Full Year Calendar
Use these links to easily navigate through the calendar below:
| Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter | ||||||
| September | October | November | January | February | March | April | May | June |
Spring Quarter
Asian Pop-Up Cinema at The Block Museum
April 3 - April 11, 5:30pm CT | The Block Museum of Art, 40 Arts Cir Dr, Evanston, IL
Asian Pop-Up Cinema is proud to bring four films from China, India, Japan, and South Korea respectively to Block Cinema at Northwestern University’s Evanston campus: MY FAVORITE LOVE STORY (2023), DRIFTING FLOWERS, FLOWING DAYS (2022), SHANKAR'S FAIRIES (2021), and THE COFFIN PAINTER (2021).
These Asian Films highlight family relationships with the backdrop of changing societies. These films are free and open to the public.
Past Lives Screening
April 4, 7:00pm - 9:00pm CT | McCormick Auditorium, Norris University Center, 1999 Campus Dr, Evanston, IL 60208
KASA, A&O, and One Book One Northwestern present a special screening of Celine Song's Academy Award-nominated film, Past Lives, in which Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny.
Sponsored by KASA, A&O, and One Book One Northwestern.
One Book One Northwestern Crying in H Mart-inspired Reading
April 5, 6:30 pm CT | 405 Church Street, Evanston, IL
Current creative writing students and alumni from the MFA in Prose and Poetry and MA in Writing Programs at SPS will read original work that echoes some of the major chords of this year's One Book One Northwestern selection, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. Featured readers will include Amanda Dee, Nicole Schnitzler, Jared Spitz, Sara Verstynen, and Laura Zhang. Free and open to the public.
Sponsored by the Northwestern MFA in Prose and Poetry and MA in Writing Programs at SPS.
Carrying Our Ghosts: Writing In and Through Grief
April 10, 5:00pm - 6:30pm CT | AASP Seminar Room, Crowe 1-132
Grief is a complex and long-lasting emotion--yet one that we are often told we should get over quickly. In this time of individual, communal, and global loss, writing can provide a way to learn how to live with the things that haunt us. In this workshop, suitable for all levels, we will read examples and practice building our own narratives of grief. Open to NU students.
Sponsored by the English Department and Asian American Studies.
A Poetry Reading by Sun Yung Shin and a Piano Recital by Shirley Yoo
April 11, 5 PM | Seabury 2122 Performance Hall
Sun Yung Shin was born in Seoul, Korea and was raised in the Chicago area. She is a poet, writer, and cultural worker. She is the editor of What We Hunger For: Refugee and Immigrant Stories on Food and Family (2021) and of A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota, author of poetry collections The Wet Hex (winner of the Midland Authors Society Award for Poetry and finalist for a Minnesota Book Award); Unbearable Splendor (finalist for the 2017 PEN USA Literary Award for Poetry, winner of the 2016 Minnesota Book Award for poetry); Rough, and Savage; and Skirt Full of Black (winner of the 2007 Asian American Literary Award for poetry), co-editor of Outsiders Within: Writing on Transracial Adoption, and author of bilingual illustrated book for children Cooper’s Lesson and picture book Where We Come From, co-written with Diane Wilson, Shannon Gibney, and John Coy. Her forthcoming picture book, Revolutions are Made of Love: Grace Lee Boggs and James Boggs, co-written with Mélina Mangal, will be published in 2025. She is a teaching artist with the Minnesota Prison Writing Project and elsewhere. She is a former MacDowell fellow and has received grants from the Bush Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, and the Minnesota State Arts Board. She lives in Minneapolis where she co-directs the community organization Poetry Asylum with poet Su Hwang.
Heralded by the Washington Post as a pianist with “extraordinary sensitivity and technical skill,” Shirley Yoo has performed internationally at venues such as the Tata Theatre, Mumbai; Arts Center, Seoul; Penderecki Festival, Banff; Societa Filarmonica, Trento; and Steinway Hall, London. Her numerous performances in the United States include radio broadcasts of solo and chamber recitals on WQED and WQLN. Recognized as the top prizewinner for her solo performance in such competitions as the Pennsylvania Federation of Music Clubs, the National Society of Arts and Letters, and the Kosciuszko Foundation’s National Chopin Competition, Yoo is also passionate about chamber music. She was a founding member of the Annapolis Chamber Players, an ensemble of winds, strings and two pianos. Additionally, she was a founding core member of League of the Unsound Sound (LotUS), a chamber group dedicated to performing contemporary and experimental music. In spring 2011, their first season, the Washington Post reviewed their concert at Catholic University and called her playing “a spectacular performance […] that really stole the show.” She has also collaborated with members of So Percussion performing contemporary repertoire for two pianos and percussion. In the fall of 2012, New World Records released “Circadian Rhythms,” on which she performed works by Mathew Rosenblum.
Sponsored by the Poetry and Poetics Colloquium and the Department of English.
Music for Life: Emerging Local Artists: Jake Gatsby and Paolo Apuli in Discussion and performance
April 12, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Deering Library, Room 208, 1937 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL
Jake Gatsby, Filipino-American rap/songwriter and Paolo Apuli, Filipino-American blues/pop artist will be in conversation about their musical journey. Live performance by each artist separately. Nitasha Sharma, Director of Asian American Studies/Co-Director of CRES will moderate the discussion.
Sponsored by Asian American Studies, the Council for Race and Ethnic Studies (CRES), Northwestern Alumni Association, Jack Kang, and Kaibigan.
MFA Collaboration Series: The Aliens
April 12 to April 14, Multiple Times | 1949 Campus Drive, Wirtz Box Office, Hal & Martha Hyer Wallis Theater
Two men sit behind a Vermont coffee shop in the bright sun. Then, a nervous high schooler arrives. Annie Baker’s The Aliens, a 2010 Obie Award winner of Best New American Play, is a quiet study of loneliness and connection. It’s a delicate play about friendship, isolation, music, and Bukowski.
Sponsored by Northwestern MFA Programs.
Korean Adoption and Its Global Legacies: 70 Years and Beyond
April 13, 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM | Harris Hall 107, 1881 Sheridan Rd.
Korean Adoption and Its Global Legacies: 70 Years and Beyond is a two-day conference that reflects on the origin and legacies of the world’s largest transnational adoption program seventy years after its inception. Bringing together scholars, activists, adopted individuals, first families, journalists and filmmakers, it offers new perspectives that challenge and expand our understanding of adoption’s beginnings in the context of war and militarism, while exploring present-day consequences of South Korea’s industrialized adoption practices on adopted Koreans and their first families.
Between Goodbyes Film Program
April 13, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Fisk Hall 217, 1845 Sheridan Rd
The evening cultural program will feature a presentation with film clips from Korean adoptee filmmaker, Jota Mun, Director of the new documentary Between Goodbyes, and the film’s participant, Mieke Murkes, followed by a discussion and Q&A (www.betweengoodbyes.com).
Sponsored by: Council for Race and Ethnic Studies, Initiative for Comparative Race and Diaspora, N. W. Harris Lecture Fund, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program, Program in Critical Theory, Department of Anthropology, Department of Sociology, Department of Political Science, Program in Comparative Literary Studies, Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, and Asian American Studies Program.
NPEP Student Book Discussion
April 15, All Day | Logan Correctional Center, 1096 1350th St, Lincoln, IL, 62656
Trip to Logan Correctional Center to facilitate a book group discussion on "Crying in Hmart"by Michelle Zauner with the NPEP students.
Sponsored by the Northwestern Prison Education Program.
Gallery Talk: Crying in H Mart
April 18, 12:30pm - 1:30pm | The Block Museum of Art, Leffman Gallery
Join Block Museum staff for an in-person talk considering an artwork from the Block’s collection that reflects on the complexities of love, family, identity, and grief—themes central to the 2023–24 One Book One Northwestern selection, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner.
Sponsored by the Block Museum of Art.
How to Know the Wildflowers: A Map
April 19 to April 28, Multiple Times | Ethel M. Barber Theater, 30 Arts Circle Drive., Evanston, IL 60208
A theatrical ritual of communal healing, this multi-disciplinary piece is inspired by the first field guide for flowers in America called How to Know the Wild Flowers by Mrs. William Starr Dana. (Frances Theodora Parsons) It was published in 1893, three years after the Russian flu pandemic of 1890 took the life of Frances’ husband. It was her long walks in the woods cataloging wildflowers that allowed Frances to heal her grief. Drawing from her life story, the rich poetic language of her guidebook, and contemporary stories and songs of nature, this is a buoyant, imaginative celebration of the beauty surrounding and sustaining us and a journey out of grief.
Cross Cultural Culinary Creations
April 30, 5:00 PM | Parkes Hall, Room 112
Please join us for a discussion about food, culture, and community with two of Chicago’s most vibrant chefs. Margaret Pak’s love for the southwest Indian coastal cuisine of Kerala drives her ongoing journey as a chef and owner of the restaurant Thattu, which was voted one of American's best restaurants by the New York Times in 2023. Jaye Fong, the one-woman baker behind Maa Maa Dei (@maa.maa.dei), creates pastries rooted in her Chinese American upbringing, and was voted Chicago Tribune Reader's Choice for Best Virtual Restaurant/Pop-Up 2022. Asian American Studies Professor and One Book Faculty Chair Ji-Yeon Yuh will be in conversation with the two chefs. Samples of their creations will be provided after the talk.
Cooking Demonstration for AHEAD
May 9, 5:00 - 6:00 PM | Parkes Hall, Room 112
Cooking demonstaration for AHEAD by Ji-Yeon Yuh. Extra thick rice noodles with beef and vegetables, with tofu as the vegan variation.
Sponsored by AHEAD.
MFA Collaboration Series: Durango
May 10 to May 12, Multiple Times | 1949 Campus Drive, Wirtz Box Office, Hal & Martha Hyer Wallis Theater
To the outside world, the Lee boys look perfect: The eldest son, Isaac, is headed to medical school, and his younger brother, Jimmy, is a champion swimmer. But when their single father, Boo-seng, is suddenly fired, he decides to take the family on a road trip to Durango, Colorado. As they near their destination, tempers flare, old wounds reopen, and secrets are revealed. Durango is the story of the identity crisis of second-generation immigrants, an immigrant breadwinner who sacrificed everything for his family in pursuit of the American Dream, and the coming of age of an immigrant family.
Sponsored by Northwestern MFA Programs.
Intergenerational Storytelling Event
May 14, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Deering Library, Room 208, 1937 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL
One Book One Northwestern is hosting our annual intergenerational storytelling event. Connecting with the themes of this year's One Book selection, “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner. Zauner’s book is about the loss of her mother, their shared love for Korean food and being biracial as an Asian American. We invite you to join us either as an audience member or a storytell. Light refreshments will be provided.
Sponsored by the Theatre Department and OLLI.
Winter Quarter
Crying in H Mart: Online Collection Talk
January 18, 12:30 pm - 1:00 pm CT | Online
Join Block Museum staff for a talk considering an artwork from the Block’s collection that reflects on the complexities of love, family, identity, and grief—themes central to the 2023–24 One Book One Northwestern selection, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. This talk will be led by Corinne Granof, Academic Curator, who will be taking a close look at Max Kahn's print, Noah at the Table.
Sponsored by the Block Museum of Art.
What is Behind N. Korea’s Shock Policy Change toward S. Korea?
January 18 | Inside Story
Inside Story did an episode on January 17th on North Korea in which History Professor and One Book faculty chair, Ji-Yeon Yuh, was one of three experts interviewed. Episode is linked here.
One Book Photo Contest
January 19, 6:00 pm | Online
Connecting with the themes of this year's One Book selection, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, One Book One Northwestern is hosting a What Looks Like Home photo contest. We invite you to submit an image and explanation by Monday, January 8, 2024.
Sponsored by One Book One Northwestern.
Death Over Cake
January 23, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm CT | Parkes Hall Room 122
Reservations are required.
How we want to die represents the most important and costly conversation America isn’t having. We have created an uplifting, interactive adventure that transforms this seemingly difficult conversation into one of deep engagement, insight, and empowerment. We are gathering the Shepard family to fill a table. Let's talk about it –so we can lean into any fears we might have, get rid of inhibitions, and build deeper connections. To learn more about this one-of-a-kind project, visit http://deathoverdinner.org/. We welcome and encourage members of all faiths and belief systems to attend.
What Looks Like Home Photo Contest Exhibit
January 26, All Day | Northwestern University Main Library One South
Main Library One South Connecting with the themes of this year's One Book selection, "Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner, One Book One Northwestern is hosting a What Looks like Home photo contest. Check on the student submissions and vote on your favorite images on Facebook. This exhibit will be up in the main library for the winter quarter.
Sponsored by One Book One Northwestern.
KAffee House
January 27, 1-4pm | Deering 208
Northwestern KASA presents… KAffee House! Think NPR Tiny Desk meets popup cafe. Join us on Saturday, January 27th in Deering 208 for live acoustic performances and Korean cafe-inspired drinks. KAffee house is perfect if you want to take a quick break from schoolwork. It’s THE place if you need a change in study scenery. Come find us on the 1st floor of Deering, and we’ll have a latte waiting.
Sponsored by KASA
Discussion: SCOTUS / Affirmative Action with OiYan Poon
February 1, 12:30PM - 2:00PM | Annenberg Hall, Room G02, 2120 Campus Dr., Evanston, IL
To attend in person, register here. To attend via Zoom, register here.
Scholar and author OiYan Poon will lead a conversation about race, education, and leadership for a diverse democracy in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to strike down race-conscious college admissions.
Sponsored by the School of Education and Social Policy
2024 One Book Photo Contest Reception
February 1, 5:00PM - 6:00PM | 1South, Main Library, 1970 Campus Dr., Evanston, IL
RSVP here by Tuesday, January 30th at 5 PM CST.
You are invited to the One Book Photo Contest reception! We will unveil the photo entries from the 2024 One Book Photo Contest inspired by our 2023-24 One Book, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. Food and drinks will be served. Everyone is welcome, and we encourage all photo contest entrants to attend!
Connecting with the themes of this year's One Book selection, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, One Book One Northwestern hosted a What Looks like Home photo contest. Check out the student submissions and vote on your favorite images on Facebook here.
Sponsored by One Book One Northwestern.
Korean-themed concert to be held at Northwestern University
February 4 @ 2:00 CST - 6:00 CST | Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, Illinois.
The Sejong Cultural Society will hold a concert of Korean-themed music on Sunday, February 4 at 2 p.m. with a 4 p.m. reception, at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. The concert will be comprised of required pieces used in the Society’s annual music competition. Tickets are $30 (students $10).
2024 Chinese New Year Gala
February 10, 6:30PM - 9:00PM | Ryan Auditorium, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60201
This Spring Festival, Join NUCSSA and NUCISA to welcome a time of joy, warmth, and reunion. Let this winter be full of warmth and laughter!
Sponsored by NUCSSA and NUCISA.
2024 Lunar New Year Event
February 11, 6:00PM - 7:30PM | Parkes Hall
Celebrate Lunar New Year with CSA, KASA, HKSA, and TASA! There will be free food, activities, and prizes. Come find us before the food runs out!
Sponsored by CSA, KASA, HKSA, and TASA.
Suite Spot - Learn about the Lunar New Year
February 15, 3:30 pm CT | Parkes Hall Room 120
Join the RSL staff and specially invited guests for community & conversation. Learn about the Lunar New Year before the field trip to the Argyle Lunar New Year celebration. Coffee, tea, and Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome.
Sponsored by Religious & Spiritual Life
Inviting the Muses: Dictée Marathon Reading and Collaborative Collage
February 16, 2 pm CT | Hagstrum Room
Please join the Poetry and Poetics Colloquium, the Asian American Studies Program, and One Book One Northwestern in ringing in the birthday of poet Theresa Hak Kyung Cha! We will be celebrating the life and work of the poet by performing an abridged, marathon reading of Cha's magnum opus, Dictée, which will be followed by a collaborative art-making session. The event will take place at 2pm on Friday, February 16, in the Hagstrum Room (University Hall 201). Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
To RSVP, please fill out this form and indicate your preferences for which sections of Dictée you'd like to read from; we will assign excerpts to folks accordingly. Printouts of readings and art materials will be provided on the day of the event. Any questions or recommendations may be directed to Ryan Nhu (rnhu@u.northwestern.edu) or Dawn Angelicca Barcelona (DawnBarcelona2026@u.northwestern.edu).
Sponsored by the Poetry and Poetics Colloquium, the Asian American Studies Program, and One Book One Northwestern.
MFA Collaboration: The Clean House
February 16 to February 18, Multiple Times |1949 Campus Drive, Wirtz Box Office, Hal & Martha Hyer Wallis Theater
2003-2004 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Winner, 2005 Pulitzer Prize in Drama Finalist.
“The Clean House,” by prolific playwright Sarah Ruhl, takes us into a world of rich magical realism that explores love, family, and death. Lane, a career-oriented doctor, hires a comedian from Brazil to keep her pristine house clean. As their lives, cultures, and families begin to intertwine, chaos ensues, and love blooms. This funny, tender play has poetry, stand-up comedy, magical realism, absurdism, myth, and a soaring sense of romance.
Sponsored by Northwestern MFA.
2024 Argyle Lunar New Year Celebration
February 17, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm CT | Argyle & Winthrop (TBD)
Join Uptown United on Argyle Street in 2024 as Uptown continues its annual tradition going back 40+ years of celebrating the Lunar New Year! To welcome the Year of the Dragon, we’ll be hosting the Lunar New Year Parade on Saturday, February 17th (kick-off at 1:00 pm sharp at Argyle & Winthrop) featuring 20+ local community groups, cultural institutions, dancers, and performers! In addition, a number of local organizations are planning pop-ups with family-friendly activities.
Sponsored by Religious & Spiritual Life, Student Organizations & Activities, Wildcat Welcome, and One Book One Northwestern.
“Exploring Crying in H Mart: Case Studies for Facilitating Meaningful Dialogue in the Classroom”
February 22, 10:00 am - 11:30 am CT | Online
Navigating complex topics like grief, family dynamics, and cultural identities in a classroom setting can feel overwhelming. In this interactive session, we will use the tenets of intergroup dialogue, intercultural theory, and trauma-informed pedagogy to prepare for confidently facilitating brave and meaningful dialogue. Excerpts from Crying in H Mart will be used for case studies to reflect on, observe, and practice facilitation approaches.
Sponsored by the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching; Facilitated by Laura Ferdinand, Postdoctoral Fellow, and Eun Sandoval-Lee, Inclusive Teaching Project Administrator.
The Space Between Us: 2024 Asian American Short Film Showcase
February 22, 7:00 pm CT | Annie May Swift Hall, 1920 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60201
Family dynamics are central to the four short films selected for this year's Asian American Short Film Showcase. Although different in style, storylines, and genre, these shorts Little Sky by Jess X. Chen, The Mess We're In by Jamie Lam, My Mother's Daughter by Flo Singer, and All the Ways to Say I Love You by Maya Wanner all traverse emotionally charged territory to move beyond family trauma and show the possibility for healing and connection.
The screening will be followed by a discussion moderated by Pritzker Pucker Studio Lab Director Ines Sommer, featuring panelists:
Helen Cho, Visiting Assistant Professor, Asian American Studies Program, Northwestern University; Huu Ly, film programmer, Foundation for Asian American Independent Media; Maya Wanner, filmmaker, Northwestern University, MFA in Documentary Media alumna; Qianhui Zhang, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, CAPS, Northwestern University
Sponsored by the Pritzker Pucker Studio Lab, Asian American Studies Program, Counseling and Psychological Services, and the Foundation for Asian American Independent Media.
Record Painting
February 23, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm CT | ARTica, Norris University Center, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60201
Come give records a new life with the One Book team at the ARTica studio in Norris! One Book One Northwestern will provide unusable, scratched up records for you to create your own artwork on (see this link for an example). We will also have a Japanese Breakfast listening party, inspired by our 2023/24 One Book, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner.
Sponsored by One Book One Northwestern.
Geographies of Korean Diasporic Communities: Exploring the Northern Chicago Suburbs
February 24, 11:34 AM - 3:45 PM | Center for Civic Engagement, 1813 Hinman Avenue
Join Professors Ji-Yeon Yuh and Helen Cho and the Center for Civic Engagement on a bus tour to the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago. We will journey through Glenview’s “Koreatown” — with a stop for Korean corn dogs (FREE!) — and spend time learning from Prof. Yuh about the Korean community’s movement from the city to suburbs such as Glenview, Northbrook, and Schaumburg. At the KCCoC, we will learn about the center’s role as a cultural access point for the Korean diasporic community and experience a live, interactive demo from the Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago’s Soribeat, a youth Korean music ensemble.
Sponsored by Asian American Studies.
Dittmar Dinner — Swept Up in the Korean Wave: Feeling and Belonging in the Korean Diaspora
February 28, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm CT | Norris University Center G/F Dittmar Gallery
Reservations are required. Register here.
Come join us for a talk and dinner with Professor Helen Cho. In the age of BTS, Koreaboos, and Crying in H Mart, how does increased visibility shape the Korean diaspora’s relationship to their identity? Join us for dinner and an informal discussion about navigating the boundaries of Korean-ness and how we make sense of belonging and home. Space is limited. Reservations are required.
Sponsored by One Book One Northwestern.
Screening of “Liquor Store Dreams” with the Filmmakers present for discussion.
February 29, 7:00 pm CT | The Block Museum of Art, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL
LIQUOR STORE DREAMS offers an intimate portrait of the lives of Korean American liquor store owners and their second-generation ‘liquor store babies.’ Using a lens of relationality and solidarity, the documentary opens space for tough intergenerational conversations about immigration, class, race, and mental health. Join us for a screening and candid conversation with filmmaker So Yun Um and Skid Row Peoples’ Market owner Danny Park.
Sponsored by the Asian American Studies Program, the Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, and the Block Museum of Art.
An Evening of Poetry Readings and Conversation with Victoria Chang and Jenny Xie
March 5, 5:00 pm CT | University Hall, Hagstrum Room, UH 215, 1897 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208
Victoria Chang’s forthcoming book of poems, With My Back to the World, will be published in 2024 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux and Corsair Books in the U.K. Her most recent book of poetry, The Trees Witness Everything, was published by Copper Canyon Press and Corsair Books in the U.K. in 2022, and was named one of the Best Books of 2022 by the New Yorker and The Guardian. Her nonfiction book, Dear Memory (Milkweed Editions), was published in 2021 and was named a favorite nonfiction book of 2021 by Electric Literature and Kirkus. OBIT (Copper Canyon Press, 2020), her most recent poetry book, was named a New York Times Notable Book, a Time Must-Read Book, and received the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in Poetry, and the PEN/Voelcker Award. It was also longlisted for a National Book Award and named a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Griffin International Poetry Prize. She has also received a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Chowdhury Prize in Literature. She serves as the Bourne Chair in Poetry at Georgia Tech and Director of Poetry@Tech.
Jenny Xie was born in Anhui province, China. She is the author of EYE LEVEL, a finalist for the National Book Award and the recipient of the Walt Whitman Award of the Academy of American Poets and the Holmes National Poetry Prize from Princeton University, and THE RUPTURE TENSE, a finalist for the National Book Award and the CLMP Firecracker Award. Her chapbook, NOWHERE TO ARRIVE, received the Drinking Gourd Prize. She has been supported by fellowships and grants from Civitella Ranieri Foundation, Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, Kundiman, New York Foundation for the Arts, the Vilcek Foundation, and the Jerome Foundation. She has taught at Princeton and NYU, and is currently assistant professor of Written Arts at Bard College. She lives in New York City.
Sponsored by the Poetry and Poetics Colloquium, with co-sponsorship from the Department of English.
KASA Winter Speaker — Sora Lee
March 7, 7:00 pm | Harris 107
KASA is so excited to announce that Sora Lee is our 2024 Winter Speaker!
Come hear Sora talk all things love, career, and life at our Winter Speaker event on March 7th at 7pm in Harris 107!
Sponsored by KASA.
2024 International Women's Day Program
March 8, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Virtual
On March 8th every year, women celebrate the International Women’ Day all over the world. This year’s theme is “inspire inclusion”. The goal is to raise awareness about discrimination; and to motivate people everywhere to push for the building of a world that is free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable and INCLUSIVE, and one where difference is valued and celebrated. Join the Women’s Center on March 8th, as we virtually welcome Ayda Ad Astra to our community. Ayda Ad Astra is the head and founder of Unconventional Counseling. Their work supports QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous and People of Color), and gender expansive people. Ayda Ad Astra’s conversation will center on challenges of being non-binary in a conservative culture.
Sponsored by the Women's Center.
A Little Truth: Fact and Fiction in Family Photography
March 20 to July 7 | TBD
Drawing from The Block’s collection, this intimate exhibition weaves together personal snapshots and work by artists who have integrated family photography into their visual language. By incorporating family photographs into their artwork in various ways, these artists make visible some of the memories, realities, and complexities that might lie beneath the facades of family photography.
Fall Quarter
Crying in H Mart: Virtual Artwork Exhibit
Recurring throughout 2023-2024 Academic Year | Online
This selection of artworks from The Block’s collection adds to the conversation by highlighting artists who use different strategies to reflect on the complexities of love, family, identity, and grief.
Sponsored by the Block Museum of Art.
Baked! Theo Ubique's Next Serving
September 7 to October 8, varied times | Theo Ubique Theatre, 721 Howard St., Evanston, IL 60202
Baked! The Musical is an all-new, all-Asian musical about failure, family, and weed. When she doesn’t receive the scholarship for her dream school, habitual overachiever Jane Huang, with the help of her best friend, builds the greatest drug empire ever run by high schoolers. Kept in the dark are Jane’s parents, whose inability to cope with their daughter leaving for college while maintaining a profit at their struggling Chinese bakery, drives them to pry and potentially unravel Jane’s web of lies. Baked! The Musical is a reflection on failure, self-worth, and the question of what we owe the people we love.
Sponsored by the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre.
Northwestern Night at the Art Institute
September 21, 5:00pm - 8:00pm CT | Main Entrance, 111 S Mich Ave, Chicago IL
All Northwestern Wildcardholders AND their guests enjoy free admission to the museum. 5:30pm A tour of art inspired by the 2023-24 One Book selection Crying in H Mart — 6:30pm Fall Equinox themed tour. Free Ventra rides between Evanston/museum for undergraduate on-campus residents. Details will be available from Residential Area leadership.
Sponsored by Student Affairs.
Otto Frank
October 5 to October 7, 7:30pm - 9:30pm CT | Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for Performing and Media Arts, Chicago Campus, Abbott Hall, 710 N. DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Created and performed by Roger Guenveur Smith. Sound design by Marc Anthony Thompson.
Obie Award-winning collaborators Roger Guenveur Smith and Marc Anthony Thompson have devised a new work inspired by Otto Frank, father of diarist Anne Frank. Smith’s intimate meditation, scored live by Thompson, illuminates our present moment through a rigorous interrogation of our not-so-distant past. Smith’s version of Frank addresses his daughter beyond her time and his own, navigating his loss as the only survivor of his immediate family and negotiating his subsequent service to the living and the dead as the steward of her work.
Sponsored by the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for Performing and Media Arts.
Queencard: K-Dance Workshop
October 8, 1:15 PM CT | Henry Crown Sports Pavilion, Studio 1B, 2311 Campus Dr., Evanston, IL 60208
K-Dance, a student-led K-Pop dance group, is hosting a workshop where all levels of experience are welcome. The class will be taught by Brynae Hall. Come learn, dance, and have a good time!
Sponsored by K-Dance.
Crying in H Mart: Online Collection Talk
October 12, 12:30pm - 1:00pm CT | Online
Join Block Museum staff for a talk considering an artwork from the Block’s collection that reflects on the complexities of love, family, identity, and grief—themes central to the 2023–24 One Book One Northwestern selection, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. Open to the public!
Sponsored by the Block Museum of Art.
Diwali: Illumination
October 12 to October 13, 12:30pm - 1:00pm CT | Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601
Mandala Arts presents a new approach to its annual celebration of Diwali in this world premiere. The evening-length work combines contemporary dance, jazz, ballet, and inspiration from South Asian dance genres to depict the victory of light over darkness using the power of the four elements—water, air, earth, and fire. Acclaimed jazz musician Fareed Haque provides an original Indo-jazz score. Directed by Mandal Arts Founder and Executive Artistic Director Pranita Nayar and choreographed by Nejla Yatkin with the dancers.
Sponsored by Mandala South Asian Performing Arts.
One Book Special Menu (Elder)
October 16 to 20, Lunch and Dinner Hours | Elder Dining Hall, 2400 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL 60201
We’ll be serving kimchi fried rice with fried egg and nori, japchae-glass noodle stir fry and beef bulgogi at Elder Dining Hall’s United Table Station all week for lunch and dinner.
Sponsored by NU Dining.
One Book Special Menu (Other Dining Halls)
October 18, Lunch Hours | Allison Dining Hall, 1820 Chicago Ave., Evanston, IL 60201 — Foster Walker Dining Hall, 1927 Orrington Ave., Evanston, IL 60201 — Sargent Dining Hall, 2245 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL 60201
Enjoy Korean dishes inspired by Crying in H Mart.
Sponsored by NU Dining.
One Book Teaching Kitchen
October 18, 11:30 AM - 1 PM | Elder Dining Hall, 2400 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL 60201
Join us for a special kimchi teaching kitchen. A Korean cuisine staple, we’ll show you how to assemble and prepare your very own kimchi from scratch. Learn about the significance of kimchi in Korean food as well as the gut health benefits associated with this favorite.
Sponsored by NU Dining.
2023 One Book Keynote with Michelle Zauner in conversation with History Professor Ji-Yeon Yuh — Chicago Campus
October 18, 12:00pm - 1:00pm CT | Robert H Lurie Medical Research Center, Hughes Auditorium, 303 E. Superior, Chicago, IL 60611
Please join us for the One Book lunch keynote with Michelle Zauner, author of NYT bestseller Crying in H Mart in Hughes Auditorium, Lurie 1-133 (303 E Superior St, Chicago IL). Zauner will be joined in conversation with One Book faculty chair and History professor Ji-Yeon Yuh. A book signing and buffet lunch will follow the keynote conversation in Potocsnak Family Atrium. This event is free and open to the public.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President.
2023 One Book Keynote with Michelle Zauner in conversation with History Professor Ji-Yeon Yuh — Evanston Campus
October 18, 5:00pm - 6:30pm CT | Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson Street, Evanston, IL 60208 Evanston
Register for tickets via the Norris Box Office.
Please join us for the One Book keynote with Michelle Zauner, author of NYT bestseller memoir, Crying in H Mart. She will be joined in conversation with One Book faculty chair and History professor Ji-Yeon Yuh. A book signing will follow the keynote conversation. This event is free and open to the public. Tickets on sale September 15.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President.
Kimiko Hahn Poetry Reading
October 19, 5:00pm - 6:00pm CT | University Hall, Hagstrum Room, UH 215, 1897 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208
Kimiko Hahn is the author of ten books of poems, including: Foreign Bodies (W. W. Norton, 2020); Brain Fever (WWN, 2014), and Toxic Flora (WWN, 2010), both collections prompted by science; The Narrow Road to the Interior (WWN, 2006) a collection that takes its title from Basho’s famous poetic journal; The Unbearable Heart (Kaya, 1996), which received an American Book Award; Earshot (Hanging Loose Press, 1992), which was awarded the Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Prize and an Association of Asian American Studies Literature Award.
Sponsored by the English Department.
Field Trip to H Mart!
October 22, 10:30am - 1:00pm CT | 801 Civic Center Drive, Niles IL
Sign up to visit our local H Mart in Niles, IL. Tour the store, eat the many delicious Korean prepared food at the food court and have the chance to grocery shop for your favorite recipe or use one of our recipes to try at home. Free transportation and lunch will be provided. Grocery shopping cost will not be covered. This event is for STUDENTS only.
Sponsored by One Book One Northwestern.
Finding Me in My Community
October 25, 5:00pm - 6:00pm CT | University Hall, Room 201 (Hagstrum Rm), 1897 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208
In this workshop/discussion, students will reflect on who they are as individuals in terms of their cultural and relational values with the support of CAPS staff. The CAPS presenters will also introduce the idea of an individualistic and collectivistic sense of self. The students are encouraged to explore the idea of an interdependent self and how it can show up in their relationships. Participants will have the chance to do an activity that will help them further gain insight into their sense of self in relation to their community.
Sponsored by CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services).
Kevin Pang with Special Guest Rick Bayless: A Very Chinese Cookbook
October 26, 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston, IL 60201
Food writer Kevin Pang will be in Evanston this week for a talk about their new A Very Chinese Cookbook, moderated by chef Rick Bayless. "It’s truly one of the best cookbooks of the year, and one you will turn to again and again," writes RoundTable food critic Julie Chernoff.
Sponsored by Bookends & Beginnings.
Confessions of a Cockney Temple Dancer
October 26 to October 28, 7:30pm - 9:30pm | Abbott Hall, Room 203, 710 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611
Conceived, Created, and Performed by Shane Shambhu
We all present different faces to the world, but some are more different than most. In this funny and visually stunning one-person show, Shane Shambhu reveals the secret life he kept from his school friends while growing up in the cultural melting pot of East London while training in the Indian performing art of Bharatanatyam. Combining physical theatre, spoken word, Indian dance, film, and an original score, this coming-of-age story draws on creator Shane Shambhu’s lived experience, capturing the multiple identities that the children of migrants develop growing up in the UK, showing one face at home and another to the outside world.
Sponsored by the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for Performing and Media Arts.
“From Tears to Cheers”: H Mart Korean Snack Sale
November 6, 11:00am - 3:00pm CT | Norris University Center and the Rock
Join the Korean American Student Association at Norris and the Rock for a flavor-packed journey through the aisles of H Mart. KASA will be selling a selection of irresistible treats inspired by the 2023/24 One Book, "Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner. Come by Norris or the Rock to browse and purchase H Mart snacks, meet KASA members and familiarize yourself with H Mart's snack offerings!
Sponsored by KASA (Korean American Student Association).
Exploring Crying in H Mart: Case Studies for Facilitating Meaningful Dialogue in the Classroom
November 8, 10:00am - 11:30am CT | Online
Navigating complex topics like grief, family dynamics, and cultural identities in a classroom setting can feel overwhelming. In this interactive session, we will use the tenets of intergroup dialogue, intercultural theory, and trauma-informed pedagogy to prepare for confidently facilitating brave and meaningful dialogue. Excerpts from Crying in H Mart will be used for case studies to reflect on, observe, and practice facilitation approaches.
Sponsored by the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching; Facilitated by Laura Ferdinand, Postdoctoral Fellow, and Eun Sandoval-Lee, Inclusive Teaching Specialist.
TEAACH Act Panel
November 8, 5:00pm - 6:30pm | Crowe Hall 1-132, 1860 Campus Dr., Evanston, IL 60201
In Illinois, the 2021 signing of the TEAACH (Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History) Act made the state one of the first to require public elementary and high schools to teach Asian American history as part of their curriculum. This panel convenes activists and educators for a lively conversation on the challenges and opportunities of implementing unfunded legislation.
Sponsored by the Asian American Studies Program, Center for Civic Engagement, and the Kaplan Humanities Scholars Program.
Exploring Identity and Family Stories Through Food: Dittmar Dinner with author, journalist and Professor Cheryl Tan
November 9, 5:30pm -7:00pm | Norris University Center G/F Dittmar Gallery
Join us for a buffet dinner and talk with Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, Medill's inaugural George R.R. Martin Chair in Storytelling. Tan will explore how food can be a powerful vehicle for telling your personal story about family and ethnic identity, through a discussion of "A Tiger in the Kitchen," her memoir of learning about her late grandmother in Singapore by learning how to cook, as well as the Northwestern One Book selection "Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner. Space is limited.
Sponsored by the Dittmar Gallery, the Medill School of Journalism, and One Book One Northwestern.
HANA Center Field Trip
November 11, 10:30am - 1:00pm | 4300 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
Join One Book and the Asian American Studies program to visit HANA Center in Chicago. HANA Center is a Chicagoland immigrant justice organization serving Korean and Asian American populations, as well as other immigrant communities, through hosting Chicago youth programs, advocating for immigrant rights, supporting elders, offering free multilingual legal services to immigrants, and more.
HANA Center staff will provide a tour of HANA's building and an overview of HANA Center's history and current programming. Lunch will be served on-site after the tour, where the staff will also host a Q&A. This is a students-only program. Bus transportation will be provided between campus and HANA Center's building.
Sponsored by One Book One Northwestern.
We Are Waiting for You: Grief and Loss in the Korean Diaspora
November 16, 5:00pm - 6:30pm | Harris 108, 1881 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL 60208
Dr. Jinah Kim will examine the rhetoric and embodied performance of mourning by "Sewol Parents" in this talk. She develops the idea of insurgent melancholia to explain their role in moving a nation and the Korean diaspora across the Pacific, including fueling the Democratic movment to impeach Korea's first female president, Park Geun Hye, in 2017. Dr. Kim will also discuss grief and the art of loss in broader Korean diasporic cultural productions. Dr. Elizabeth Son (Northwestern) and Dr. Joshua Takano Chambers-Letson (Northwestern) will serve as discussants.
Sponsored by One Book One Northwestern, Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, Program in Critical Theory, Program in Comparative Literary Studies, Asian American Studies Program, and the Council for Race and Ethnicity Studies.
“What Tastes Like Home?” Cookbook Launch
November 20, 5:00pm - 7:30pm | Parkes Hall Room 122
Come join the One Book student team as they launch their cookbook of recipes that capture what tastes like home to them. Samples of the food and a cookbook of recipes will be provided.
Sponsored by One Book One Northwestern.
One Book Kimchi-Making Workshop
November 30, 6:00pm - 7:30pm CT | Location TBD
Garrett Professor Anne Joh will lead a kimchi-making workshop and talk about the meaning of kimchi for you and your family and the history of kimchi. Each student will take home a mason jar of homemade kimchi.
Sponsored by One Book One Northwestern and Residential Services.