Chicago Public Library's The Short of It: A Short Story Book Club (May 2026)

Event Date: May 6 (6PM)

A different kind of book club focusing on narratives that can be read in a single sitting. Short stories are a great way to explore genres, authors, and ideas without the commitment of a longer book. Read a unique story every month and meet virtually with other adults for discussion.

This month's story is "Detective Dog" by Gish Jen from Thank You, Mr. Nixon. It is also available to read from The New Yorker's website (limited number of free articles) or available to listen here.

"Detective Dog," [is] about a Chinese American family living in New York. Betty and her husband, Quentin, used to live in Hong Kong, then decamped to Vancouver, Canada, where they found the racism unbearable, thus moving to the States to start new lives.

Their older son, 16-year-old Theo, wishes he were back in Hong Kong to participate in the protests that are gripping the country; he resents his parents, who pass on words of advice from Betty's mother: "No politics, just make money. See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing." --NPR Book Reviews

How to Attend
This event takes place on Zoom. Register at least 24 hours before the event. Only one registration per household is needed. You’ll receive an email with a link to the secure Zoom meeting about 24 hours before the meeting. Automatic transcription is included in all CPL events using Zoom.

‍

KNOW MORE

‍