2nd Story: Storytellers: L

Gilbert Langlois

Chef Gilbert Langlois and Elizabeth Laidlaw welcome you to their new restaurant in Lincoln Square. Opened in December 2006, Chalkboard features an ever-changing menu of carefully prepared dishes in an elegant, airy space. The daily offerings and thoughtfully chosen wines are handwritten on, what else, a chalkboard. Their young son is often on hand to greet the early diners and sample a delicious dessert or two.

Brandi Kleinert Larsen

Brandi Kleinert Larsen is a writer, editor, performer, and lover of ideas and stories. She’s been a finalist for Glimmer Train’s Short Story Award for New Writers, a Webby winner for best writing on the web, and a two-time Emmy nominee. Her work has appeared in Versal, F Magazine, Hair Trigger, USA Today, The Sun-Sentinel, and on a bevy of Tribune-owned newspaper and television websites. You may have seen her on a Chicago stage performing with the Windy City Story Slam, Mortified or a long-defunct improv group. Find out more at brandikleinertlarsen.com.

Holly Laurent

Holly Laurent is a writer and actor hailing from Michigan. She is a member of the Chicago improv group The Reckoning, with whom she recently completed the pilot Ditch Mitchem: Writer Detective. Film credits include The Strip, Bicentennial Curious and American Legacy, and writing credits include I Live Next Door to Horses and Sitting at the Grown Up Table. She teaches and improvises at i.O. theater Chicago, and frequently works with the Second City Mainstage, e.t.c., and touring company. Holly holds a MA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Columbia College and her BA in Acting from Anderson University.

Rick Leslie

As a former songwriter, adman and network news producer, Rick has been telling stories of one kind or another for over 35 years. Recently, he retired from the communications business and enrolled at Northwestern University. It inadvertently led him to an unexpected fourth career in the communications business--storytelling. He is honored to be performing for 2nd Story and hopes to spin yarns well into the future. Or at least until a fifth career arises.

Alex Levy

Guest Director // Alex Levy is thrilled to be back at 2nd Story. He most recently directed 2nd Story at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Alex is Artistic Director of Pegasus Players. At Pegasus he has directed several shows including Golda’s Balcony, The Upper Room (Jefferson Citation “Best New Work”), and Broadway Bound (After Dark Award “Best Ensemble”). Alex directed My Soul is a Witness in the Hindu Metro-Plus International Theatre Festival in Chennai, India which subsequently toured throughout India. He’s also worked with Goodman, Redtwist, The Studio Theatre in Washington D.C., Geva Theatre in Rochester, N.Y. and The Jenna Company in New York City.

Deb R. Lewis

Story Development Team, Publishing Committee // Deb's work has appeared in many journals, including Criminal Class Review, Gertrude, Susurrus, Invisible Cities Wiki, Outsider Ink (Artist Spotlight), Velvet Mafia, Blithe House Quarterly, F Magazine, Dyversity (UK), International Drummer, Sandmutopia Guardian, Bad Attitude, Hair Trigger, and the anthology Windy City Queer: LGBTQ Dispatches from the Third Coast. Her unpublished novel, Hades Son, was a Project Queer Lit Top Three Finalist. She's won the Windy City Times--Pride Literary Supplement Prose Prize and been twice featured on the Printer's Row After Dark stage. She's an adjunct in the Fiction Writing Department at Columbia College Chicago. For updates, please see: http://www.DebRLewis.com.

Heather Loebner

Heather Loebner is a corporate grant maker. Previously, she ran a nonprofit music school and led a nearly fifteen year career in marketing. Heather has been involved with the arts community for over twenty years. Heather obtained her Bachelors from St. Louis University and a Masters from University of Illinois. She is a graduate of the Arts and Business Council’s On Board program and completed three levels of improv at SportsComedy. Heather has been a frequent business speaker and is a published co-writer of business publications. Heather is excited to participate in 2nd Story.

Rich Logan

Rich Logan, a musician, actor, massage therapist and yoga teacher uses art as an exploration of the moment. He has been scene in several productions the last years, Oracles' Jeff recommended 'Ghost Sonata' as Hummel, Katets' 'Jungle of Cities' as Skinny, Trap Doors' 'Hamlet Machine' as an aspect of Hamlet, etc... Just recently finished a project performing original improvisational sound tracks for Triens at the Apollo. Tonight he will be the guy in the corner, just ignore him.

Billy Lombardo

Billy Lombardo's first poem, long before he started teaching creative writing at The Latin School of Chicago, long before he was introduced to the Green Mill's Uptown Poetry Slam, was written for Gia Sparacino, somebody's cousin. She came to Bridgeport for one measly day in the summer of 1974 just to break his fucking heart, and he's been writing ever since. Billy's book of short fiction: The Logic of a Rose: Chicago Stories, was a Chicago Tribune, Best Fiction of 2005 selection. He is the founder and faculty sponsor of Polyphony H.S., a national literary magazine for High School Writers. He has just completed his second book, a novel titled, The Man with Two Arms.

James Lower

James Lower writes stories in search of sense. Born and raised in Atlanta, GA, he descends from coal miners, Daniel Webster, a Union soldier, and choral singers. His writing has appeared in the Santa Clara Review, as a Featherproof mini, and is forthcoming in Hair Trigger 31. He’s been featured around town at reading series like The Parlor and Quickies. He hopes it will become increasingly strange that you haven’t read his work in the coming decade.

Tricia Lunt

Tricia Lunt likes stories, reading, writing, telling. She's been teaching writing in some capacity for more than a decade. She is terribly excited to have the opportunity to share a story with the amazing 2nd Story community.