Caxton Club upcoming events

Zoom – Jack Lynch on The First English Dictionary? (10/09/2026)

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT

October Midday Program

Here’s a little quiz:

Who was the second person to walk on the moon?

What is Milorad Čavić’s distinction?

Are you ready to Buzz in and name Buzz Aldrin as the second human being to step down onto the lunar surface?

Or did you think of the one one-hundredth of a second that was the difference between Čavić’s Olympic silver medal in the 100 meter butterfly and Michael Phelps’s seventh gold?

We tend to think of firsts first. When it comes to dictionaries, Samuel Johnson — a towering and highly quotable figure — is often thought to have broken the tape. But did he? Or is his remarkable contribution to the history of lexicography much more than just being first to the printer?

Join us as Jack Lynch explores the history of the books that often have a home right on our desks … or linger in the background on our computers, regularly interrupting to auto-correct even when it makes us scream, “No! Don’t do that. I meant that!”

Jack is a distinguished professor of English at Rutgers University-Newark and a noted Johnson scholar. Much published, he is the author of The Age of Elizabeth in the Age of Johnson (Cambridge University Press) and has written and edited a host of other academic and trade works about Samuel Johnson.

Here’s your chance to be first! Touch the wall, break the tape, raise dust on the moon, and register now for this entertaining and generously illustrated 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.

Meet and Mingle among Books (10/21/2026)

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Meet and mingle with fellow Caxton Club members in the Library Lounge at D4 Irish Pub & Cafe. This is an opportunity to socialize with old friends and meet new members, too.

The Evening Program and Membership committees have reserved the Library Lounge from 5:30 until 7:30 pm. There will be a buffet of select appetizers. Full beverage service available at additional cost. Happy hour drink specials including draft beer, house wines, and Stoli cocktails available from 5:30 to 6:00.

D4, named after Dublin’s tony zip code, Dublin 4, brings a taste of Dublin to Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood.

Remember to bring your Caxton badge. Register today.

Parking Spot Hero is an independent parking option, generally offering spots at the The Streeter Parking Garage directly above the restaurant with entrance on Ohio St. or Grand Ave. There are other garages nearby. You may reserve and pay for a guaranteed parking spot through the Spot Hero app or website (spothero.com).

On the Move | Newberry Library 2026 Rare Map and Book Fair (10/30/2026)

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 22:30:00 GMT

On the Move

Join us for the opening reception for the Rare Map and Book Fair at the Newberry Library followed by dinner at Somerset, where you will order the meal and drink of your own choosing and your own cost. You’ll enjoy camaraderie and share Rare Map and Book Fair finds.

The Newberry Library is hosting this rare map and book fair in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of the Chicago Map Society. You’ll have time to mingle, and shop leading map and book dealers from across the country.

Somerset brings the bold, vibrant spirit of the Mediterranean to the heart of the Gold Coast at Viceroy Chicago.

5:30 – 7:00 PM: Rare Map and Book Fair Opening Reception, Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., Chicago.

7:15 pm: Dinner seating at Somerset, 1112 N. State St. Order the meal and drink of your own choosing and your own cost.

$40 for opening reception at Newberry. Tickets will be held for attendees at the Newberry.

Reception and dinner limited to ten attendees.

Aimee Lee on Hanji’s Midwestern Migration (11/19/2026)

Thu, 19 Nov 2026 23:30:00 GMT

November Evening Program

After Aimee Lee first learned to make paper in Chicago in 2003, she became curious about the legacy of Korean papermaking. She learned to make hanji in Korea on a Fulbright fellowship (2008–2009) and returned to the US to build the first hanji studio in North America in Cleveland, and pen the first English-language book devoted wholly to hanji, Hanji Unfurled (The Legacy Press, 2012). Her 2021 Fulbright senior scholarship focused on making bamboo screens, the vital tool necessary to make hanji. This focus on the precarity of toolmakers in the field led to her second book, As Good as Our Tools (The Legacy Press, 2025). In this talk, Lee will share the arc of her career from Chicago to Korea to Ohio, and how the Midwest has shaped the possibilities for hand papermaking today.

Aimee Lee is a papermaking artist and culture bearer who advocates for Korean papermaking practices.

Reception 5:30 PM CT. Presentation 6:30. Dinner to follow. Registration includes menu choice of chicken or vegetarian entree. Club members: remember to bring your Caxton badge.

Book purchase

Registering for the program will allow you the opportunity to purchase copies of books (shown above ) for pick up on the night of the program. Books will not be offered for sale the night of the program.

Hanji Unfurled: $29.50

As Good as Our Tools: $39.00

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).