Running Tour of The Girls in 3-B and Lecture with Gerber/Hart

Celebrate Pride Month this June with a celebration of legendary pulp fiction author Valerie Taylor on this 4-mile running tour in the Gold Coast/River North/Loop area starting and ending at Vuori (1003 N Rush Street). Taking inspiration from Taylor’s novel The Girls in 3-B, Read & Run Chicago guide Quinn Sluzenski will stop at real-life queer hangouts from Chicago history and discuss characters from The Girls in 3-B! Following the running tour, we'll end at Vuori (1003 N Rush Street) for a post-run snacks and lecture with Gerber/Hart Library and Archives Community Outreach and Strategic Partnerships Manager Jen Dentel. A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to Gerber/Hart Library and Archives.

Not planning to run? Cyclists welcome (take care of your own safety, please!) and ticket option to attend only the lecture portion. All attendees will receive a mini-zine with a self-guided version of this running tour AND a Vuori swag bag!

About The Girls in 3-B: Iconic lesbian pulp author Valerie Taylor presents the story of three small-town Midwestern girls–Annice, Pat, and Barby–as they move to 1950s Chicago to seek work, love, and independence. A subversive exploration of relationship and workplace dynamics, The Girls in 3-B offers a perspective grounded in the limitations of 1959 but searching for a bolder portrayal of women and sexuality.

Here's what else you need to know:

MEET: Meet on Tuesday, June 25 between 5:50-6:00pm at Vuori (1003 N Rush Street). The program will begin promptly at 6:00pm. Runners are able to leave items in the store during the run.

BRING: Seating for the lecture portion of the event is limited, so please BYO-seat. Camping chairs, yoga mats, towels all welcome.

ROUTE: We'll run an easy-paced (11:00 min/mile), 4-mile route with several stops starting and ending at Vuori (1003 N Rush Street).

END: After the running tour, we'll hang at Vuori (1003 N Rush Street) for snacks, a lecture on Lesbian Pulp Fiction and Valerie Taylor, and giveaway time. The event will officially end by 8:00pm.

OPTIONAL PREPARE: Due to the potential triggers (sexual assault, racist mentality) found in the book, it is optional to read the novel The Girls in 3-B by Valerie Taylor prior to attending this event. You can borrow a copy from your local branch of the Chicago Public Library (here's how to get a card if you don't have one) or at Gerber/Hart Library in Rogers Park. If you wish to purchase, please purchase on Allstora via this link.

Content warning: This is a book written by a white woman in the 1950s. It has value as a relic of its era of queer literature and as a peek into the experiences of (white) queer women in pre-Stonewall Chicago—it also contains language and attitudes that are a relic of its time, especially regarding race. Please be aware that this book contains racist language and multiple depictions of sexual assault. As this is a running tour, we will give an overview of the book at the beginning of the run in consideration of anyone who chooses not to read it, and will discuss both the work’s significance and shortcomings.

INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN: If it becomes unsafe to run outside, we will have a book club discussion at an indoor space nearby starting at 6:00pm. You will be notified via email no later than 5pm on Tuesday, June 25 if there are any changes to the event.

BIKING THE ROUTE: If you love the idea of this but prefer to bike this route, you are welcome so long as you manage your own safety. We’d still love to have you!

All registered runners will receive reminder details two days and four hours prior to the event.

About Quinn Sluzenski: Quinn Sluzenski (she/they) is the Digital Initiatives assistant at the Newberry Library and a member of the Engagement & Expressions Committee at Gerber/Hart Library and Archives. They are currently pursuing a MS in Library and Information Science at UIUC. When she's not reading, running, or librarying, she's playing with her cats or watching musicals.

About Jen Dentel: Jen (she/her) is the Community Outreach and Strategic Partnerships Manager at Gerber/Hart Library and Archives. In addition to planning programming, Jen runs Gerber/Hart’s social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook. Jen received her BA in History from the University of Chicago and is currently enrolled in UIUC’s MSLIS program. Jen’s independent research on Chicago pulp author and activist Valerie Taylor, "Midwestern Farmers’ Daughters: Heartland Values and Cloaked Resistance in the Novels of Valerie Taylor," was published in 2021’s Queer Between the Covers from University of London Press. Jen is a co-creator of Gerber/Hart's 2022 podcast Unboxing Queer History. She has co-curated several exhibits at Gerber/Hart, including exhibits on pre-Stonewall activism, the history of drag, and lesbians and feminism in the 1970s and 80s.

Read & Run Chicago is a chapter of Read & Run Tours, LLC, the country’s first and only organization that hosts running events inspired by books. Founded in 2021 by queer educator, freelance writer, and runner Allison Yates, the mission of Read & Run Tours, LLC and the city chapters is to use movement and stories to explore locations. Our community-focused run programming includes running tours, book club runs, author talks, and other literary-themed fun runs all inspired by books set in the cities where chapters are located, written by local authors. While connecting runners to the city’s stories, we also actively support literacy programs, public libraries, independent bookstores, and local authors.

In Chicago, we have hosted more than 60 events (in English and Spanish) for over 300 Chicagoans, featuring over 30 authors or local experts, and we have been featured in various media outlets including CNN, Runner’s World, Midwest Living, NBC’s Chicago Today, Fox32 Good Day Chicago, WGN Radio, Block Chicago, and more.

More information at readandrunchicago.com, Instagram, and Facebook.

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