Tuesday October 13, 2026
Rebecca Chamian Ribaudo '93, author of Crossing Division Street, in Conversation with HCC President Danielle Cupps '92— Exclusive Chicago Book Launch Luncheon
“A tender, astonishing debut that will shake—and delight—all readers to the core.”
-The Baltimore Sun
In this exclusive book launch luncheon, longtime HCC board member, former HAA Elected Director, and Chicago author Rebecca Chamian Ribaudo (AB '93) will discuss her debut novel, Crossing Division Street (Skyhorse, 9/26/26 release) with Harvard Club of Chicago President, Danielle Cupps (AB '92). Rebecca will be available before and after the lunch for book signings.
Described by Harvard Law School professor Randall Kennedy as "a revelatory venture” by “a skillful, creative, and intrepid literary adventurer" and as a "sweeping tour de force" by former ACLU president and Harvard alumna Nadine Strossen (J.D. '75, A.B. '72), Crossing Division Street is an epic, 100-year family saga of identity, loyalty, betrayal, and inheritance set in Chicago’s Little Sicily and Cabrini-Green.
For more information on the book, visit the Crossing Division Street website and Instagram @crossingdivisionstreet.
Books will be available for purchase (and book signing!) at the event from Sandmeyer’s Bookstore, supporting a local book shop. If you would like to read before the event, books are available through all major retailers, but please consider supporting Sandmeyer’s.
This event includes lunch, the program, book signing, and catching up with fellow alumni and friends!
EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Time: Noon-1:15pm
Noon-1:15pm: Lunch, Program, Q&A
Book signing before and after lunch (11:30am-Noon AND 1:15-1:30pm)
Location: Union League Club of Chicago / 65 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago 60607
Parking | Dress: There is a public parking garage adjacent to the Club on the corner of Van Buren and Federal. ULCC dress code is smart casual. Smart Casual may include jeans, denim, and collar-less shirts, however denim/jeans cannot be torn.
Tickets: $25 for HCC members, all Harvard alumni, Ivy+ Alumni Chicago, and guests. Includes 2-course lunch (entrée and dessert)
Click here for tickets or use the red button below.
About the Author & Discussant:
Rebecca Chamian Ribaudo is a Harvard Club of Chicago board member and former HAA Elected Director who remains active in the HAA. Her debut novel, Crossing Division Street, combines her love for Chicago with a deep interest in history, the American experiment, and character-driven stories. Rebecca has lived in Chicago for more than thirty years where she spent her career developing brands and writing for a range of institutions, from Fortune 500s to nonprofits. She currently leads and advises initiatives supporting freedom of expression and civil discourse. Rebecca received her AB from Harvard where she concentrated in Social Studies. She studied creative writing at Harvard through electives, and later through evening classes at Northwestern. She and her husband live in the city and have two daughters.
Danielle Cupps is President of the Harvard Club of Chicago and a longtime volunteer in both the Harvard alumni and Chicago communities. Dani had a career in finance where she spent nearly two decades, and more recently, an entrepreneurial chapter as co-founder of a children’s clothing company. Dani currently serves as a Trustee of Fourth Presbyterian Church and is an active volunteer with Chicago Lights, where she tutors Chicago Public Schools students. Dani earned her AB from Harvard and her MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. She and her husband live in Chicago and have three children.
Click here for tickets or use the red button below.