AROUND TOWN: “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” “How to Hold a Woman,” and the Rate of Reveal

Chicago is a terrific city for stories, readers and writers. Earlier this summer, Sheila Sachs and I had the pleasure of participating in a Sunday dinner party benefiting the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, hosted by Ed Underhill and Liam Nolan at their stylish new digs in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. The guest of honor was the multi-talented Audrey Niffenegger, author of “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” a wondrous, romantic novel featuring the sweep of the great epics combined with fresh ingenuity. The Hall of Fame’s Donald G. Evans interviewed Audrey and led the guests in an evocative conversation. Dinner before (a delicious pasta and salmon supper) was prepared by another talented Chicago writer, Billy Lombardo, author of “How to Hold a Woman.” Afterward, some of us gathered on the rooftop deck for drinks and continued conversation as the sun set. In part, we spoke about a point Audrey shared earlier in the evening regarding the craft of writing: the fact that how writers regulate the rate of revealing information to their readers can make or break a story’s credibility. Both “The Time Traveler’s Wife” and “How to Hold a Woman” are excellent examples of the good that comes when writers have their hands firmly on the throttle.