Entries Tagged as 'victoria lautman'

Richard Russo on Writers on the Record With Victoria Lautman

September 24th, 2009 · No Comments

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Richard Russo and Victoria Lautman, Harold Washington Library, The Loop, Chicago

Last night Richard Russo was the Season Six opener for a series of author interviews called Writers on the Record. The interviews are conducted by Victoria Lautman front of a live audience and then later broadcast on the radio at 98.7 WFMT.

I went to a few of these interviews years ago when they were held at the Looking Glass Theater. I saw Frank McCourt and Elizabeth Kostova there. And then? I don’t know. I guess I kind of forgot it existed for a few years, until I just happened to remember or come across it again recently.

I’m glad I went last night. Writers on the Record is now held at the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium at the Harold Washington Library. Which, by the way, was the first library in Chicago that I’ve been to. And they wouldn’t let me get a library card. That’s a different story, though. Anyway, Victoria is a fabulous interviewer and I’ve read 3 of Richard Russo’s books so I found it really interesting to hear some of the background and his writing process.

This has been quite the literary week for me. On Tuesday I finished the book Mysteries of Pittsburgh and Wednesday night I went to a reading at The Whistler. There were a bunch of writers from a site called The Nervous Breakdown who each read different pieces. Pretty entertaining, plus, who doesn’t love the drinks at The Whistler? Especially after a hard day?

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Elizabeth Kostova on Writers on the Record With Victoria Lautman

March 27th, 2006 · 3 Comments

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Victoria Lautman & Elizabeth Kostova, Magnificent Mile, Chicago

Since I’d had so much fun when Frank McCourt was on Writers on the Record with Victoria Lautman, I decided to see this month’s guest, Elizabeth Kostova. She’s the author of The Historian, one of my favorite books last year. Kostova took 10 years to write this book and it was interesting to hear how it came about and all the work she put into it. Also, I’ve emailled with Victoria Lautman but I hadn’t met her in person. I saw her hanging around the lobby before the show began and took the opportunity to introduce myself. Totally cool.

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Frank McCourt on Writers on the Record With Victoria Lautman

November 21st, 2005 · 7 Comments

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frank_mccourt_interview_close.jpg Victoria Lautman & Frank McCourt, Magnificent Mile, Chicago

Writers on the Record is a monthly literary series cosponsored by Chicago Magazine and 98.7WFMT and is hosted by the Looking Glass Theatre in the Water Tower Water Works. Victoria Lautman interviews authors before a live audience and it’s simultaneously broadcast on the radio. I noticed about a month ago that Frank McCourt was going to be the guest this month so I asked Kristin M. if she’d like to go with me.

I’ve been a fan of Frank McCourt’s since I read “Angela Ashes” a few years ago. The book tells of McCourt’s poverish upbringing in Limerick, Ireland and ends with him coming to America. After reading it I immediately went out and got the book “‘Tis,” which tells of his adventures after coming to America. McCourt was here promoting his latest book, his final memoir, “Teacher Man.” It’s the story of his adventures in teaching English in New York public schools.

McCourt is quite the character. Lautman, the interviewer, really only had to ask him like 3 questions for the whole hour interview. McCourt mostly talked story the entire time. He had the audience laughing with him all the while.

» Frank’s first teaching job in a kitchen (pt1) (.mov, 59 sec, 1mb)
» Frank’s first teaching job in a kitchen (pt2) (.mov, 59 sec, 1mb )
» Frank’s troubles trying to do his dissertation (.mov, 39 sec, 1.2mb)

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Rachelle & Frank McCourt, Magnificent Mile, Chicago

Afterwards there were books for sale (I’d already bought mine at Border’s last week for 30% off, score!) and Frank was available to sign them. I also asked if I could take a photo with him, which he said was fine. I mentioned that when I read “‘Tis” that I was living on Bedford at Downing in New York at the time. And of course, he said “I lived at 46 Downing” which was my point exactly. I remember freaking out when I read the address he lived at because I passed by his former apartment every day. I sent the photo to my dad, who’d read “Angela’s Ashes,” but I didn’t post the story or photo because the building was literally around the corner from my apartment and I didn’t want stalkers, but since I don’t live there now, here it is:

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46 Downing, West Village, Manhattan (taken 08.2003)

One more thing: I’ve seen the old historic water tower and the building across the street many times, but I never realized until today that they still are functioning and have water pipes and stuff in there.

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Water Tower Water Works, Magnificent Mile, Chicago

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