When Daniel Barenboim brought himself and his ink well to Stuart Brent Books on North Michigan Avenue last week to inscribe copies of his new tome,
”A Life in Music,” he signed till his arms ached. ”Look, I`ve got a concert tonight,” said the weary conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who had signed almost 400 copies in 1 1/2 hours.
They say you can`t judge a book by its cover, but we wonder whether you can judge a bookstore by which authors draw the biggest crowds for its book signings. Here, then, are some shops and the authors who`ve drawn their biggest crowds:
Stuart Brent Books, 670 N. Michigan Ave.
– Nelson Algren.
– Saul Bellow.
– Ernest Hemingway.
– Natalia Makarova.
– Daniel Barenboim.
Kroch`s & Brentano`s, 29 S. Wabash Ave. (except when otherwise noted).
– Chuck Norris, at the store in Randhurst Shopping Center, Mt. Prospect.
– Mr. T, at the Randhurst store.
– President Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter.
– Ollie North.
– Barry Manilow, Leo Buscaglia, Barry Williams (of Brady Bunch fame) and Jimmy Stewart (tie).
Borders Book Shop, at the Oaks of Oak Brook in, you guessed it, Oak Brook.
– Chris Van Allsburg.
– Katharine Holabird.
Lincoln Ave.
– Kurt Vonnegut.
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– James Baldwin.
– Anne Rice.
– Eduardo Galeano.
– Shelley Woods, Destiny Wright, Ulysses Hooks and Robbie Martin, four homeless Chicago writers who took part in readings at the formation of Booksellers for Social Responsibility.