the pub.

Lit Night
2026-04-13 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | the pub house, 2150 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL, 60647
A monthly open mic: join us to share your poetry, short fiction, essays and other writing. Sign up for reading slots will begin 15 minutes before the event starts and we will have a brief break in the middle. We look forward to seeing you and listening to some wonderful writing. Hosted by Maxx Zenisek.

Spring Writers Group 2
2026-04-12 11:00 - 12:30, 2026-04-05 11:00 - 12:30 | the pub house, 2150 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL, 60647
A weekly writers’ group focused on creating community by mutually reading and discussing each other’s work. Each session will begin with a free write. This is very loose and allows for some flexibility for people to arrive after the start. After this, we will jump into the critique, which will be split into two sections. In Section One, the writer cannot speak and will listen to the initial reactions from everyone else in the group for 30 minutes. In Section Two, the author will have the opportunity to respond to the critique and ask any questions they would like clarification on. Both sections are very conversational! Fiction or creative nonfiction only (1500-3000 words). Hosted by Maxx Zenisek and Carly Travis.

This workshop session is currently FULL. Next sign up opens in June.

Midwest Reading Group
2026-04-11 13:00 - 15:00 | the pub house, 2150 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL, 60647
Do you love being a Midwesterner? Do you want to read difficult books and talk about them with other smart people? Join the pub‘s new biweekly Midwest Reading Group!

We’ll be reading Jon Lauck’s 2022 book The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest 1800-1900. Lauck charts the development of democratic ideals in the region from the organization of Ohio through just before WWI, aiming to tell a broad history of the regular working people who made up the region during that century. Lauck is the leader of the new revival of Midwestern Studies, and we’ll take to task the kind of new regional history he proposes. For Meeting 1, please read the Introduction, pages 1-19. Hosted by Lillian Lippold.Email midwestreadinggroup@gmail.com if you need help getting the reading (scanned pages).

Reading Schedule:

Session 1 – April 11: Pages 1-19. Introduction.

Session 2 – April 25: Pages 20-50. Chapter 1.

Session 3 – May 9: Pages 51-85. Chapter 2.

Session 4 – May 23: Pages 86-119. Chapter 3.

Session 5 – June 6: Pages 120-153. Chapter 4.

Session 6 – June 20: Pages 154-204. Chapter 5, through Conclusion.

Sign Up

Spring Writers Group 1
2026-04-11 09:30 - 11:00, 2026-04-04 09:30 - 11:00 | the pub house, 2150 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL, 60647

Collage Night
2026-04-09 18:00 - 21:00 | the pub house, 2150 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL, 60647
A community collage series aiming to create a small, cozy vibe to give folks a community to make art in. The goal is to just play around with collage making.

Materials are provided for collage, stencils, some lino cut, and general art supplies to work on collages. $5 suggested donation for supplies at the event. Hosted by Ian Fugett.

Chess Night
2026-04-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Bourgeois Pig Cafe, 738 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL, 60614
Get off chess.com and into a weekly group open to all chess players. Bring you friends, play strangers, and up your IRL rating! Bring your own set or borrow one. Hosted by Kian Jodlowski.
