Tag: American Writers Museum

Take a Literary Tour of Chicago

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
Photo by Amy Burry on Pexels.com

A few weeks ago, I wrote about ways to enjoy a book-themed vacation. Ideas ranged from a reading staycation with lots of beach reads to reading in a different location in your hometown. Another idea was literary tourism, either in your own town or in another location well-known for its literary history. Think London, Paris or San Francisco.

I’m fortunate to have grown up in Chicago, which has its own literary history. It’s the birthplace of numerous famous authors, such as Ray Bradbury (in suburban Waukegan), Sandra Cisneros, Gwendolyn Brooks, Richard Wright and mystery writer Sara Paretsky, among others. It’s also provided the backdrop for numerous books, films and TV shows.. With so much literary history, there’s much to see and do.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you can experience if you decide to make Chicago a literary vacation destination.

Museums, libraries and landmarks:

American Writers Museum – One of my favorite places to hang out, the American Writers Museum provides exhibits, workshops and author discussions, all dedicated to the art and craft of writing.

Newberry Library – Not only home to the world’s largest three-day book sale, but a great place to go to learn about genealogy. It’s also the backdrop for numerous scenes from Clark and Division, Naomi Hirahara’s historical fiction/mystery novel set in the late 1940s.  

Museum of Science and Industry. If you’re a fan of Erik Larsen’s Devil in the White City, check out the MSI, which is the only remaining structure left from the 1893 World’s Fair

Poetry Foundation – For those interested in poetry, this modern building is a beautiful setting that can inspire any poetic soul. With more than 30,000 volumes of poetry, the foundation’s library is the only one in the Midwest dedicated to poetry.

The Sulzer Library – Housed in a historic building on the northwest side of Chicago. Compare that to the modern setting of the main Harold Washington Library. Take a tour of local libraries, some housed in beautiful old buildings, like the one I frequented when I was a child.

Monandock building – Located in the South Loop among many other older office buildings, the Monandock building is where Sara Paretsky’s private investigator V.I. Warshawsky had her office. In fact, if you’re a fan of Paretsky’s work, you can visit all the locales mentioned in her books, courtesy of Chicago Bike Adventures.  

The Understudy Coffee and Books – When you’re ready to take a break from all the sightseeing, visit the Understudy, a theater-themed coffee shop and bookstore. Located in Andersonville on the north side of the city, you can browse books about set design, acting technique and plays.

Author homes in the city:

Interested in finding out where some Chicago authors were born and raised? Check out this map from the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, which pinpoints key literary locations in and around the city. You can find out amazing details about some of the most prominent authors from our fine city, including:

L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz, who grew up in a house at 1667 N. Humboldt Blvd. The home has received a Chicago Tribute Marker of Distinction. (Number 8 on the map)

Sandra Cisneros’ house, similar to the one that she described in The House on Mango Street. (No. 17)

Saul Bellow’s childhood home on Augusta Boulevard, which was given the honorary status of “Saul Bellow Way. (No. 11)

Nelson Algren fountain and his favorite saloon (No. 4 and 5)

Richard Wright’s home where he lived with his extended family from 1929 to 1932 (No. 33)

Outside Chicago:

Earnest Hemingway Birthplace and Museum – Hemingway may have made his home in the Florida Keys, but did you know he was born and spent his early life in Oak Park, outside of Chicago? Visit the old Queen Anne home where he was born, and check out the numerous artifacts from his childhood in the museum.
 
Ray Bradbury – Sadly the Ray Bradbury Experience Museum in his birthplace of Waukegan, closed in May 2023. However, you can still find memorabilia of his life and career at the Waukegan Public Library, such as his typewriter and a statue of him outside. His personal collection of books and artifacts will be on display at the Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie, which is under construction as of this writing.

Carl Sandburg Historic Association Site in Galesburg – Born in Galesburg, Illinois is 1878, Sandburg was a Pulitzer Prize winning author of poetry and history. He also wrote biographies, fiction and newspaper articles, and was a lecturer and folk singer. With the help of the association’s driving tour brochure, you can visit all of the Sandburg historic sites in Galesburg. 

I’m sure there are plenty more literary themed sites to visit throughout the state that I have not mentioned. Wherever you go, keep it educational, literary and fun.

Review: Writers Museum A Perfect Showcase of American Writers and Literature

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment

American authors
If you’re like me and you love to read and talk about books, then you will want to check out the American Writers Museum (AWM). After a soft opening to the public last spring, AWM is finally beginning to draw more visitors and book fans to its location on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. For anyone visiting Chicago and looking for a literary hangout, AWM may be just the ticket.

I had the opportunity to visit the museum for the first time, thanks to a friend who is a member who invited me as her guest. While she listened to a talk about the life and career of Chicago writer Nelson Algren, I wandered through the exhibits, marveling at the history and literary genius of American writers, such as Algren, children’s author E.B. White, Ernest Hemingway, Richard Wright and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and others.

I particularly enjoyed the temporary exhibit Capturing Stories, which featured the visual works of photojournalist Art Shay who photographed notable authors such as Hemingway, Studs Terkel and Gwendolyn Brooks. Another temporary exhibit featuring the life and career of Laura Ingalls Wilder, who wrote the Little House on the Prairie series, reminded me how much a writer’s personal and family life influences their creative work. It also reminded me that I had read the first book in the series, Little House in the Big Woods when I was in fifth grade.

Permanent exhibits include a chronological presentation of the writing industry and the significant historical events that overlapped it; profiles of Chicago authors and the impact their work has had on our society and the city of Chicago; a children’s author section with a sparse collection; and a collection of games and exercises throughout the museum so test your knowledge of authors and their works. One such game, which could be played with one or two players, displayed a paragraph from a known published work with missing words. Players select a word from a list provided and can earn 25 points if they choose the word that correctly matches the published work.

Another example of the interactive nature of the exhibits is the ongoing survey of visitors about their favorite American authors and favorite published works. On my visit, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was the top named book, and Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald were the top named authors. The list is continually updated based on visitors’ survey responses.

The program calendar also has something for everyone — from gallery talks and children’s story time to conversations with first-time authors and discussion groups. AWM is rather compact in size, taking up the entire space on the second floor. Figure to spend at least two hours navigating the exhibits.

If I have a complaint at all about AWM, it would be the noticeable gaps in the exhibits. For example, the children’s section featured only four authors: Langston Hughes, E.B. White, Louisa May Alcott and Maurice Sendak (author of Where The Wild Things Are). I wondered why other prominent children’s and young adult authors such as Dr. Seuss, Charles M. Schulz, Judy Blume, Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew mysteries) and R.L. Stine, were not included.

Overall, the American Writers Museum does a pretty good job of collecting, organizing and presenting an interesting array of artifacts and information about the world of writing and literature. While it’s a worthwhile showcase of the best of American writers, there is plenty of room to grow.