Giano Cromley - "American Mythology" - Dr. Duane B. Davis, Ph.D.

Giano Cromley will discuss his new book American Mythology. Giano will be joined in conversation by Duane B. Davis. A Q&A and signing will follow the discussion. 

At the Co-op

RSVP HERE (Requested but not Required)

About the Book: A charming and comic debut novel about a quirky ensemble embarking on an epic quest to find Bigfoot.

Every month at St. Pete’s Tavern in rugged western Montana, a meeting is convened by the Basic Bigfoot Society’s members—both of them. Jute and Vergil are lifelong friends, bound by an affinity for the elusive North American Wood Ape. Their monthly meetings and annual expeditions are a tradition that keep their friendship alive when so much else about their small town has fallen away.

But things are about to get exciting for the Basic Bigfoot Society. Dr. Marcus Bernard, the country’s foremost Bigfoot “expert,” approaches them with a proposition that seems almost too good to be true: to join their next expedition, along with an ambitious young documentarian, Vicky Xu. Thankfully, Vergil’s daughter Rye is home from college, and decides to tag along in order to make sure her dad and Jute aren’t made fools of. Once in the woods, strange things begin to happen to them that seem to defy rational explanation. Is this a hoax? Or are they on the precipice of the greatest anthropological discovery ever?

A spooky adventure story and a wry and heartwarming tale of friendship, American Mythology is a fabulous debut about the power of belief and our sacred bond to nature.

About the Author: Born and raised in Montana, GIANO CROMLEY is the author of two young adult novels and a collection of short stories. He is a recipient of an Artist Fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council and was a BookEnds Fellow with Stony Brook University. He is an amateur woodworker, a certified wildlife tracker, and an English professor at Kennedy-King College, where he is chair of the Communications Department. He lives on the Southside of Chicago with his wife and two dogs.

About the Interlocutor: Dr. Duane B. Davis, Ph.D. has spent almost three decades teaching, leading, coaching and consulting at a variety of schools and organizations in Chicago and nationally. Dr. Davis has worked with and coached teachers through various school improvement initiatives and at the postsecondary level through numerous organizations. He recently served as the Executive Director K12 Education Initiatives in the Office of the President at the University of Chicago which includes directing the Chicago Public Schools My Very Own Library Program with 17 local elementary schools and connecting local schools to resources at the university while also supporting faculty and K12 initiatives in the Office of the Provost. He also ran the national My Very Own Library Program that focused on literacy, equity and families in five states and in the Dominican Republic. He completed his Ph.D.  in Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago with a focus on early career teachers and runs Raising Expectations LLC, a consulting firm that works with schools, nonprofits and businesses around the country. He currently serves on the boards of Children’s Literacy Initiative, Chicago Positive Impact, Bronzeville Classical Elementary School and Great Lakes Academy. Dr. Davis cares deeply about the experiences of our students in every city, nationally and globally.