Kate McKinnon at The Tivoli Theater

Kate McKinnon is a National Treasure. Of course, she is one of the best cast members in SNL history and has since become one of the funniest and most gifted performers on the planet. 

She does terrific impersonations, creates unique characters, and can sing (she has a lovely voice). Her performances in the "Ghostbusters" reboot from 2016, "Rough Night," and "Office Christmas Party" are all outstanding, as is the wonderful voice work she does in numerous animated TV shows and films. And, yeah,  she's also Weird Barbie... nuff said.

Now we can add "author" to her already impressive list of talents, as her new middle-grade mystery book "The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science" has hit the bookstores. It's a gloriously imaginative work about three misfit sisters and their adventures at a surreal school of magic filled with crazy creatures, quirky situations, and lots of laughs.

Illustrated by Alfredo Cáceres, the book is a true visual treat and celebration of creativity, open-mindedness, and just being weird! It's a book I wish existed when I was 13 because it would easily have been a favorite.

McKinnon made an appearance at the beautiful Tivoli Theater in Downer's Grove last week to promote the book and entertain an auditorium filled with fans, including lots of excited kids and their moms and dorks like me who just adore the woman.

We gathered outside of the beautiful Tivoli Theater in Downer's Grove to see the one and only Kate McKinnon.

One of the Windy City Ghostbusters showed up dressed as Kate's character Holtzmann from the best "Ghostbusters."

The line went around the block to see Kate and it was a fun line to be in.

Here's the crowd gathering inside the theater excitedly waiting for Kate to take the stage.

Hosted by the independently run - by women!  - Anderson's Bookshop in Downer's Grove and brilliantly moderated by their Marketing Manager Kerry Clemm, the evening was a true delight.

Kate takes the stage to rapturous applause!

The wonderful conversation between Kate and Kerry Clemm is about to begin!

Kate was funny, insightful, charming, and, of course, really weird. The entire hour celebrated being weird and how that quality should not be judged or shunned but embraced by every young person in the room.

In addition to the positive message of acceptance and creativity, the interview also showed us more unique qualities of McKinnon. For instance, her love of strange animals goes beyond her book and is part of her real life, in which she grew up with many weird pets, including newts, rats, geckos, and hissing cockroaches.

Kate talking about some of her favorite animals which inspired lots of things in her book.

When asked by an audience member what her favorite book was, she said she couldn't remember the title, but she checked it out from the library several times (she also said she would have stolen it). 

She loved this book because it taught her how to help a squirrel who had fallen out of its nest, repair the broken leg of a rabbit, or save a snake from death. So, it's no surprise that her own book is loaded with crazy creatures and sticky situations.

Listening to Kate talk about Pippi Longstocking and Roald Dahl were highlights of the evening.

Kate also spoke of her influences and what she read and loved as a kid, including her obsession with the character Pippi Longstocking and her complete adoration of author Roald Dahl, particularly his incredible book The Witches. 

All of her great influences are present on virtually every page of Millicent Quibb, and I'm sure that the kids who read it will discover more classic children's literature as a result.

Kate sharing The Fields of Mad Science from her wonderful book.

Overall, it was a fun, entertaining, and, most of all, a truly inspiring evening filled with wonderful stories, huge laughs, and an overriding feeling of love, acceptance, and support for fearless imagination.

I was on top of the world after the conversation, and I know that any outcasts, or "weirdos" (a term we all embraced and took ownership of) in that beautiful theater felt seen, loved, and supported... and that's all because of the supreme weirdo herself, Kate McKinnon.

Bravo to Ginny Wherli-Hemmeter, Director of Events and Marketing at Anderson's Bookshop, for putting on one hell of a show and to everyone at the wonderful establishment. Visit Anderson's very soon and purchase all of your books at one of their two locations.

The interior of Classic Cinemas Tivoli Theater (complete with LIVE pre-show Wurlitzer music) is just breathtaking.

Many thanks to Mike Schindler from Classic Cinemas and the excellent staff at the Classic Cinemas Tivoli Theater for being kind and hard-working and for hosting this event. The Tivoli is a truly special place. It is an old-school movie palace that has been beautifully restored and is one of the best theaters in Illinois. I will write more about this great venue very soon.

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