Chicago Fest Hires Weschler

Ren Weschler, the author and self-described “oldest guy in the room” at the literary journal McSweeney’s, has been named as the first-ever artistic director of the Chicago Humanities Festival. Weschler, who won’t move to Chicago, will be part of a new five-person team running the fest, which is being reorganized following the departure of longtime president Eileen Mackevich.