Presented by Celtic Women International and led by Maureen Smith, the iBAM! Literary salon is an amalgamation of short glimpses into the enchanting world of Irish culture
Presenters, and Topics below (subject to change)
(In addition, for those of you attending the 2021 Literary Salon on Saturday, you might also be interested in the iBAM 2021 Gala Awards Dinner will take place the evening before the Lit Salon, on Friday Evening, October 22. At the Gala we honor men and women for their outstanding contributions in Music, Literature, Visual Arts, Person of the Year Performing Arts, and more. For more information Visit the iBAM 2021 website HERE!)
CWI Literary Salon – Saturday, October 23, Noon to 5:00
We have a full schedule of 30-minute programs. All with the exception of one (Mary Pat Kelly) will be in person. 
Mary T. Wagner
12pm “Solitude and Silver Linings (what a Pandemic experiencer!}
http://www.marytwagner.com
Award-winning author of Finnigan the Circus Cat and When the Shoe Fits 
Mary Pat Kelly (via Zoom)
12:30 pm Title Pat Hume Remembered - Irish America
Pat Hume, the widow of the late SDLP leader and Nobel prize winner John Hume died on September 2nd. A former teacher, Pat worked alongside her husband throughout his career – from the civil rights movement in the 1960s to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, and was deeply involved in the Derry community. Her longtime friend, the author Mary Pat Kelly recalls the woman that she knew.
Mary Pat Kelly’s celebrated historical fiction series, the bestseller Galway Bay, Of Irish Blood and now Irish Above All tells the Irish American story through her own family’s saga. https://marypatkelly.com
Mary Kunert (recorded)
1pm Title: 7 Celtic Saints, 5 Celtic Nations
Mary Kunert (RIP) was one of the original founders of CWI; she passed away in January. Mary accomplished her goal to visit almost all of the Celtic countries, and created lovely wall hangings to represent their patron saints. Her program was recorded last November, but is included in this year’s Salon to honor her major contributions to CWI.
Claudia Anderson
1:30pm Title: Women Creating Women, the Feminine Spirit
Claudia Anderson performs poems and songs by contemporary Irish and Irish-American poets and songwriters.
Jessica McCann
2pm Title: Titanic: Irish Ship; Irish Experience
The program looks at the Irish roots of the ship, as well as, the Irish experience from the building phase through the sinking of the ship. I explore the theme of "othering" and the tensions between Ireland and England, as well as, between the Protestant and Catholic Irish.
Jessica McCann is an Historian and Museum Professional specializing in Irish and Scottish history, heritage, and culture.
Theresa Choske
2:30pm Title: The Arts & Crafts Movement in Ireland
The Dun Emer Guild (Fort of Emer) Arts & Crafts Society of Ireland, with its philosophical commitment to traditional arts and craftsmanship, was founded in 1894 by Evelyn Gleeson in 1894 and in 1902 was joined by the Yeats sisters, Susan Mary Yeats and Elizabeth Corbett Yeats.
Theresa Choske is a frequent presenter for CWI and the Irish American Heritage Center on frequently overlooked contributions of women artists. 
Maureen Smith
3pm - Title: The Moonan Big Brick House Project: Capturing the story of a Family
When the house built by their great-grandfather John Moonan and center of their childhood years was sold outside of the family for the first time, the 19 Moonan cousins collaborated on book to share their memories and photos. Maureen later digitized the book so it could be viewed in a web browser, and eventually created a full digital website about the Moonan as early Minnesota history after it was opened for settlement in the late 1840’s. Her program will outline key aspects of the entwined histories of the Moonan and Minnesota history.
Maureen Smith, M.S. and M.A., heads of the local branch of CWI. She has a passion for history.
3:30pm - Kathy O’Neill
Title: I'm Just Trying to Match Your Energy
Kathy will read witty and sometimes sad stories and poems about growing up Irish Catholic in New Jersey in the 80s.
Kathy O'Neill is a writer and storyteller in the Chicago SLAM story tradition.
The award winning writer, arts producer and journalist has been published in New City, Book and Film Globe and ABCNews.com. She has read her stories at a sold out performance at Steppenwolf Theatre and such productions as Is This a Thing?, Storylab, Soul Stories, Do Not Submit and This Much is True.
Recent performances include the Irish American Writers & and Artists Salon with Malachy McCourt. O'Neill trained in storytelling under two-time Moth Slam winner Scott Whitehair, and at the University of Limerick Frank McCourt Summer School at New York University, under writers Joseph O'Connor, Donal Ryan, and poet Martin Dyar. O'Neill is a 2021 recipient of a Pandemic Hero Award from the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
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Larry Kirwan
4pm - Title: Larry Kirwan (Black 47) will discuss his Music, Books, and Theatre Projects including Paradise Square opening at The Nederlander in November!
Larry Kirwan was born in Wexford, Ireland and lives in New York City. He was leader of Black 47 for 25 years during which the political rock band played 2500 gigs, released 16 albums and appeared on every major US TV show. He has written three novels, Liverpool Fantasy, and Rockin' The Bronx, a memoir, Green Suede Shoes, and A History of Irish Music. His latest novel Rockaway Blue was recently published by Cornell U. Press. He has written or collaborated on 19 plays and musicals including Paradise Square which will open at The Nederlander in Chicago in November and on Broadway in March 2022. A political activist he is an Irish Echo columnist and a celebrity host/producer of Celtic Crush on SiriusXM Satellite Radio. He was president of Irish American Writers & Artists for five years.
Reception: All are welcome to grab a drink from the bar and then join us in the "Literary Salon" to mix and mingle.