Read the Gaper's Block article, or this Jargon Chicago article to get an idea of what RUI is like from a guest's point of view.
RUI is a reading series - originally a fundraiser for another reading - developed by a group of Chicago writers who happen to like drinking. The writers read a few lines written by famous authors that revolve around a particular theme each month. (Past themes have included Chicago writers, suicidal authors, war and banned books.) Each reader also reads a couple of pages of his or her original work, too.
Before reading the published work, the reader orders two shots, downs one, reads, then downs the next. A bit of trivia ensues after that: who wrote this passage? What book is it from? Sometimes the questions have wee little to do with the actual reading (like say, "When did Franz Ferdinand's new album come out?"), but hey, you'll be drinking and you won't care. We promise.
The person who gets the most correct answers about that particular reading wins a book and maybe some other prizes. It's not at all scientific - our trivia - so you've been warned.
Here's a link to a Centerstage article that describes RUI really well.
Round 24: June 6, 2007; The theme: RUI Goes Gay
Kathie Bergquist, co-author of "A Field Guide to Gay and Lesbian Chicago" was our featured guest for June. Joining Kathie were Aileen Keown Vaux, Byron Flitsch, David Harvey, Dana Kaye Litoff and Darwyn Jones.
Round 23: May 2, 2007; The theme: Bondage
John McNally was our featured guest. Julia, Rob, Joe and local writers Steven Beier and Erin Walter told tales, and we all nearly ended up in handcuffs when former RUI special guest Brian Costello's band, Johnny and the Limelights, took the stage and the neighbors called the cops.
Round 22: April 4, 2007; The theme: Virgins
Our five first-time readers--Alexis DeBonis, Cristina Cabrera, Chia-Pei Chang, Marc Paoletti and Jessica Young--were broken in not-so-gently by our sixth reader, Frank Crist, who made his second RUI appearance.
Round 21: March 7, 2007; The theme: The Terrible Twos
The Terrible Twos marked our second anniversary. We can hardly believe it. In honor of the night, all of the regulars - Carly, Rob, Julia, Jesse, Joe and Mandy - read.
Round 20: Feb. 7, 2007; The theme: The All-Male Revue
Our featured guest for the hunky all-male RUI was Marcus Sakey. Other readers were Nicholas Ladendorf, Darwyn Jones and the former Dubuquian, soon-to-again-be-a-Chicagoan Joe Tower, along with the RUI boy toys, Rob Duffer and Jesse Jordan.
Round 19: Jan. 3, 2007; The theme: Obsession
Our guests for obsession were Andre Frieden, John Crone and Rick Krimbel. It was also Ira's birthday. And Ira and Molly gave out copy's of No Touching Magazine. It was nice.
Round 18: Dec. 6, 2006; The theme: Giving & Receiving
We got in the holiday spirit with readings by Ira Brooker, Felicia Schneiderhan, Allison Spangenberg and featured guest Paul Barile, of the n.u.f.a.n. ensemble.
Round 17: Nov. 1, 2006; The theme: Day of the Dead
Our ghoulish RUI in November was visited by guest Brian Torney and was the welcoming party for our newest regular, Jesse Jordan.
Round 16: Oct. 4, 2006; The theme: Love/Hate
In honor of Sweetest Day - that other Valentine's Day - all of the published selections related to the subject of love and hate. The featured guest was Megan Stielstra. There was also original work from Jesse Jordan, Patty Templeton, Tim Weaver and RUI regulars Rob Duffer and Carly Huegelmann.
Round 15: Sep. 4, 2006; The theme: Labor
September celebrated LABOR - both working and birthin' babies. Our guests were Todd Dills, Dana Litoff, Zak Mucha and Margaret Sullivan. RUI regulars Julia Borcherts and Amanda Snyder also read.
Round 14: Aug. 2, 2006; The theme: Roadtrips
August 's RUI featured readings about great roadtrips by Jotham Burrello, Drew Bazini, Darwyn Jones and Allison Spangenberg and RUI regulars Rob Duffer and Carly Huegelmann.
Round 13: July 5, 2006; The theme: American Authors
We heard fantastic readings by local authors Frank Crist, Nicholas Ladendorf, Jenny Seay, Charlie Vlahogiannis, Beth Dugan and RUI's own Rob "I love it when you call me Big Poppa" Duffer.
Round 12: June 7, 2006; The theme: Sex
Everyone got a little hot and bothered at one of the best RUIs ever, when our guest was the SEXy Gina Frangello, author of "My Sister's Continent."
Round 11: April 5, 2006; The theme: Opening Day
Our guests this month were writers/editors Ira Brooker and Molly Each. Their mag is called No Touching. Check it out.
Round 10: March 1, 2006; The theme: Anniversary Open Mic
We turned one year old! Complete with pizza and 19 open mic readers. Regulars Julia Borcherts, Rob Duffer and Amanda Snyder managed to do some rounds of trivia between the readings, so we still gave stuff away. Which is always nice.
Round 9: Feb. 1, 2006; The theme: First Novels
Round 9 welcomed back our Iowa-onian (Iowegian? Iowian?) Mr. Joe Tower (that's Mr. Canned Ham to you) and our guest was Brian Costello, reading from his own first novel, "The Enchanters vs. Sprawlburg Springs." You can get more info - and even buy it - at Featherproof Books.
Round 8: Jan. 4, 2006; The theme: Writings of the Equator
To warm up 2006, we read writings from tropical locations. Readers this month were regulars Julia Borcherts, Carly Huegelmann and Amanda Snyder. Our guests this month were poet Bill Allegrezza and writer Bobby Biedrzycki.
Round 7: Dec. 7, 2005; The theme: Holiday Blues
Our guest Patty Templeton rocked us out reading from her new zine XMAS EVIL.
Round 6: Nov. 2, 2005; The theme: Banned Books
The smashing Beth Dugan - whose work has been seen in Time Out and UR Chicago - was our kickin' round six guest. She read from Slaughterhouse Five. We love her. Round 6 marked the return of Ms. Carly Huegelmann from the Land of Pregnant Ladies.
Round 5: Oct. 5, 2005; The theme: WAR!
WAR! What is it good for? (Absolutely nothin'!) Round 5 superstars were: Julia Borcherts, Rob Duffer, Amanda Snyder and Joe Tower. Guests this month were fellow writer and Sheffield's owner Ric Hess and Joe Deir, editor of the lit mag Inkstains. The audience heard selections written by Fidel Castro (nope, not a typo), Joseph Heller, Tim O'Brien and others.
Round 4: Sep. 7, 2005; The theme: Chicago Authors
We read from hometown writers this time around - L. Frank Baum, Sandra Cisneros, Stuart Dybek, Nelson Algren and others. And on top of it all, we raised $114 for the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts! Round 4 superstars were: Julia Borcherts, Rob Duffer, Amanda Snyder, Joe Tower and newbies Keith Hernandez and The Dollar Store's Jonathan Messinger.
Round 3: July 20, 2005; The theme: Suicide
Round 3 was our first attempt at both trivia and a theme for the evening - suicide. (Thanks, Rob!) All the published work we read were from authors that offed themselves in one way or another. Morbid? Sure. We read selections from: Sylvia Plath, Hunter S. Thompson, Ernest Hemingway, John Kennedy Toole and Jack London.
Round 2: May 8, 2005; Round 1: March 20, 2005
RUI: Rounds 1 and 2 were developed as fundraisers for a reading we held at the HotHouse on June 10, 2005. (Check out the website for that here.) We read from Hemingway, Tolstoy, Dorothy Parker, Bukowski and others - but hadn't incorporated trivia yet. All it took to win a prize was knowing the author or book title. Too easy.