Monthly Archive for September, 2006

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How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever with author Josh Karp

Sep ’06
12
12:00 am

Josh Karp author ofA Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy ForeverTuesday Sept. 12th 7PMfree
 
Join Josh Karp as he reads and signs his new book “A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever” a history/bio of the rise and fall of NL and its founder Doug Kenney – the golden boy of 1970s counterculture comedy – who wrote Animal House and Caddyshack before falling mysteriously to his death at the age of 33 in 1980. It’s published by Chicago Review Press.
 
The ultimate biography of National Lampoon and its cofounder Doug Kenney, this book offers the first complete history of the immensely popular magazine and its brilliant and eccentric characters. With wonderful stories of the comedy scene in New York City in the 1970s and National Lampoon?s place at the center of it, this chronicle shares how the magazine spawned a popular radio show and two long-running theatrical productions that helped launch the careers of John Belushi, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Gilda Radner and went on to inspire Saturday Night Live. More than 130 interviews were conducted with people connected to Kenney and the magazine, including Chevy Chase, John Hughes, P. J. O?Rourke, Tony Hendra, Sean Kelly, Chris Miller, and Bruce McCall. These interviews and behind-the-scenes stories about the making of both Animal House and Caddyshack help to capture the nostalgia, humor, and popular culture that National Lampoon inspires.
 
Josh Karp is an Evanston-based writer -his work has appeared in the Atlantic, Premiere, Salon, LA Times Sunday Magazine, TimeOut New York, the Sun-Times, Chicago Magazine and numerous other publications.
 
Check out www.dougkenney.com
 

Fractal Edge Press Night

Sep ’06
9
12:00 am

Fractal Edge Press presents a night of readings withFrancesco Levato,Lauren Levato andCharlie NewmanSaturday, September 9th, 8:00 PMFREE
 
Bios:
Francesco Levato is the author of Marginal State (Fractal Edge Press 2006), a collection of poetry. He is the founder of the Street Level Series, a reading series of poetry that engages social issues, and is the founding editor of the literary journal Ink & Ashes :: a journal of the senses. Some of his work has appeared in Witness: Anthology of Poetry (Serengeti Press); Out of Line; Poets Against the War; Voices in Wartime; Snow Monkey; Poems Niederngasse; and After Hours. His awards include a poetry fellowship from the Vermont Studio Center.
 
Writer, artist, and feminist activist Lauren Levato is literary editor for Ink & Ashes :: a journal of the senses, arts editor for PISTIL, and director of the 2006 Chicago Art Open. Her writing has appeared in After Hours, The Pedestal Magazine, Poetry Midwest, and Wicked Alice. She holds degrees in professional writing and women\\\’s studies from Purdue University and studied political journalism at Georgetown University. Her awards include a poetry fellowship from the Vermont Studio Center.
 
Charlie Newman was born in Newark, NJ in 1943. He started writing poetry in 1956. His 5th book and 3rd CD, deadmachinecity, was released by Fractal Edge Press in 2005. He?s performed at The U.N. Dialogue Through Poetry; Insomniacathon (2001, 2003, 2004); The New York Underground Music & Poetry Festival; The London International Poetry & Song Festival; ChicagoPoetry.com Poets Against The War; ChicagoPoetry.com Earth Day Event; ChicagoPoetry.com Chicago Poetry Fest (2003 & 2004); and ChicagoPoetry.com Caf? Cram 1, 2, 3 & 4. He hosts Tuesday night open mics at The Caf?, and 1st Friday poetry shows at DvA Gallery. He was named 1 of Top 15 in The Chicago Poetry Scene by Third Coast Press.
 
www.francescolevato.com
www.laurenlevato.com
www.fractaledgepress.com/CharlieNewmandeadmach.htm
www.fractaledgepress.com