Call & Response Books

Call & Response Books Call & Response Books is a Black woman-owned bookstore that centers books by writers of color and acts as a community space for readers of all ages.

Tuesday-Saturday 12pm-7pm
Sunday 12pm-5pm

Revel in the spoken and written word at our monthly open mic, hosted by Chicago poets I.S. Jones and Yazud Brito-Milan, ...
04/21/2026

Revel in the spoken and written word at our monthly open mic, hosted by Chicago poets I.S. Jones and Yazud Brito-Milan, with this month’s featured artist, Chiimeh! April’s open mic will be this upcoming Tuesday, April 28 at 7 PM!

In Yorùbá, the word “kojo” means “to gather”. In Spanish, “canto” means “to sing”. In our efforts to gather community together, we hope to make something new sing.

All are encouraged to bring anything they’d like to share within community, whether that be a poem, a song, a very short piece of fiction, or anything else that’s on their heart! Spectators also more than welcome! :)

RSVPs (link in bio) are on a sliding scale pay-as-you-can basis, as we will be providing snacks! Suggested contribution is $5. Thank you!

Revel in the spoken and written word at our monthly open mic, hosted by Chicago poets I.S. Jones and Yazud Brito-Milan, ...
04/21/2026

Revel in the spoken and written word at our monthly open mic, hosted by Chicago poets I.S. Jones and Yazud Brito-Milan, with this month’s featured artist, Chiimei! April’s open mic will be this upcoming Tuesday, April 28 at 7 PM!

In Yorùbá, the word “kojo” means “to gather”. In Spanish, “canto” means “to sing”. In our efforts to gather community together, we hope to make something new sing.

All are encouraged to bring anything they’d like to share within community, whether that be a poem, a song, a very short piece of fiction, or anything else that’s on their heart! Spectators also more than welcome! :)

RSVPs (link in bio) are on a sliding scale pay-as-you-can basis, as we will be providing snacks! Suggested contribution is $5. Thank you!

Hey y’all, quick update on a few slight hour modifications over the next few days-we have been crazy busy with events, h...
04/17/2026

Hey y’all, quick update on a few slight hour modifications over the next few days-we have been crazy busy with events, honestly super exhausted, and need a little bit of time to reset and adjust the shop to prep for Indie Bookstore Day next Saturday:

📚Today (4/17): Open 11am-3pm
📚Tomorrow (4/18): Open 11:30am-6pm
📚Sunday (4/19): Open normal hours a (12pm-5pm)
📚Tuesday (4/21): CLOSED for annual inventory (but if you have a book that is ready for pickup you can come by that day)

ICYMI - Tickets are already going FAST 🔥! On Tuesday, April 14, join romance authors Natasha Bishop, J.L. Seegars, and A...
03/09/2026

ICYMI - Tickets are already going FAST 🔥! On Tuesday, April 14, join romance authors Natasha Bishop, J.L. Seegars, and Asia Monique for a release day celebration of Natasha’s newest book, The Art of Loving You! RSVP at the link in bio!

Each ticket comes with a copy of The Art of Loving You, and copies of J.L. and Asia Monique’s books will also be for sale on-site. Signing will follow discussion.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD AT CONNECT GALLERY, 1451 E 53RD ST. CHICAGO IL to accommodate the anticipated audience size!

From the buzzy, viral sensation Only for the Week, comes the next book in Natasha Bishop’s The Forever Falling series, featuring an intimate bucket list road trip, sexy banter, and a sweet and spicy second chance romance.

Dani Jenkins is a boss. A model turned influencer, she doesn’t have time for taking a risk on romance. She prefers to keep things casual, but when her mentor Tanya dies, she is brought face-to-face with the man who broke her heart.

Artist Micah Wright is a protector who loves fiercely. He’s known as the man everyone can count on, but he’s never forgiven himself for letting down the woman he loves. With Tanya’s dying wish forcing Dani and Micah back together to complete a scavenger hunt road trip, Micah sees a second chance for them to get things right.

Tensions are high as their undeniable connection reignites, but Dani refuses to let her guard down. As they continue their journey, Micah is determined to prove to Dani that love is worth fighting for, but can she release her fears and relearn the art of loving?


We learn from the past to imagine a better future. ❤️‍🔥
10/18/2025

We learn from the past to imagine a better future. ❤️‍🔥

It’s always a good day to shop at your local bookstore 😎☀️
03/14/2025

It’s always a good day to shop at your local bookstore 😎☀️

We’re kicking off our new Tiny Shelf Concert series here at Call & Response and could not be more excited! We’ll be coll...
03/07/2025

We’re kicking off our new Tiny Shelf Concert series here at Call & Response and could not be more excited! We’ll be collaborating with Angel Idowu through her Concert Conversation series to bring yall some amazing local artists every month! Angel will kick us off with thoughtful conversation with each artist, and then we’ll have time to enjoy music from some of our city’s amazing musical talent!

Here’s what we’ve got on tap for March:

FRIDAY, MARCH 21 @ 7PM: DJ Francesca Eva will be bringing some great music and great vibes for us! DJ Francesca is based both in Chicago and Atlanta and has worked in the music industry for over 15 years. Since beginning her DJing career in 2016, she’s DJ’d for numerous high-profile events and brands, including the Obama Foundation, Chanel, Google, Soho House, and more.

SATURDAY, MARCH 22 @ 7PM: Shawnee Dez will be performing some of her immersive music for us and provide a restorative sound bath! Shawnee is a South Side music artist who is concerned with ancestral knowledge and performance as an opportunity to channel and communicate with the past and future. Her music style consists of harmonic layering and a fusion of live instrumentation with digital production, topped off with her dynamic multi-ranged alto melodic voice, creating the perfect dreamscape.

We can’t wait to see yall! Cover charge is $25, and light bites will be available. You can register at the link in bio! Please note that videographers will be present to record performances.

Our last friendship speed dating event was so nice, we thought we’d do it twice! Come through on Saturday, March 15 at 7...
03/05/2025

Our last friendship speed dating event was so nice, we thought we’d do it twice! Come through on Saturday, March 15 at 7 p.m. for a low-stakes, high-fun event focusing on fostering genuine relationships with others in community! Maybe you’ll leave with a new friend or two!

Non-alcoholic drinks will be provided and included in each ticket! All attendees must be 18+.

RSVP at the link in bio!

Hey, y’all. We are so very sorry to make this announcement, but due to extremely low registration for this event, we wil...
03/01/2025

Hey, y’all. We are so very sorry to make this announcement, but due to extremely low registration for this event, we will need to cancel Monday’s midnight release party for Oathbound.

We were sincerely looking forward to partying it up with everyone, but the numbers were nowhere near where we hoped or expected them to be. Both of our stores have very small teams and putting on events takes a *lot* of time and effort, so this one just didn’t make sense, especially when it entails staying at the shop late into the evening.

We’re so deeply sorry to those who registered, and if you purchased a copy of the book with your ticket we’ll be reaching out to you to see if you’d like either a partial or full refund (e.g., if you still want to pick up your copy of the book on or after March 4). Both of our shops will of course both have copies of Oathbound for you to purchase starting March 4, so please do stop in and grab a copy if you’ve been waiting for it (and your preorders will also be available for pickup that day).

Much love ❤️
-Call & Response Books & Da Book Joint

The moment you’ve all been waiting for 👀After SO many inquiries about our last batch of mugs that we raffled off, we now...
03/01/2025

The moment you’ve all been waiting for 👀

After SO many inquiries about our last batch of mugs that we raffled off, we now have limited-edition, handmade (by my amazing brother-in-law ) Call & Response mugs available for sale at the shop! These travel mugs are absolutely gorgeous and fit perfectly into most cup holders. Each one comes with a burlap cozy!

Note: these will not be listed on our website; you must come to the shop to buy them in person as they are fragile ceramic pieces and we cannot take the risk of shipping them. First come first serve starting today.

You know what time it is!! Our next Do Not Disturb silent reading party is next Friday, March 7 at 7pm! Bring a book (or...
02/26/2025

You know what time it is!! Our next Do Not Disturb silent reading party is next Friday, March 7 at 7pm! Bring a book (or buy one here) and let’s read together in community!

RSVP at the link in bio!

It’s almost the end of February—can you believe it?! And that means it’s almost time for our monthly trivia night! We’ve...
02/22/2025

It’s almost the end of February—can you believe it?! And that means it’s almost time for our monthly trivia night!

We’ve still got spots left so make sure to register at the link in bio ASAP! Come with a team or come by yourself ready to make friends! Attendees are welcome to BYOB and bring their own snacks!

Trivia is open to all—an assortment of general questions with, of course, some literature and bookish questions as well!

See you next Friday!!

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Chicago, IL

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