisis...live the beautiful life, the conservation lifestyle...give our whole selves to the people and places you love most...and forge a new way forward, past the tipping point of "400 ppm ghg." Don't know what that means? Come discover its critical importance to your life. BIG™ is an award-winning economic development organization based in West Woodlawn …

Mystery, Thriller, Romantic Suspense and Dark Fiction Conference. The Coolest Crime Scene Happens Every February in Chicago - Plead Guilty and Be There. For writers - February in Chicago is the hottest time of the year! Agents, publishers, Master Classes, forensic professionals, weapons experts, essential panels, presentations, and elbows to rub--the perfect antidote for whatever ails writers at every level. Love is Murder--be freezin' for a reason and come ready to advance your career and …