Time was, this discussion was dominated by the ongoing bookstore wars, as the colossal chains Borders and Barnes & Noble seemingly invaded every nook in the city, challenging the survival of the city's most established independents. Then came the Internet, most notably Amazon.com, and soon both chain and independent fought for survival in the face of a faceless new foe. In the past year, we've read about the prospects of a major Borders retreat in the market and the closing of the Virgin Megastore and Tower Records, along with the near-death experience of one of Chicago's best-known independents, Women & Children First. Add to that the uncertain future of literary endeavors at the soon-to-be Zelled Tribune Company, and we can't help but note that we've entered perhaps the most tumultuous times yet for Chicago's literary community. Against that backdrop, we present the 2007 Lit 50, once again focusing less on the familiar faces gathering dust on the book jackets, and more on the often behind-the-shelves movers and shakers who keep the books in the stores and in our minds.



1. Oprah Winfrey
Say what you will about the literary merits of the big O’s Book Club, but the truth is, she’s often defied expectations with her selections, as evidenced by her big Faulkner package some time ago and the current pick, Cormac McCarthy’s "The Road." Winfrey indisputably holds a make-or-break power over the literary scene, from which she can make an underground star a national sensation (see: James Frey) or cut off a national sensation at the knees if he or she wrongs her (see: James Frey). Her latest coup? Scoring a TV interview with the wildly reclusive McCarthy, a first in his multi-decade career.

2. John Barr
Even after the mega-million Ruth Lilly bequest shot poetry and Poetry magazine into the financial stratosphere, it was still a bit of a shock when the former investment banker Barr took over as president of the newly formed Poetry Foundation shortly thereafter. He’s recently been treading controversial waters—last September he published an article in Poetry that basically called out American poets for a desire to only impress their peers, instead of the public, believing that attitude to be harmful to contemporary poetry at large and going so far as to say that current poetry lacks entertainment. He was chided by The New Yorker, then quickly defended by the New York Times. Look for the new "national home" of poetry to be erected at Dearborn and Superior by 2010, on land recently acquired by the Foundation.

3. Mary Dempsey
The Chicago Public Library Commissioner’s duty, day-in-and-out, is to keep books in our hands and hearts, and through various children’s programs—like the Summer Reading Program, Bookamania and Great Kids Read—and the second largest book club in the city, "One Book, One Chicago"—in which the latest selection is James Baldwin’s "Go Tell It to the Mountain"—she’s done just that. The Chicago Public Library Foundation also recently scored a million-dollar grant from Bank of America to fund free computer training to the public through the libraries.

4. Lawrence Weschler
Though he splits his time between Chicago and New York, Weschler’s work as artistic director of the Chicago Humanities Festival has helped to solidify—even more—its place as one of the city’s finest sources for criticism and discourse. (Last year’s "Peace and War"-themed fest was smashing.) The former New Yorker staffer won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism last year for "Everything That Rises: A Book of Convergences," a collection of his McSweeney’s Quarterly essays.

5. Amy Dickinson
Just when the news about books in Chicago seemed especially glum came the deal that shook the foundations. The Chicago Tribune columnist—who pens the "Ask Amy" advice column as successor to the late Ann Landers—scored an incredibly lucrative book deal from Hyperion last month. Two books, both memoirs—more than four million dollars. She must’ve led an interesting life. Or maybe it's just the 200 newspapers with 22 million readers, and the NPR gig with 3 million listeners, that sealed the deal.

6. Elizabeth Taylor
The former president of the National Book Critics Circle and now the literary editor of the Tribune and the editor of its Sunday magazine, Taylor’s made her mark on Chicago’s lit scene over the last few years, if not only from co-authoring the praised "American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley: His Battle for Chicago and the Nation." Taylor’s almost overexposed at this year’s Printer’s Row, scoring discussions with both Sara Paretsky and Studs Terkel, as well as with Andrew Ferguson and Ken Alder. Of course, her future's less certain than ever, with the recent Saturday shift of the Trib's Books section, either an interesting experiment or an act of desperation, and the sure-to-be-historic change in ownership of the Starship Tribune putting everything on the table.

7. Roger Ebert
It’s been a trying year for the Sun-Times movie critic due to his recovery from devastating illness, but the nation’s most-popular set of thumbs has recently gotten back to filing reviews weekly and, as he’s one of the country’s finest sources for film criticism, it’s a great relief. His new book, "Your Movie Sucks," features his musings on some films he, well, dislikes (apparently "I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie" wasn’t a strong enough title). Welcome back, Rog.

8. Joe Meno
The Chicago literary punk—author, teacher, playwright, journalist—scored huge with "Hairstyles of the Damned" a few years ago and again with last year’s "The Boy Detective Failed." Both are currently getting the Hollywood treatment, as Meno continues to play a major role in Columbia College’s fiction-writing department, which is emerging as one of the most convincing in the city, if not the country. Look for his next book, "Demons in the Spring," on shelves in 2008.

9. Keith Michael Fiels
As executive director, Fiels oversees the American Library Association, the largest–and oldest—such association in the world, boasting more than 60,000 members. The ALA publishes both Booklist and American Library magazines, grants a variety of annual book awards and even houses the seminal Office for Intellectual Freedom, headed by Judy Krug.

10. Don Barliant
The president of Barbara’s Bookstores scored huge when a deal was solidified to place five bookstores in O’Hare Airport. With locations in Macy’s—both here and in the Twin Cities—on the UIC campus and in Oak Park, the New Mexico-based Barliant, along with his Chicago guy Bob Bryant, have made Barbara’s a premier Chicago-blooded bookseller.

11. Linda DiMaggio
After Crain's broke the news in March that Borders was considering closing four of its Chicago locations, a shockwave hit the local lit scene. If Borders can be touched, who can’t? Either way, DiMaggio has her work cut out for her since, as the district manager of Borders, she oversees the city’s still-massive bookseller (while Barnes & Noble, on the other hand, has no DiMaggio-like counterpart).

12. Christian Wiman
The editor of Poetry magazine—and an accomplished poet himself, who authored "Hard Night" two years ago—has watched his publication’s readership more than double since 2005, making the prestigious journal even more popular. He encouraged John Barr to write his controversial "American Poetry in the New Century" essay for the magazine, a bold suggestion, even if it was to be penned by the Poetry Foundation’s president.

13. Mark Suchomel
The president of the Independent Publishers Group has seen a growth in sales almost every year since his 1998 ascension to the job, and the recent Trafalgar Square acquisition solidifies IPG’s rank as one of the top distributors in the country.

14. Cheryl Reed
The Sun-Times books editor recently called out the Trib for cutting and shifting around of its books coverage as only adding to the broader cultural problem of lit-loss. Bucking industry trends, during Reed’s reign at her paper, there’s been a significant growth in books coverage, especially in essential coverage of the local front.

15. Garry Wills
The Northwestern University historian and Pulitzer Prize winner has had a remarkably productive last few years, publishing multiple books since 2005, including "The Rosary," "Henry Adams and the Making of America" and "What Jesus Meant."

16. Lisa Buscani
Buscani took over for Kenneth Clarke as executive director of the Poetry Center in 2005, and since she has helped offer an impressive lineup of poets for its continual reading series (most recently, the award-winning Robert Bly). The Lip Reading Series held at The Spot every month highlights local emerging poets and spoken-word artists, and the "Hands on Stanzas" program has been nothing short of inspiring.

17. Brad Jonas
Powell’s Books has thrillingly cornered the used-bookstore market with three locations, spread widely throughout the city in Lakeview, South Loop and Hyde Park. The rare-book collection is even more grabbing, and the reading series at the Lakeview location has been impressive. Fearless leader Jonas extends the store's impact well beyond its retail operations, most notably with CIROBE, an international remainder and overstock books trade fair that he co-founded.

18. Jessa Crispin
The city’s popular book blogger is a daily read for anyone who’s lit-obsessed, as Bookslut.com has become a leading location for book news, reviews and author features. The monthly reading series at Hopleaf has expanded the Bookslut reach beyond the keyboard.

19. Curt and Linda Matthews
Possibly the most accomplished literary couple in Chicago—Curt is the founder and CEO of Chicago Review Press and Independent Publishers Group, while Linda is the director of Chicago Review Press. The press, under its four imprints, publishes nearly fifty new titles each year.

20. Donna Seaman
The host of WLUW’s "Open Books" and author of "Writers on the Air: Conversations about Books" is also an editor at Booklist. On top of that, she’s been known to review books for the Trib, the Los Angeles Times and Bookforum.

21. Paula Barker Duffy
The director of the University of Chicago Press—founded in 1891—oversees the publication of a variety of books and journals, including dictionaries and encyclopedias, plus books on art, science studies, religion, history and music, making it America's largest university press, with a staff of 300. After more than six years at the helm, however, Duffy is leaving her position come the end of June, and the university has yet to find a replacement.

22. Bill Ott
The ALA’s Booklist magazine delivers thousands of reviews of books, videos and audiobooks. Ott serves as editor of this century-old undertaking, and has seen his publication become one the country’s leading sources for both criticism and reference, particularly in helping libraries decide how to keep their shelves current.

23. Donna Shear
Shear took over the director position at Northwestern University Press in 2003, and since then publications released the press have won twenty awards. The press, dedicated to instilling "knowledge and further understanding of cultural, political, social, and community issues," has published such titles as "Challenging the Daley Machine: A Chicago Alderman's Memoir" by Leon M. Despres and Kenan Heise.

24. Haki Madhubuti
Third World Press had its humble beginnings in the basement of publisher Madhubuti’s apartment in Chicago, and since then has grown to publish works from essayist Amiri Baraka, scholar Chancellor Williams and renowned poet Gwendolyn Brooks. The press, now 40 years old, remains a prominent voice for black literature in Chicago and across the country.

25. Ellen Placey Wadey
As the executive director of the not-for-profit Guild Complex, Wadey oversees the various awards granted by the institution (including the Gwendolyn Brooks Awards), as well as the numerous programs, workshops and reading events.

26. Randy Albers
The Chair of Columbia College’s Fiction Writing Department saw his Story Week Festival of Writers turn 11 this March, landing heavyweight appearances from Jonathan Lethem, Anchee Min, John McNally and the great Salman Rushdie. Along with acting director Ann Hemenway, Albers oversees a teaching staff that includes Joe Meno, Shawn Shiflett and Sam Weller.

27. Owen Youngman
The senior vice president of strategy and development of the Chicago Tribune oversees the annual Printer’s Row Book Fair, as well as the RedEye, CLTV and Chicago magazine. This year’s Fair, as usual, has notable appearances, including Studs Terkel, Joyce Carol Oates and Sara Paretsky.

28. Aleksandar Hemon
The author of "The Question of Bruno" and "Nowhere Man"—also a frequent contributor to The New Yorker—plays a major part in Northwestern University’s creative-writing program as one of its instructors.

29. Elizabeth Crane
Crane’s incredibly charming "When the Messenger Is Hot" and "All This Heavenly Glory" proved her to be one of the city’s best new talents—the former gets a stage adaptation at Steppenwolf later his summer. Crane’s also a part of two major writing programs in the city, at both the University of Chicago and Northwestern.

30. Ivan R. Dee
Founded in 1988, Ivan R. Dee Publishing group publishes trade books in history, politics, biography, literature, philosophy and theater that are thought-provoking and controversial. The company, a model for successful small-press publishing, has been owned by The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group since 1997, but still operates out of Chicago where Ivan’s son, Alexander, serves as vice president of marketing.

31. Jim DeRogatis
The love-him-or-hate-him Sun-Times pop-music critic and columnist documented the psychedelic Flaming Lips in his "Staring at Sound" book in 2006. Up next for the "Sound Opinions" (Chicago Public Radio) co-host? "Sheperd Paine: The Life and Work of a Master Modeler and Military Historian," out this fall.

32. Mitch Rogatz
Founded by Rogatz in 1989, Triumph Books has evolved from a one-man operation to a leader in the sports-publishing world. In 2006, Triumph Books became an imprint of Random House Publishing Group, one of the largest book publishers in the world, but the press still operates from its original location on Printer’s Row.

33. Dominique Raccah
Raccah founded Sourcebooks twenty years ago this September, and has since raised quite a child. Leaving a corporate career in advertising behind, Raccah went out on her own and started a publishing company which began with a focus on the topic of banking, and has since spread to other areas of business, reference, parenting and more. Plus, from the newest imprint, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, it’s ventured into children’s books. Additionally, Raccah has received The Blue Chip Enterprise Award and was inducted into the University of Illinois Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.

34. Doug Seibold
The founder of Agate Publishing has covered significant ground in the five years since its launch. Last year, Seibold acquired Surrey Books, a 25-year-old publisher of books on food, dining and entertaining. Agate also owns Bolden Books, which publishes fiction and non-fiction about the African-American experience, and B2 Books, an imprint dedicated to publishing business-related non-fiction. And a recent launch, ProBooks, which does custom publishing for online universities, may be its most promising yet.

35. Gina Frangello
The ambitious Frangello—author of "My Sister’s Continent"—also acts as literary magazine Other Voices’ executive editor as well as for its brand new fiction imprint, OV Books.

36. Anne Elizabeth Moore
The creator of the famous "AnneZine" also serves as an editor at Punk Planet, has penned two books since 2004 and, perhaps most impressively, was tapped as the series editor for Houghton Mifflin’s "Best American Comics" books, essentially making her Chicago’s authority on comics.

37. Victoria Lautman
The print and radio journalist has a hit with the "Writers on the Record" series held at the Lookingglass Theater each month, bringing in high-profile authors from all over the world, including recent visits by Martin Amis and Anne Lamott.

38. Thomas Frisbie
The author and journalist serves as president of The Society of Midland Authors, an organization founded in 1915 that annually hands out its prestigious awards to, obviously, Midwestern authors. Last year’s recipients included Samrat Upadhyay and Roger Ebert. (Come July, Frisbie passes the baton to current VP Jim Merriner.)

39. S.L. Wisenberg
The author ("The Sweetheart Is In") and essayist serves as the co-director of the Master of Arts in Creative Writing program at Northwestern University, teaches in the Graham School at the University of Chicago and is the creative nonfiction editor of Another Chicago Magazine. Recently, she’s been known to blog on The Huffington Post.

40. Eric Kirsammer
The owner of both Quimby’s and Chicago Comics has the final say on Chicago’s underground lit, having a grip on two number-one destinations—one for left-of-center works, including local zines, and another for comic books and graphic novels.

41. Jay Schleusener, Candace Vogler
Schleusener and Vogler serve as co-directors of the University of Chicago’s Master of Arts Program in the Humanities, which not only offers master's courses in fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction, but also encourages study in other fields, including philosophy and art history.

42. Jack Cella
The general manager for both 57th Street Books and The University of Chicago’s Seminary Co-op Bookstore has been involved for more than three decades in the bookstore that many consider one of America's most singular. The Co-op boasts the city’s largest selection of books published by academia or university presses, catering directly to the Hyde Park community.

43. Ann Christopherson and Linda Bubon
Ahh, the power of persuasion. Or just of the heavy heart. Bubon and Christopherson sent out word not long ago that their Women & Children First Bookstore was headed under and that they needed a significant boast from loyalists. Thankfully, they got it, as the Andersonville bookstore has seen a more-than-hundred-percent increase in sales over the last month, keeping the essential shop alive.

44. Daniel Born
Born, the editor of Great Books’ The Common Review, oversees roughly 850 literature discussion groups in the U.S. and abroad as well as Great Books’ higher-education initiatives. The Common Review, which began in 2001, was nominated for an Utne Independent Press Award for best writing in 2006, and features, on staff, editors Achy Obejas and Joseph Parisi, among others.

45. Shinae Yoon
The executive director of Young Chicago Authors oversees the city’s most dedicated organization to teen writing and performance—YCA offers various free workshops to teens, all led by artists, and is behind the successful Louder Than a Bomb poetry slam.

46. Jonathan Messinger and Zach Dodson
Proof that your local DIY doesn’t go unnoticed—Messinger and Dodson, co-founders of Featherproof books, put out their first two perfect-bound novels last year. They also release frequent mini-books, which are downloadable for free on their Web site. Messinger also hosts The Dollar Store, the monthly reading series at Hideout, and oversees the books section at Time Out Chicago.

47. Sharon Woodhouse
In 1993, Sharon Woodhouse was trying to figure out a way to make money for grad school, and decided that founding a publishing company would be the way to do it. The result was Lake Claremont Press, the independent publishing company that covers all that is Chicago, specializing in publications about the city and its history.

48. Michael O’Leary and Devin Johnston
The editors of the poetry and short-fiction press Flood Editions, established in 2001, publish four books a year, and also put out the literary journal LVNG.

49. Emily Warn
Warn serves as editor of the year-old poetryfoundation.org, which features interviews with poets, reviews of books and an archive of more than 5,000 poems. Also, the site acts as a news source for all things poetry, furthering the cause and bringing poetry more and more into the spotlight. The spotlight just turned on this young enterprise, as it just won a Webby Award, the Internet's most prestigious, as the best in its category.

50. Joel Craig
The poet is also the co-founder and curator of the monthly Danny’s Reading Series, which helps put the spotlight on local poets and fiction writers (some national, too) and, by way of setting, succeeds in delivering literature’s necessary counterpart—booze.


The Lit 50 was written by Tom Lynch and Stephanie Ratanas.

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(2007-06-05)

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