About
Founders Melody Bilbo and Mack Ostermeier established a bond over longwinded conversation about gender and sociology at multiple weddings where they were seated at the same table in 2017. The book club was developed in response to a simple DM on instagram in reflection of a bell hooks quote—it was the call to action they needed to continue their dialogue and create a space to learn, expand, and connect through community.
“queer not as being about who you’re having sex with (that can be a dimension of it); but queer as being about the self that is at odds with everything around it and has to invent, create and find a place to speak and to thrive and to live.”
Melody Bilbo
Melody Bilbo is a Chicago-based interdisciplinary artist with a practice rooted in identity and gender politics. She is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the owner of MELLADRAMATIC a photography and graphic design studio. She is also the co-founder of She Makes Chicago. Melody is a proud queer woman who values community, collaboration , and investing in cultural equity.
MACK OSTERMeIER
Mack Ostermeier currently works in special education as an Intervention Specialist, but studied Psychology and Women & Gender Studies at Augustana College. Those courses helped to ignite her interest in Queer and Feminist theory, and exposed her to a broad range of thinkers, authors, and artists. She continues to immerse herself in queer media, and is excited to meet others and engage them in the process as well!