Caxton Club upcoming events

Celebrate Poetry, Meet and Engage with Newly-appointed Chicago Poet Laureate, Mayda del Valle (05/20/2026)

Wed, 20 May 2026 22:30:00 GMT

May Evening Program

Caxton Club, Chicago Collections Consortium, and the Union League Library & Archives Committee are jointly sponsoring an evening with Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle. Mayda del Valle was selected as Chicago’s Poet Laureate earlier this year, serving a two-year term. She has been featured in a number of publications, including Urban Latino, The Smithsonian Magazine, and The New York Times. A reception begins at 5:30 followed by remarks by del Valle starting at 6:15.

Mayda del Valle is a Chicago-born writer and multidisciplinary artist whose work lives at the intersection of poetry, performance, memory, and community. Rooted in the Puerto Rican diaspora and shaped by hip-hop, movement, and visual art, her practice transforms personal history into shared ritual.

Whether on stage, in classrooms, or in public space, she creates work that invites people to see themselves reflected, work that asks us to remember where we come from, and imagine what we can build together.

Reception with appetizers 5:30 PM CT. Presentation 6:15. Club members: remember to bring your Caxton badge.

Transportation to the Union League Club at 65 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago.

The Union League Club is easily accessible through many public transportation methods. Additionally, the following options are available for those who wish to travel by cab or car.

The Union League Club front desk offers a connection to cab service through Curb. The desk will call cabs for members and all guests while allowing riders to remain inside until the cab arrives. No curb side wait. Cabs will accept all payment forms, following the payment procedures you experience with a street-hailed cab.

If you are traveling by car, the Union League Club offers valet parking for Caxton events at $35.00. You must register and prepay in advance through the Caxton Club.

Spot Hero is an independent parking option, generally offering spots at the 318 S. Federal Street garage adjacent to the Union League Club. You may reserve and pay for a guaranteed parking spot through the Spot Hero app or website (spothero.com).

Caxton Club All Virtual Annual Meeting (05/21/2026)

Thu, 21 May 2026 23:30:00 GMT

May Evening Program

Please join us to help move the Caxton Club forward! The annual meeting will feature a recap of the previous year by President Rudy Altergott, a financial update by Treasurer Jeff Jahns, and the election of our 2029 Council Class. The meeting will be held via Zoom.

Slate for Council Class of 2029 (click here for biographies):

Tad Boehmer

Mary Brockmiller

Cait Coker

Eddie Olewinski

Roger Rudich

Register to hear the presentation and cast your vote for the 2029 Council Class. Your attendance is important to ensure a quorum, and we encourage the participation of every member. Please welcome this new group of leaders and say thank you to our outgoing Council Class.

Vintage meeting announcements from the club’s files will be mailed to those who attend the meeting.

If you are unable to attend the annual meeting, watch for a forthcoming email with instructions on casting your ballot.

Zoom–Julie Tanaka on Is This a Book? The University of Washington Library’s Book Arts Collection (06/12/2026)

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT

June Midday Program

Young Lochinvar is come out of the west … which is great, because that leaves plenty of room for us to head to Seattle to enjoy a virtual visit to the University of Washington’s superb book arts collection, which includes historical and modern pieces encompassing all aspects of the physical book.

Whether you’re a fan of typography, paper making, letterpress and offset printing, illustration, book design, paper decoration, calligraphy, sculptural and conceptional work, or artist’s books, you’ll find them on the shores of Union and Portage Bays.

We’ll be going behind the scenes, thanks to the good offices of Julie Tanaka, Associate Dean for Distinctive Collections at the UW Library. As a special treat for Caxtonians, her generously illustrated talk will reveal highlights of the collection and give attendees a first look at the library’s latest acquisitions. It’s like being first on the red carpet on opening night!

Join the pack and run with the big dogs to what promises to be a howling good time. Register today for this unique Zoom only program!

Please forward this notice to anyone who may find it of interest.

Even if you can’t attend at the scheduled time, if you’re interested, please register. After the program, we’ll send an email to all registrants, asking if you’d like a link to the complete recording. That way you can see the program even if you couldn’t attend live, ran into technical issues, or simply wanted to watch it again.

Zoom – Michèle V. Cloonan on The Visionary Bookseller Alice Millard (1873–1938) and Her Chicago Beginnings (06/17/2026)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 23:30:00 GMT

June Evening Program

Alice Parsons Millard (1873–1938) was largely self-educated. She was from a modest background, but she became an urbane, internationally known antiquarian bookseller when almost no women worked at the high end of the trade. This talk will focus on her beginnings in Chicago where she met and married George M. Millard, a notable bookseller and one of the founders of the Caxton Club. She was involved in the Arts and Crafts Movement and the Chicago Woman’s Club, and knew Frank Lloyd Wright, who designed two homes for her: one in Highland Park for her and George, and, much later, one for her in Pasadena. Although she later ran her business in Pasadena, California, her intellectual roots were in Chicago.

Michèle V. Cloonan is Professor and Dean Emerita in the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons University, USA, where she continues to advise doctoral students and conduct research. Prior to that she was associate professor and chair in the Department of Information Studies at UCLA. Before she became a professor, she was a librarian at the Newberry Library, Brown University, and Smith College. She has been a leader in LIS education and is a former president of the Association for Library & Information Science Education.

Please forward this notice to anyone who may find it of interest.