Rebecca Makkai’s novel, The Great Believers, has been lauded for its exquisite demonstration of “the effects of trauma, the joys of the fanciful, and the ways that we endure.” The novel, set in Chicago and Paris, shifts time periods to depict both the height of the ongoing American AIDS epidemic and its aftermath, both physical and emotional, on those who loved and lost during the worst of its ravages. A finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, as well as Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago, Makkai will discuss the power of fiction to excavate and reveal a more nuanced understanding of our shared histories. Makkai will be joined in conversation by Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune.

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This program is presented in partnership with the Chicago Tribune.

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