Skip to main content
close
Font size options
Increase or decrease the font size for this website by clicking on the 'A's.
Contrast options
Choose a color combination to give the most comfortable contrast.

VIRTUAL Bringing History to Life with Jonathan Eig

in association with Illinois Libraries Present

2026-01-13 19:00:00 2026-01-13 20:00:00 America/Chicago VIRTUAL Bringing History to Life with Jonathan Eig Eig discusses his Pulitzer Prize-winning book King: A Life. Vividly written and exhaustively researched, it provides an intimate view of King's journey. Zoom -

Tuesday, January 13
7:00pm - 8:00pm

Add to Calendar 2026-01-13 19:00:00 2026-01-13 20:00:00 America/Chicago VIRTUAL Bringing History to Life with Jonathan Eig Eig discusses his Pulitzer Prize-winning book King: A Life. Vividly written and exhaustively researched, it provides an intimate view of King's journey. Zoom -

Eig discusses his Pulitzer Prize-winning book King: A Life. Vividly written and exhaustively researched, it provides an intimate view of King's journey.

Jonathan Eig is the bestselling author of six books, including his most recent, Pulitzer Prize-winning King: A Life. Vividly written and exhaustively researched, it is the first major biography in decades of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.―and the first to include recently declassified FBI files. In this revelatory new portrait of the preacher and activist who shook the world, Eig gives us an intimate view of King, who masterfully employed peaceful protest in the streets but was rarely at peace with himself. From the classroom to the pulpit to the streets of Birmingham, Selma, and Memphis, Eig dramatically re-creates the journey of a man who recast American race relations and became our only modern-day founding father―as well as the nation’s most mourned martyr.

Eig began his writing career at age 16, working for his hometown newspaper, The Rockland County Journal News (N.Y.). He studied journalism at Northwestern University, and went on to work as a reporter for The New Orleans Times-Picayune, The Dallas Morning News, Chicago Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal. ​According to his parents, his greatest claim to fame is that his name once appeared in a Jeopardy! question. Eig lives in Chicago with his wife and children and shares office space with the laundry machines.

Mark Bazer will join Jonathan in conversation. The host of The Interview Show, Bazer also frequently moderates events for Chicago Humanities and is a contributing writer for Chicago magazine.

Please note: Registration for this event closes at 5:00 p.m. on event day. Late registrations will be processed after the live event, allowing access to the event recording.

This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility. To request accommodations, please email illinoislibrariespresent@gmail.com.

The event will be recorded and available to view for 30 days after the event. A link of the recording will be emailed to all registrants. To make sure to see the recording, patrons should register, whether they can attend live or not.

Contact the Adult and Teen Services Desk at ats@dglibrary.org or call (630) 960-1200 with questions.

Participant Zoom instructions:

  • Registration with email address is required. You will receive the access link with your reservation confirmation.
  • Virtual programs adhere to the Library's Video and Photography Policy. Participants should be aware of their privacy settings before logging into the program.

AGE GROUP: | Seniors | Adults |

EVENT TYPE: | Virtual Program | Registration Required | Lectures |

TAGS: | |

Downers Grove Public Library

askus@dglibrary.org
Phone: (630) 960-1200
Fax: (630) 960-9374

Hours
Skip Opening Hours widget
Mon, Mar 02 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Tue, Mar 03 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Wed, Mar 04 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Thu, Mar 05 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Fri, Mar 06 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Sat, Mar 07 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Sun, Mar 08 1:00PM to 5:00PM

Upcoming events

Skip Upcoming Events widget
Tue, Mar 03, 9:30am - 10:00am
Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room

Tue, Mar 03, 10:30am - 11:00am
Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room

Tue, Mar 03, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room
Registration is now closed

Tue, Mar 03, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Downers Grove Public Library - Training Room
Registration is now closed

Tue, Mar 03, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Downers Grove Public Library
Registration is now closed

Wed, Mar 04, 9:30am - 10:00am
Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room

Wed, Mar 04, 10:30am - 11:00am
Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room

Wed, Mar 04, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Downers Grove Public Library
Registration opens Friday, March 6 2026 at 9:00am

Thu, Mar 05, 9:30am - 10:00am
Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room

Thu, Mar 05, 10:30am - 11:00am
Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room

Thu, Mar 05, 4:00pm - 4:30pm
Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room

Thu, Mar 05, 4:30pm - 6:00pm
Downers Grove Public Library - Meeting Room Both (Max Capacity 100)

Thu, Mar 05, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room

Fri, Mar 06, All day
Downers Grove Public Library

Fri, Mar 06, All day
Downers Grove Public Library

Fri, Mar 06, 9:30am - 12:30pm
Downers Grove Public Library - Meeting Room Both (Max Capacity 100)

Fri, Mar 06, 10:00am - 10:30am
Downers Grove Public Library - Kids Program Room
This event is full