The Aurora Public Library District (APLD) joins more than 200 Illinois libraries to continue Season 3 of Illinois Libraries Present, a collaborative effort featuring virtual events with bestselling and award-winning authors and esteemed speakers. Coming up next will be The Many Lives of Kal Penn, which will take place via Zoom at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 7.
Penn will be joined in conversation by Bridget Petrites, Evanston Public Library, who will facilitate a unique and fun game-show style experience featuring the myriad accomplishments of Penn’s life and previously submitted audience questions. Do you have a question to ask Kal Penn? Don’t forget to submit when registering!
Kal Penn is an actor, writer, producer, and former associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. The White House position came about in 2009 while he was acting as a regular on the TV series, House. This meant his character, Lawrence Kutner, had to be written off the show. In addition to House, he is best known for his starring roles in Designated Survivor, Mira Nair’s The Namesake, the Harold & Kumar franchise, and the Christmas comedy The Santa Clauses for Disney+.
Earlier this year, Penn wrapped up production on the Bloomberg Green climate change docuseries, Getting Warmer with Kal Penn, and the Viacom/Paramount+ comedy, Surina & Mel. After Trevor Noah left The Daily Show, Kal was named as an upcoming guest host. His first book, You Can’t Be Serious (available at APLD) was released in November 2021 and he narrates the audiobook.
“The combination of Kal Penn’s awesome life experiences and good humor make this a must-see event!” said event & program coordinator, Ali Lanthrum. “Penn is a master of many trades, and I can’t wait to hear the stories he will share!”
Our final event for Season 3 of Illinois Libraries Present will be The Hidden Gifts of Visual Thinkers with Dr. Temple Grandin Tuesday, June 4 (rescheduled from April 3). Dr. Grandin has been at the forefront of research and activism for autism and neurodiversity for decades. She has written many books on those subjects, with a specific focus on visual thinking.
These events are made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier virtual events. All programs are free and open to the public, but registration is required to receive the viewing link. For more information or to register, visit www.aurorapubliclibrary.org/events or call 630-264-4117.
Andrea Tiberi is the communications coordinator for the Aurora Public Library District.