Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver was the 27th selection for One Book, One Chicago. The season’s program explored the book's central theme, Eat, Think, Grow.
From October 2016 through May 2017, we explored the theme from multiple perspectives, as recounted through personal experience, imagined in literature, presented in politics, or synthesized in music and art.
In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, you'll find a lively account of a family’s year of eating locally on their farm in Southern Appalachia, as they unearth the secret lives of vegetables and the unexpected satisfactions of knowing their food producers—and sometimes their dinner—on a first-name basis.
Events
The 2016-2017 One Book, One Chicago season featured a variety of events at Harold Washington Library Center, neighborhood library branches, and partner locations, as well as online digital programming.
Mainstage programs at Harold Washington Library Center included:
- My Family’s Table: Chicago Cooks Talk Food & Culture with Jocelyn Delk Adams (Grandbaby Cakes), Yvonne Maffei (My Halal Kitchen) and Anupy Singla (Indian For Everyone)
- Author Leanne Brown (Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $2/Day)
- Food Day Celebration screening of Food Patriots with talkback from filmmakers Jeff Spitz and Jennifer Amdur Spitz
- We Are Eating What? With Author Martha Rosenberg (Born With A Junk Food Deficiency)
- Opera On Tap presents Operatic Book Club: In The Kitchen performance
- Bee Thinking with Jill Reed
- Cookbook Author, Restauranteur and PBS Television Host Lidia Bastianich
- African American History Month Celebration: Seed Saving with Naomi Davis
- Trainer and Author Jen Widerstrom (Diet Right For Your Personality Type)
- Chefs of Chicago on Cooking and Culture with Carrie Nahabedian, Bill Kim and Amanda Puck
- Chef, Author and Food Activist Alice Waters
- Food and Origin panel discussion with Chicago Cultural Alliance and The Art Institute of Chicago
- Season Finale with Barbara Kingsolver and Steven L. Hopp (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle)
Additional small group programs at Harold Washington Library Center included:
- The Hidden Cost of Food with the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition
- The Accessible Pantry with Second Sense
- Urban Chickens
- Learning Circle: The Ethics of Eating
CPL neighborhood branch programs included:
- Book discussions on Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
- Five Ways to Preserve The Harvest with Emily Paster (Food Swap)
- Learn About The Global Garden Refugee Training Farm
- Coffee Roasting Basics with The Pursuit Supply Company
- Intro to Beer Brewing with The Pursuit Supply Company
- Dining Out in Chicago: A Breezy History from Beaubien’s Tavern to Tasting Menus with urbanologist Max Grinnell
- Moving, Making, Transporting and Consuming: The Past, Present and Future of Food in Chicago with urbanologist Max Grinnell
- Film screenings of Food Patriots
- A Tale of Three Wheats with Slow Food Chicago educator Heidi Hedeker
- What’s The Buzz About Beekeeping with Slow Food Chicago educator Naaman Gambill
- Blacks in Green presents: The Suitcase with Naomi Davis
- Cooking Matters with EverThrive Illinois
- Eat Healthy on a Budget with the Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion and the University of Illinois at Chicago (English and Spanish)
- Grow Your Groceries with the Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion and the University of Illinois at Chicago
- Cooking and Eating for a Halal and Healthy Lifestyle with Yvonne Maffei (My Halal Kitchen)
- Making a Chicago Farmers Market: How to Bring Fresh Foods To Your Community with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
- Chicago Botanic Garden presents Gardening As We Age
- How To Create A Great Backyard (For Not A Lotta Dough) with Amanda Thomsen (Kiss My Aster: A Graphic Guide to Creating A Fantastic Yard Totally Tailored To You)
- Weird Vegetables with Amanda Thomsen (Kiss My Aster: A Graphic Guide to Creating A Fantastic Yard Totally Tailored To You)
- Seed Starting with Amanda Thomsen (Kiss My Aster: A Graphic Guide to Creating A Fantastic Yard Totally Tailored To You)
- Neighborhood walking tours including: Dining Out in Chicago: A Walk Through Chicago’s Culinary Past; Italian Beef, White Table Cloth Dining and Other Culinary Delights: A Walk Down Taylor Street; Vittles & Vice: Chicago Dines Out in the 1950s; Lincoln Avenue: On Foot, For Food; Coffee Culture – Chicago Style; Going Green in West Town; Foodways on Food: Logan Square Now & Then; The Food Forward Ways of Lincoln Square; and Dining Out in Near North and the Gold Coast
- Seed and Plant Swap
- Vegetables Anywhere: How To Fit Farming Into Your Life
- The Spice House: The Lure and Lore of Spices
- Film Screening: Ratatouille
- Film Screening: Chocolat
- National Vegetarian Museum Lecture: The Personal and Ecological Benefits of Whole Plant Nutrition
- Film Screening: Julie & Julia
- Wine Smart with Anthony Minne
- Planning Your Edible Garden
- Oil and Vinegar
- How To Eat Like A Compassionate Carnivore
Community partner programming included:
- DePaul University Chicago’s Department of English studied the One Book, One Chicago selection and theme through their One Book, One Chicago course, as well as through several on campus programs
- Harold Washington College, a community college of Chicago, presented a class where they studied the One Book, One Chicago selection and theme and presented several on campus programs
- Loyola University Chicago presented an on campus book discussion of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
- The Art Institute of Chicago presented an on site program, Setting The Table, in the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries, followed by a gallery walk and talk
Art Exhibits
Art exhibits included:
- Beer Chicago: The Refreshing History
- But Wait… There’s More! The Irresistible Appeal and Spiel of Ronco and Popeil!
Traveling art exhibit:
OBOC partnered with the National Vegetarian Museum to present “What Does It Mean To Be Vegetarian?”, the debut exhibit of the museum, which will soon open in Chicago. The exhibit traveled to three neighborhood branch locations, and also included programs and related events.
Digital Programming
In addition to events, the season featured several innovative digital programs including:
- Twitter chats and reading sprints
- CHIRP Radio Listen While You Read Playlist
- CPL Blog
Further Reading
Check out some of our further reading recommendations:
- Further Fiction Reading: One Book, One Chicago 2016-2017
- Further Non-Fiction Reading: One Book, One Chicago 2016-2017
- Chef Bill Kim's Favorite Foodie Reads
- Chef Carrie Nahabedian's Favorite Foodie Reads
- Chicago Foodie Reads
- Celebrate Chicago's Many Cultures Through Ethnic Cookbooks
- What's the Buzz on Bees and Beekeeping?
Sponsors
The 2016-2017 One Book, One Chicago was presented by the City of Chicago, Chicago Public Library, the Chicago Public Library Foundation and sponsors The Chicago Community Trust, BMO Harris Bank and United.
Content last updated: April 30, 2017
