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Word Weekend Wrap-Up

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Last month we celebrated all forms of words and language during Word Weekend (Jul 26–27). From letterpress printing and a small-publisher book fair, to concerts and choirs, to graffiti murals and workshops, Chicago’s diverse and active literary community took center stage at the MCA. Enjoy some of the highlights from the weekend.

Jesse Malmed leads a choir during Word Weekend. Look for “Be Loud, Be Bold,” published earlier on MCA DNA by Jesse Malmed, Photo: Joshua Longbrake, © MCA Chicago.
The audience creates the mood and tone of the choir just as much as the conductor, Photo: Joshua Longbrake, MCA Chicago.
The Graffiti Institute hosted a competition for the best interpretation of the letters MCA by an artist. This was the winning design. Tubsz Illa produced this large-scale version in our entryway. Photo: Abraham Ritchie, © MCA Chicago.
The Graffiti Institute also asked for the best interpretation of the letters MCA in legible graffiti. King legit 21 created this large-scale piece on our terrace. Photo: Joshua Longbrake, © MCA Chicago.
Featuring comedians Rebecca O'Neil, Timothy Barnes, and activist Suey Park, and organized by Homeroom with Fred Sasaki and Seth Vanek, this evening program titled Racist Jokes 101 looked at the words we use to talk about race and racism, © MCA Chicago.
1,001 Chicago Afternoons and Anthology of Chicago hosted authors all weekend-long to discuss Chicago’s various neighborhoods in new ways. Photo: Joshua Longbrake, © MCA Chicago.
Printers Ball and Chicago Small-Publishers Book Fair hosted a weekend-long zine and book fest, Photo: Joshua Longbrake, © MCA Chicago.
Chicago’s greatest competitive reading series, Write Club, hosted three bouts of two opposing writers with two opposing ideas. Each writer has seven minutes. The audience picks the winner. It’s literature as blood sport, Photo © MCA Chicago.
Spudnik Press Cooperative set up shop at the MCA with a Lineoscribe Proofing Press from the 1940s and helped visitors make their own letterpress prints, Photo: Joshua Longbrake, © MCA Chicago.
Also known as telephone pictionary, Writesy Drawsy has been a popular party game for years. During Word Weekend, Robbie Q. Telfer brought it to the MCA Plaza, © MCA Chicago.
Shhh! The Secret Sticker Club met at an undisclosed location at the MCA, Photo: Abraham Ritchie, © MCA Chicago.
Steppenwolf presented a full reading of This is Modern Art, a world preview commissioned for Steppenwolf for Young Adults, written by acclaimed playwright Idris Goodwin and Louder than a Bomb founder Kevin Coval, Photo © MCA Chicago.

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