Events Around Chicago
The Chicago Public Library hosts bestselling author Elizabeth Berg, who will read from her new book, The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation, at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 15 at the Bucktown-Wicker Park Library, 1701 N. Milwaukee Ave. The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted is a collection of contemporary stories that focus on women of all ages, teenage to 80-something. The stories deal with issues of dieting, body image, aging, love, loss, letting go and creating a new life. Berg is a novelist and New York Times bestselling author of many novels. She writes about issues and events that are pertinent to all women. Her first novel Durable Goods — a story about a 12-year-old girl dealing with the death of her mother — was named one of the Best Books of the Year by the American Library Association in 1993. For more information, visit the Web site at chicagopubliclibrary.org or call the Chicago Public Library Bucktown-Wicker Park Library at (312) 744-6022.
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Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) will present photos of the war-torn Darfur region by award-winning photographer Ron Haviv at an exhibition from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 9 at the Heartland Cafe, 700 N. Glenwood Ave. “The Children of Darfur” exhibition is free and will continue through Monday, May 12. Part of a nationwide tour, the exhibit of 36 photographs and a video show the daily horrors Darfuri children face as a result of the ongoing conflict, now entering its sixth year. More than 2.5 million people have been displaced by ethnic and political violence in the region and hundreds of thousands have died. Of the estimated four million people affected by the conflict in Darfur, 1.8 million are children under the age of 18. Haviv has covered conflict and humanitarian crises in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Russia and the Balkans. His photographs have appeared in Vanity Fair, Time and Newsweek, and he has won awards from World Press Photo, Picture of the Year and the Overseas Press Club.
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A variety of activities to mark Mother’s Day will be held Sunday, May 11 at Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Road, Brookfield At 11 a.m., Linda’s Dance Studio will kick off the celebration, entertaining the crowd and performing several dance routines at the zoo’s East Mall. Children musicians Candy Heitner, Anna Strange and Martha Jaramillo will perform at 1:30 p.m. Youngsters will hear a bilingual performance featuring sing-a-longs and finger plays. Las Guitarras de Espana will take the stage at 3 p.m. Members of the ensemble have roots in Brazil, Peru, Italy, Cuba, Mexico and Portugal and have performed in more than 30 countries. The Chicago Zoological Society’s Youth Volunteer Corps will host various arts and crafts for children. In addition, representatives from the Windy City Thunderbolts, Chicago Fire and Joliet Jackhammers will add to the atmosphere with their character mascots, inflatable games and interactive activities for kids. For more information on the Mother’s Day celebration and for a complete schedule of event, visit www.CZS.org.
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Men and women are being sought to be paid as extras for the feature film “Public Enemies,” directed by Michael Mann and starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. Residents are sought for upcoming scenes in Chicago. “Public Enemies” is set in the early 1930s and is about John Dillinger. To recreate the look, men and women have to fit specific size requirements and must be willing to get their hair cut if cast. Men must be 6’0 or under, and have a jacket size that is no larger than 44. The hairstyle at the time was long and not buzzed. Women must be 5’7 or under and not larger than a dress size of 10. Residents who are able to work for a day or two may call (312) 829-0140.
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The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice DNA Discovery Center has opened as a permanent exhibit at The Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive. The exhibit will allow guests to occasionally to speak to visiting scientists about DNA in a hands-on interactive genetics lab. For more details, call (312) 922-9410.