Ebony Walden & Deborah D. Douglas
Featured Book
Where I'm From: A Poetic Journey Across Five Continents―A Memoir
Perfect for fans of Eat, Pray, Love, this soulful travel memoir blends poetry, global adventure, cultural connection and personal transformation with reflections on race, identity, and belonging.
In 2010, twenty-nine-year-old poet Ebony Walden quits her job to go to on an eight-month solo journey across fifteen countries and five continents. Propelled by a sense of purpose and adventure, she moves from teaching English and volunteering in places like Guatemala and India to conducting poetry workshops in Kenya, walking the ruins of Machu Picchu, and paragliding over the Swiss Alps.
Along the way, Ebony writes “Where I’m From” poems with the people she meets—intimate reflections that capture family, identity and culture, weaving their voices into her own unfolding journey. But each destination also challenges her in unexpected ways, forcing her to reckon with the hardships of growing up in New York in the ’80s and ’90s. Through breathtaking landscapes, unexpected setbacks, and profound encounters with strangers, Ebony begins to understand that travel is not just about seeing the world—it is about allowing the world to change you.
Part travel memoir, part coming-of-age story, Where I’m From invites readers to take their own journey beyond borders and come home to themselves.
This book will be available for purchase at the event.
Also Featured
Moon U. S. Civil Rights Trail (Second Edition) a Traveler's Guide to the People, Places, and Events That Made the Movement
The U.S. Civil Rights Trail offers a vivid glimpse into the story of Black America's fight for freedom and equality. From eye-opening landmarks to celebrations of triumph over adversity, experience a tangible piece of history with Moon U.S. Civil Rights Trail.Flexible Itineraries: Travel the entire trail through the South, or take a weekend getaway to Charleston, Birmingham, Jackson, Memphis, Washington DC, and more places significant to the Civil Rights Movement Historic Civil Rights Sites: Learn about Dr. King's legacy at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, be transformed at the small but mighty Emmett Till Intrepid Center, and stand tall with Little Rock Nine at their memorial in Arkansas The Culture of the Movement: Get to know the voices, stories, music, and flavors that shape and celebrate Black America both then and now. Take a seat at a lunch counter where sit-ins took place or dig in to heaping plates of soul food and barbecue. Spend the day at museums that connect our present to the past or spend the night in the birthplace of the blues Expert Insight: Award-winning journalist Deborah Douglas offers her valuable perspective and knowledge, including suggestions for engaging with local communities by supporting Black-owned businesses and seeking out activist groups Travel Tools: Find driving directions for exploring the sites on a road trip, tips on where to stay Detailed coverage of: Charleston, Atlanta, Selma to Montgomery, Birmingham, Jackson, the Mississippi Delta, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, Raleigh, Durham, Virginia, and Washington DC Foreword by Bree Newsome Bass: activist, filmmaker, and artist Journey through history, understand struggles past and present, and get inspired to create a better future with Moon U.S. Civil Rights Trail. About Moon Travel Guides: Moon was founded in 1973 to empower independent, active, and conscious travel. We prioritize local businesses, outdoor recreation, and traveling strategically and sustainably. Moon Travel Guides are written by local, expert authors with great stories to tell--and they can't wait to share their favorite places with you.
For more inspiration, follow @moonguides on social media.
About This Event
Join Ebony Walden to discuss her new book, Where I'm From: A Poetic Journey Across Five Continents, in conversation with Deborah D. Douglas, author of The U.S. Civil Rights Trail: A Traveler's Guide to the People, Places, and Events That Made the Movement.
Accessibility: This event is hosted at the bookstore, which is a wheelchair accessible space. Masks are strongly encouraged for this event but not required. We have one industrial air purifier, two smaller air purifiers, and four ceiling fans throughout our space. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. To request ASL interpretation for this event, please email events@womenandchildrenfirst.com by no later than 14 days before the event. For other access needs please email events@womenandchildrenfirst.com.
Featured Authors
Walden, Ebony
Ebony Walden is an author, filmmaker, speaker, and leadership consultant whose work explores travel, identity, and transformation. She is the author of Where I'm From: A Poetic Journey Across Five Continents, a memoir inspired by her eight-month journey through seventeen countries across five continents. Ebony has traveled to nearly fifty countries and all fifty U.S. states. She is the creator of Black Beyond Borders, a documentary series exploring Black life across the African diaspora. Ebony also writes Beyond Borders, a weekly Substack newsletter on travel and transformation. She lives in Richmond, Virginia.
Deborah D. Douglas
Deborah D. Douglas is the author of Moon U.S. Civil Rights Trail: A Traveler's Guide to the People, Places, and Events That Made the Movement, the first-ever travel guide to follow the official civil rights trail in the South, now in its second edition. She is founding director of the Medill Solutions Journalism Hub and a clinical associate professor at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. Douglas is among 90 contributors to Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019, and she spearheaded the Hub's Solutions Journalism Rapid Response Kit: The Fire Next Time, which showcases Chicago media as a standard-bearer for response-driven coverage of federal immigration enforcement and other systemic challenges. Among her many recognitions, she received the Society of American Travel Writers 2021 Guidebook of the Year Award, an Edward R. Murrow Award, and Chicago's very own Studs Terkel Award.
About the Venue
Women & Children First
Women & Children First believes in the transformative power of literature. As intersectional trans-inclusive feminists, we believe books are tools for liberation. Since 1979, we have celebrated and amplified underrepresented voices.
Visit store pageMore at Women & Children First
Weekly Morning Storytime!
Join us for Weekly Morning Storytime! Doors open at 10:15 a.m. and the program begins at 10:30 a.m. This is one half hour of stories, songs, and finger plays designed for ages 2 and up, but kids of all ages are welcome! Storytime is led by a rotation of seasoned readers and performers including teaching artist Miss Ruby and W&CF co-founder Miss Linda! Suggested donation of $3/kid.Featured Performers: Ruby Gibson (she/her) is a teaching artist, actor, and playwright who loves to tell stories full of music and magic! Since graduating from Northwestern University in 2022, she has worked with PlayMakers Laboratory, Chicago Children's Theatre, and Evanston Public Library as a teacher and performer. As a playwright, her adaptation of The Little Prince was developed for young audiences across Chicagoland with Improv Playhouse and the Actors Gymnasium. When she’s not playing pretend, you can find Ruby baking, gardening, or reading young adult fantasy novels.Miss Linda is the co-founder of Women & Children First, Chicago's feminist bookstore since 1979! Linda has led kids storytime for more than three decades! Now retired from running the bookstore, she spends her days reading whatever she wants, babysitting several amazing kids in the area, and following the Chicago Sky! She also continues to facilitate the Women's Book Group on the third Tuesday of every month.
Offsite: Susan Stryker at Gerber/Hart LGBTQ+ Library & Archive - SOLD OUT
We are excited to be the bookseller for an event with Susan Stryker at Gerber/Hart LGBTQ+ Library & Archives! Registration is required for this free event. Register through Gerber/Hart's Eventbrite page. Join us at Gerber/Hart LGBTQ+ Library & Archives for a conversation with Susan Stryker about her new book, Changing Gender Gerber-Hart Library and Archives will host the acclaimed author and historian Susan Stryker for a discussion of her new book, Changing Gender on Sunday November 8 at 2pm. Stryker will sit down for a public interview with Loyola University Chicago historian Michelle Nickerson to talk about the book and how it can help us understand and reckon with the challenges facing the LBGTQ+ community in the current political landscape. Seating is limited - RSVP for a seat here. Doors will open at 2pm to welcome registered participants to a reception in the Gerber Hart’s Raffety/Tran Community Room. Visitors can visit the library reading room (and perhaps find a LGBTQ+ book to check out) and exhibit space while enjoying a beverage and bite. At 3pm the event will start in the Atrium with introductory remarks. Audience Q and A will follow. Staff from Women & Children First Books will also be on site selling copies of Changing Gender for purchase at the event. Sponsored by the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership’s Ann F. Baum Speaker Series and the Departments of History and Women’s Studies & Gender Studies at Loyola University Chicago RSVPS required for this free event.
Bad Company: A Thriller by Sara Paretsky
We're excited to host the book launch party for Sara Paretsky in celebration of the release of Bad Company: A Thriller. The date of this event is especially auspicisous as it coincides with Women & Children First's 47th birthday! We've had the honor of hosting Sara for nearly every book she's published throughout her prolific career; we're thrilled to welcome her back once more for this book-signing and conversation with mystery writer Lori Rader-Day!