These premier events are made possible by the Woodridge Public Library's participation in Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Underground Railroad, The Nickel Boys, Harlem Shuffle, The Noble Hustle, Zone One, Sag Harbor, The Intuitionist, John Henry Days, Apex Hides the Hurt, and a collection of essays, Whitehead is only the fourth writer to win two Pulitzers in the Fiction category (for The Underground Railroad in 2017 and The Nickel Boys in 2020). His highly anticipated latest novel, Crook Manifesto, is a darkly funny tale of a city under siege, but also a sneakily searching portrait of the meaning of family.
Wednesday, September 6, 7pm
Stephen Graham Jones is the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians and Don’t Fear the Reaper. He was awarded an NEA fellowship and received several awards including the Ray Bradbury Award from the Los Angeles Times, the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the Jesse Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction, and the Alex Award from the American Library Association. He is the Ivena Baldwin Professor of English at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Wednesday, October 4, 7pm
Grace Lin is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author/illustrator of picture books, early readers, and middle grade novels.
Lin will discuss why she writes books for the youngest readers through middle graders, how she illustrates them, her latest Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods, and will lead an interactive drawing activity.
Tuesday, October 17, 7pm
Join Maya Camille Broussard, star of Netflix’s Bake Squad, owner of Chicago based Justice of the Pies, and cookbook author, for a demo from her kitchen. Just in time for Thanksgiving, Chef Maya-Camille will share her love of pie, stories of those that inspired her, and tips and tricks to help you make the perfect pie.
Wednesday, November 8, 7pm
Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, and co-host of the “Dear Therapists” podcast joins us for a thought-provoking conversation about mental health in anticipation of the winter holiday season.
Wednesday, December 6, 7pm