We’re drooling over the candy great, newly-unveiled featherproof book covers, all designed by old pro Zach Dodson. Gawk at Patrick Somerville’s, above — and others, for works by Lindsay Hunter (omg it’s a cigarette case) and Christian TeBordo — at www.featherproof.com.

The post below just arrived in our inboxes — we think Harold’s talking about the reading at the Whistler (2421 N Milwaukee) on Monday, February 8th, 8pm. I mean, we’re pretty sure. — Eds.

TO: editors@literago.org
FROM: haroldray@gmail.com
SUBJ: Does Literago have nerves of steel?

The Encyclopedia Show moves for one night only to the Vittum Theatre, 1012 N Noble St. It’s happening on Wednesday, February 3 at 7:30 pm. Tickets $6 at the door. All ages. www.encyclopediashow.com Those are the facts, here’s the theme:

This Month – Series 2, Volume 6: Explorers

With music, poetry, visual art and spoken word on the topic: Explorers. Featuring contributors: Dave Awl (Author of What the Sea Means) Sacagawea, Cin Salach (Slam Legend) Gudridur Thorbjarnardottir, Derrick Brown (International Heart-throb, Founder of Write Bloody Press) Jacques Cousteau, Bob Boone (Founder of Young Chicago Authors) Neil Armstrong, Stephen Meads (Bay Area Raconteur and Hooligan) Internet Explorer 6, Greg Bee (BitterSingleGuy.com) John C. Lilly, Brian Morrison (Animation Student) Magellan, The Brothers Dodson: Zach Dodson (featherproof, Show ’n Tell Show) and Seth Dodson (1,2,3, Fag!, Glitter in the Gutter) Starship Enterprise, Raych Jackson(Louder Than a Bomb) Dora, Mike Martello (The Nothingheads) Marco Polo and John Davis (John Davis) John Davis, John Davis and John Davis. With hosts Robbie Q Telfer (Author of Spiking the Sucker Punch) and Shanny Jean Maney (Author of Our Brave Faces Were Just Smiles) and cast regulars: Kurt Heintz (E-Poets.net)– Fact Checker; Aaron Enskat (Former Normal Slammaster); Tim Stafford (HBO Def Poet); Joel Chmara(HBO Def Poet); Evan Chung (Musician) - House Band Leader “The Encartagans”; and Emily Rose (Poetry Vet and House Manager) –as Jilted Emily Rose.

If you’ve never seen this great variety show – now would be a good time to explore.

The Chicago Underground Library (CUL) is something we’re duck-lucky to have in our city — founded in 2006 by Nell Taylor and Emerson Dameron, CUL connects, introduces, and surprises all kinds of rad Chicago writer-types. It’s a place for inspiration and — after jumping from a few boxes in the basement of Mercury Café to a full-fledged nonprofit in just four years — a model for growth. Even The New York Times did a head-snap.

As well it should! CUL has a rainbow-awesome archive, highlighting Chicago’s independent media and small press communities through an open acquisitions policy (meaning: it wants you) and a radical, straightforward cataloging process. CUL has crazy-awesome programming, riffing on everything from science fairs to roadshows to squid. Plus CUL has a straight-up-awesome staff, kind and savvy too — check the blog to drool over their bookshelves.

Want in on the excellence? This Saturday, January 30th from 3-5, CUL is holding an open house in the sparkly new space it’s sharing with Red Tape Theatre Company (621 W. Belmont, 2nd floor).

This is the perfect time to meet the staff or learn about upcoming programming (for example, the Storefront Theatre Project and Tuesday night Worklucks). To preview the new catalog. To high-five Nell Taylor. To donate your own works. You can also gawk at the archive (Gwendolyn Brooks chapbooks!), BYOB, or sign up to volunteer. See also: free drinks and free cookies.

P.S. Literago is not dating, related to, or paid by anyone at CUL. We’re in awe for real.

Monsters and Dust, the glorious new online magazine spearheaded by Aay Preston-Myint, Chris Pappas, and Joe Proulx — accurate adjectives on their website include innovative, fantastic, fabulous, subversive, radical, thoughtful, hilarious, witty, shrewd, cynical, optimistic, dark, surreal, sublime — recently announced their Spring 2010 theme, “Flowers”. To submit to it and/or future issues (”Ice”, “Barter”), go here, now!

THE2NDHAND, an awesome quarterly broadsheet/weekly online magazine whose archives you should read if you haven’t already, no really, we’re serious, just debuted a sweet mini-broadsheet series. “Mini” means the whole thing fits on one 8.5×11 sheet, so you can print out the whole thing while your boss is on the phone instead of waiting until she’s on break so you can load the special paper, only it fritzes and you’re left with three half-printed sheets, which you can’t really read so feel extra-badly about wasting and, well, you know what we’re saying. The series kicks off with a story by C.T. Ballentine and a short by Doug Milam. Download and print here.

Lamestain news: disaster struck our pals at Artifice Magazine. Somebody nabbed Editor Rebekah’s wallet while she was at lunch, then drained the mag’s business account of nearly $2K. Luckily, the bank’s on Artifice’s side so the money should be returned in a couple weeks. However, the inaugural issue streets Feb. 1st, which means these kids need to pay postage and print costs now. Read up on what went down here — $400 to Banana Republic?! — and subscribe ASAP if you can. Planeteers, go!

Deep thoughts of Amazon C.E.O. on the success of the Kindle: “I believe that reading deserves a dedicated device.* For people who are readers, reading is important to them.”

*Last I checked, this already exists.

Over at Harriet, the Poetry Foundation’s blog, Catherine Halley and Travis Nichols just posted links to the year’s most-viewed pieces. Many are beautiful and some are snarky — nearly all demand argument, which is kind of the point of a blog, yes?

Read up (Myles and Saroyan’s especially), ogle comment section flame wars, and read something aloud in memory of Craig Arnold. Props to Catherine and Travis for their hustle. [image credit Ibn Al Rabin -- read the rest of his comic here]

Holy snakes! Now through January 1st, all items at the Half Letter Press store are 10% off. The store, set up by Temporary Services, is a resource for creative people looking to spread word about experimental projects and publications.

“We are particularly interested,” say collaborators Brett Bloom, Salem Collo-Julin, and Marc Fischer, “in supporting people and projects that have had difficulty finding financial and promotional assistance through mainstream commercial channels.” (Check out the HLP free box and brand-new newspaper, going cheap at 23¢ per.)

Browse the whole archive for treats and schooling, also to brush up on Chicago history — we especially recommend the Atlas of Radical Cartography, Screaming In Music, and the Art Workers Won’t Kiss Ass poster (featured above). At a mere four bucks, it’s a quick cheap way to help politicize your kid sister, just in time for Christmas.