Lorraine Devon Wilke

Acclaimed author & Huffington Post contributor Lorraine Devon Wilke will be at The Book Catapult to discuss and sign her new novel, The Alchemy of Noise on Tuesday, April 16 at 7:30pm.

In a world so full of lonely people and broken hearts, Chris Hawkins, a black sound engineer from Chicago’s south side, and Sidonie Frame, a white, suburban-raised head manager of one of the city’s buzziest venues, feel lucky to have met and fallen in love; they’re convinced that happiness is theirs for the taking. Life, however, has other plans. Chris and Sidonie transcend a number of inevitable culture clashes and resistance from select family and friends—but it’s when a series of police encounters culminates in Chris being beaten and arrested that their world is turned upside down. He claims his innocence; she believes him. But as unforeseen events provoke increasing doubt and suspicion, the two are driven to question what they really know of each other and just who to trust, leading to a powerful and emotional conclusion. A timely and provocative love story that digs deep into the conundrum of “love vs. culture,” The Alchemy Of Noise illuminates themes of privilege, prejudice, and the search for empathy in a world where bias too often makes even love a political statement.

Lorraine Devon Wilke is an accomplished writer in several genres, a Chicago native, and third of eleven children. In 2010 she launched her “arts & politics” blog, Rock+Paper+Music, and since 2011 she has been a popular contributor at HuffPost and other news and media sites. Known for her “sass and sensibility,” her work has been reprinted and excerpted in academic tomes, nonfiction books, and literary journals; a catalogue of select articles can be found at Contently.com. After leaving Illinois with a rock band heading west, Devon Wilke landed in Los Angeles, where she still lives with her husband, attorney/writer/producer, Pete Wilke. She’s working on a fourth novel while continuing her endeavors as a photographer, singer/songwriter, and actress.