Join Read & Run Chicago, Gerber/Hart Library & Archives, and Betsy Tomszak of Books with Betsy on Thursday, January 16th, at 5:45 PM for a 3-mile running route inspired by Rebecca Makkai’s award-winning novel, The Great Believers with a post-run discussion at Ann Sather!
Lace up your running shoes (or hop on that bike) and get ready to explore the streets of Lakeview that set the backdrop for Fiona and Yale’s love, loss, and tragedy with guide Quinn Sluzenski. After the run, we’ll also hear directly from the LGBTQ elders and activists that would have been these characters’ contemporaries. This unique experience combines movement and literature, as we dive into the devastating and gripping world of The Great Believers and the real-life Chicago history behind it.
Learn more and get your tickets here!
Reading List:
Rebecca Makkai’s The Great Believers focuses on the early years of the AIDS crisis in Chicago. With many of the events of the book inspired by real-life events, we’ve compiled a guide of how you can learn more about 1980s LGBTQ+ Chicago at Gerber/Hart! This guide only scratches the surface – there is a lot more to be discovered, and if you’re interested in learning more, visit Gerber/Hart during our open hours or send us an email (info@gerberhart.org) to learn more!
So you want to learn more about Chicago and LGBTQ+ History?
A few of our favorite books! Browse the full Gerber/Hart Library Catalog here!
General Chicago LGBTQ+ History:
Queer Legacies by John D’Emilio
Out & Proud in Chicago edited by Tracy Baim
Chicago Whispers: A History of LGBT Chicago Before Stonewall by St. Sukie De La Croix
Out in Chicago: LGBT History at a Crossroads by Jill Austin and Jennifer Brier
Bars, Bathhouses, and Discos
Dugan’s Bistro and the Legend of the Bearded Lady by Owen Keehnen
Man’s Country: More than a Bathhouse by Owen Keehnen
Last Call Chicago: A History of 1,001 LGBTQ-Friendly Taverns, Haunts & Hangouts by Rick Karlin and St. Sukie De La Croix
Newspapers and Press
Gay press, gay power : the growth of LGBT community newspapers in America, edited by Tracy Baim
Paper cuts : My Life in Chicago’s Volatile LGBTQ Press by Rick Karlin.
Want to learn more about newspapers that inspired Out & Out and Out Loud?
Read issues and full runs of early LGBTQ+ Chicago Newspapers including:
Blazing Star
Chicago Gay Crusader
Chicago Gay Life
Lavender Woman
Windy City Times
Looking for first-hand accounts of people living with HIV or organizations fighting HIV?
Look at our archival collections! Full Archival Collection Guide Here.
In particular, we recommend:
Roland Peña papers – artist and activist, collection of personal letters and articles
Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN) – founded in 1987 to provide services for HIV-positive individuals
Howard Brown Health Center records – founded in 1974 and instrumental in early HIV healthcare in Chicago
Lorraine Sade Baskerville papers – HIV/AIDS case worker and founder of Chicago’s first transgender services organization TransGENESIS (learn more about Lorraine here)
Looking for photos and videos of this time?
A few places to start!
Online Resources
The 10% Show – monthly Chicago-based cable access news magazine that ran 20 episodes between 1989-1991. Full episodes on our website – episodes include coverage of ActUp Chicago
Chicago Pride Parade Footage – recordings of 1980s and 90s Chicago Pride Parades
Online Exhibits – especially recent exhibit on “Censoring Crisis on the CTA”
Archival Collections
Steve Starr Papers – photographer, writer, designer, and artist
Elaine Wessel – photographer active with Chicago Women’s Liberation Union
Lee A. Newell II papers – photographer and chairperson of Gay Horizons (many of his photos are housed at Chicago History Museum)
Other Ideas!
Browse through buttons and stickers – many of which feature AIDS activism
Check out a film from our library of early films discussing HIV/AIDS – ex: An Early Frost, And the Band Played On (view our full library catalog here)
Pamphlets and Ephemera! – info on a variety of Chicago groups, healthcare information, & more