Here’s to another week of literary events to warm your chilled January heart!

The very first on the list is our very own Academy Chicago Publishers! Get your drink on, sit back and hear authors Dr. Cory Franklin, Terri Paul and Daniel Greenstone read from their recently published works on Sunday, January 20th at the Black Rock Pub & Kitchen, 7 pm, 3614 N. Damen Ave.

What better way to spend your MLK Day than to give back to the community? Essay Fiesta is hosting their monthly non-fiction essay reading at the Book Cellar, and you have a chance to enter in a raffle that benefits 826CHI, an organization that supports grade through high school students in their creative writing pursuits. Be there or be square on Monday, January 21st at the Book Cellar, 7 pm, 4736 N. Lincoln Avenue in Ravenswood.

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr Day, Dominican University will be presenting a lecture given by anti-racist activist Tim Wise, author of numerous books, including White Like Me: Reflections on Race From a Privileged Son. Wise is a true visionary and advocate for change and has lectured nationally – so this is an event you won’t want to miss! Tuesday, January 22nd at Dominican University’s Martin Recital Hall, 6 pm, 7900 W. Division St in River Forest.

So you probably ride the “L” every day…but who ever actually thinks about the history behind that rumbling, grumbling, winding, clanking, groaning piece of machinery? Greg Borzo sure does, and he’s even written a book about it titled The Chicago “L.” He’ll be chatting about the history behind Chicago’s cable cars on Thursday, January 24th at the Harold Washington Library, 6 pm, 400 S. State St.

Well, that’s it for this week, folks! Stay dry, warm and well-read.