DePaul University will showcase recent books penned by faculty authors at its first Book Tasting event at 6 p.m. Dec. 8 at University Center Chicago, 525 S. State St.  The event will combine the educational and sampling elements of a wine tasting with the rapidness of speed dating to give audience members the opportunity to learn about some of the newest offerings by several DePaul authors.

Works by featured authors will include fiction, topical nonfiction and poetry. Authors will be available to sign copies of their books, each of which will be paired with a wine. Attendees can have their favorite books signed by the authors,  participate in a wine raffle and  sample wines that have been paired with each book.

Featured authors and their works include:

Larry Bennett, professor of political science and noted expert on city planning, urban redevelopment and contemporary Chicago politics.  His featured book is “The Third City: Chicago and American Urbanism” (University of Chicago Press), which describes contemporary Chicago’s dramatically revitalized urban core, its shifting population mix—and possibly most significant—its remarkably altered international image.

Joseph Ferrari, professor of psychology and Vincent de Paul distinguished professor, is author of “Still Procrastinating? The No Regrets Guide to Getting It Done” (John Wiley & Sons). In addition to chronic procrastination, Ferrari has expertise in perfectionism, drug and alcohol addictions, and adolescent personality development.

Rebecca Johns, assistant professor of English and author of “The Countess” (Crown). The book is a fictionalization of the life of Elizabeth Bathory, known as the “Blood Countess” of Hungary—one of the most prolific serial killers in history. Johns’ first novel, “Icebergs,” was a finalist for the 2007 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for first fiction, and she is a recipient of the Michener-Copernicus Award. 

 Andrea Lyon, professor of law, associate dean for clinical programs in the College of Law and director of the Center for Justice in Capital Cases. She is author of “Angel of Death Row” (Kaplan Publishing), which chronicles Lyon’s most compelling work as a criminal defense attorney. Nineteen times she has represented a client found guilty of capital murder, and each time, she successfully argued for that individual’s life to be spared. Called the “Angel of Death Row” by the Chicago Tribune, she is the first woman to serve as lead attorney in a death penalty case.

Haki Madhubuti, DePaul’s Ida B. Wells-Barnettprofessor and author of “Liberation Narratives: New and Collected Poems 1966-2009” (Third World Press), a collection of his poetry spanning his illustrious career. An award-winning poet as well as founder and president of Third World Press, Madhubuti has long been a pivotal figure in the development of a strong black literary tradition, emerging from the Civil Rights and Black Arts Movements of the ’60s and ’70s. Over the years, he has published more than 28 books (some under his former name, Don L. Lee) and is one of the world’s best-selling authors of poetry and nonfiction, with more than three million books in print.

Patricia Monaghan, professor in the School for New Learning and author of “Wineries of Wisconsin and Minnesota” (Minnesota Historical Society Press). The book is a guide to 55 wineries ranging from small family-farm operations to the largest, most well-known wine producers. A lifelong wine tourist and hobby winemaker, Monaghan cultivates a small vineyard on her rocky, steep farmland near Madison, Wis. She is the author of more than 20 books and is winner of the Pushcart Prize for literature.

Achy Obejas,  DePaul’s Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz writer-in-residence. She is author of the novel “Ruins” (Akashic Books) that tells the story of an old man who eagerly supported the Cuban Revolution only to become increasingly isolated in his revolutionary zeal. Havana-born Obejas is a poet and the author of several other critically acclaimed novels, including “Days of Awe.” As a journalist, she was a member of a team of reporters at the Chicago Tribune that won a Pulitzer Prize for itsexamination of the nation’s chaotic air traffic system.

Regina Spellers Sims,  visiting assistant professor in the School for New Learning. She is co-editor of “Blackberries and Redbones: Critical Articulations of Black Hair/Body Politics in Africana Communities” (Hampton Press). The book features essays, poems and creative writing that examine the meanings of black anatomy in a changing world. She also is president/CEO of Eagles Soar Consulting LLC, a personal and professional development company.

To attend this event, you must be 21 years old.  To reserve a space, call (312) 362-8591.  For more information about the authors and their books, visit www.newsline.depaul.edu/pages/booktasting.