The Pattis Family Foundation and the Newberry Library Announce 2023 Chicago Book Award Recipient

CHICAGO, PRNewswire -- The Newberry Library and The Pattis Family Foundation are pleased to announce the winner of the second annual $25,000 Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award. Toya Wolfe, author of Last Summer on State Street, will receive the award, which celebrates works that transform public understanding of Chicago, its history, and its people.

“Toya Wolfe’s debut novel is an endearing, memorable, and page-turning work with broad appeal and deep ‘Chicago heart,’” said Daniel Greene, former President and Librarian of the Newberry and Pattis Award jury member. “Set during an important turning point in the history of public housing in Chicago, Last Summer on State Street is a compelling story of friendship, community, and home.”

“It is such an incredible blessing to receive the Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award,” said Toya Wolfe. “Last Summer on State Street is my debut novel, and to win a prestigious award for my first literary endeavor is wildly affirming and will support me as I begin writing a new novel and TV pilots. I am so grateful to The Pattis Family Foundation and the Newberry Library for establishing this award; on behalf of Chicago writers, thank you for all the ways in which you lift us up and cheer us on!”

The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award is open to writers working in a variety of genres, including history, biography, social sciences, poetry, drama, graphic novels, and fiction—all relating to Chicago. Dawn Turner received the inaugural Pattis Award in 2022 for Three Girls from Bronzeville.

In addition to awarding Toya Wolfe, the juried panel also recognizes Heather Hendershot as the shortlist award recipient for authoring When the News Broke: Chicago 1968 and the Polarizing of America. Hendershot will receive an award of $2,500.

Mark and Lisa Pattis of The Pattis Family Foundation commented: “The purpose of our series of book awards is to shine a spotlight on exemplary books and to enhance public understanding of various subject matters. We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Newberry Library in order to engage Chicagoans with authors and works that transform understanding of our city, its history, and its people. The selection of Toya Wolfe’s poignant debut novel, Last Summer on State Street, is a terrific fit with the prize’s goal. Our congratulations to Toya and our gratitude to the Newberry and the committee members.”

The presentation of the 2023 Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award takes place at a free, public event at the Newberry Library on Saturday, July 15, 2023. Toya Wolfe will receive the award and discuss Last Summer on State Street with Gail Kern Paster, Interim President and Librarian at the Newberry. The event will also serve as a celebration of the power of storytelling and Chicago, featuring a roster of speakers whose work in the city strives to change our communities for the better.

Chicago Housing Authority. She and two other girls from the housing project form a tentative trio and carve out for themselves a simple life of double Dutch and innocence. As their beloved neighborhood falls down around them, so too do their friendships and the structures of their families. Decades later, as she remembers that fateful summer — just before her home was demolished, her life uprooted, and community forever changed—Fe Fe tries to make sense of the grief and fraught bonds that still haunt her and attempts to reclaim the love that never left.

Profound, reverent, and uplifting, Last Summer on State Street explores the risk of connection against the backdrop of racist institutions, the restorative power of knowing and claiming one’s own past, and those defining relationships which form the heartbeat of our lives. Interweaving moments of reckoning and sustaining grace, debut author Toya Wolfe has crafted an era-defining story of finding a home—both in one’s history and in one’s self.

Felicia “Fe Fe” Stevens lives with her loving mother and older brother in Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes. It’s the summer of 1999, and her high-rise is to be torn down by the

The Newberry Library—free and open to the public—fosters a deeper understanding of our world by inspiring research and learning in the humanities and encouraging conversations about ideas that matter to diverse audiences. The Newberry’s extensive collection includes maps, city directories, printed histories, newspapers and periodicals, and archival materials documenting business, journalism, publishing, activism, and the arts across Chicago and the Midwest. Every year, thousands of writers, artists, scholars, teachers, and students visit the Newberry, contributing to its diverse community of learning.

With a history originating from book and magazine publishing, The Pattis Family Foundation actively supports programs that elevate the value of the written word and intellectual inquiry. In addition, The Pattis Family Foundation supports various health, educational, and cultural initiatives as well as programs that help bridge the opportunity gap for talented students with limited financial resources.

BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® Creator Beverly Bond Introduces BLACK GIRLS BOND®

NEW YORK, PRNewswire -- Renowned founder and CEO of BLACK GIRLS ROCK!®, Beverly Bond, heralds a new era with the grand unveiling of BLACK GIRLS BOND®, an innovative daily digital publication curated for audacious, wellness-conscious, fashion-forward, stylish, enterprising women of color.

As Bond nears the conclusion of her three-year development deal with Black Entertainment Television (BET), she is poised to catapult her illustrious BLACK GIRLS ROCK! brand into a new digital media powerhouse with the launch of this venture that aims to broaden avenues for the visibility of Black women. BLACK GIRLS BOND® is a digital oasis, delivering content ranging from skincare and beauty to health and wellness, style trends, business insights, technological breakthroughs, and pop-culture news. The online hub also boasts captivating digital covers, fashion spreads, and in-depth profiles of game-changing women. Monthly features on Black Hollywood, Black Girl Magic and the entertainment business is where the ‘BOND’ perspective truly shines, with coverage and con- versations on representation both on-screen and behind the scenes. The recurring ‘More Black, More Beautiful’ cover issue is a testament to the trailblazing Black women shattering boundaries and making a difference in diverse fields. BLACK GIRLS BOND® also features weekly horoscopes, monthly playlists, and signature podcasts that include Bread & Bond, a dinner and conversation series featuring inspirational women sharing stories, and Who Rocks Next? spotlighting emerging talent across disciplines.

“The underrepresentation of Black women in media ownership contributes to a scarcity of diverse experiences and perspectives of Black women across digital and broadcast mediums,” said Beverly Bond. “Having personally witnessed the substantial impact that representation can make, I am thrilled to inaugurate a digital media publication that provides a daily trove of informative and aspirational content that caters to the multifaceted lifestyles of our readers, providing them with the resources necessary to forge balanced and fulfilling lives. I am equally thrilled to harness my vast experience and expertise in fashion, music, and entertainment to build this space. As we launch BLACK GIRLS BOND®, we’re joining an escalating wave of voices that are magnifying the need for Black-owned and black women-owned media. I feel humbled and privileged to be among those leading this critical evolution.”

BLACK GIRLS BOND® stands proudly as an integral component of the flagship BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® brand carrying forward the esteemed legacy of the movement by nurturing our established community while championing a new generation of dynamic and driven women of color. BLACK GIRLS ROCK!’s expansive portfolio also includes the annual BGR!FEST, The BGR! FILM FESTIVAL, and the critically acclaimed, highly anticipated BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® AWARDS which is set to make a triumphant return in March 2024 during the International Women’s Day Weekend in Washington DC. This prestigious awards show will be broadcasted in collaboration with an exciting new media distribution partner (to be announced) and showcased on the eagerly awaited BGR!TV streaming Network.

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