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Published by the American Writers Museum Volume 7, Number 4 June 24, 2016
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"Literature matters. The incredibly diverse history of this country can be accessed, interpreted, illuminated, shared, through the literatures created by its writers, and one of the reasons why I am passionate about AWM is that all of this can be available to people who may not have been in the habit of reading--as well, perhaps unanticipatedly, some visitor/s may be encouraged to write his or her own stories, broadening and deepening the American conversation."
-Ronne Hartfield, Author and Museum Consultant
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AWM Attends 2016 Printer's Row Lit Fest
The American Writers Museum hosted a table at the
2016 Printer's Row Lit Fest
on June 11 and 12 in the
Illinois Women's Press Association
tent. Approximately 150,000 people were at Lit Fest this year, widening the museum's audience. The table display included a working 1930's Underwood typewriter of the same make and model used by Jack Kerouac to write
On The Road, which was appreciated by many visitors.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by!
Congratulations to Sheila Malloy for winning a 1903 Wright Flyer model airplane kit at the AWM Lit Fest raffle!
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AWM Board of Directors Profile: Hill Hammock
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Hill Hammock, current Chairman of the Cook County Health & Hospital System, former Chief Administrative Officer for the Chicago Public Schools, and newly elected co-chair of the AWM Board of Directors, is excited by the prospect of a national museum celebrating writers through our history.
Regarding the Chicago museum's location at
180 N. Michigan, Hill points out that the Chicago Cultural Mile does not have any literary representation. He anticipates that AWM will provide that and create another place for tourists to discover as they walk through the city. Beyond tourism, Hill thinks the museum will provide a positive interactive literary experience for children, where they will be encouraged to engage with writing in audiovisual ways. He notes that there are not enough literary resources for the Chicago Public School system, and that AWM can provide the space and opportunities to connect children to reading and writing in many different ways.
Hill is also a huge proponent of the AWM Affiliates program. He strongly believes that the American Writers Museum can raise awareness about the small, out of the way house museums that honor so many of our nation's greatest writers.
He loves American literature, and has visited several of the Affiliate Homes. He recently visited the Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville, AL, which honors Truman Capote and Harper Lee. During the visited, he noticed that "in a little museum in the courthouse portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird, there were AWM bookmarks." And he thought, "the highway doesn't even come close; you really have to be on a mission to see this place. If we have that connection, people will say, 'I never knew it was there!' and go visit. I think that people should be given the chance to walk the ground where great writers created their works, and maybe we can point them to that."
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"America Reads" at the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress opened a new exhibit entitled "America Reads" on June 16, which showcases 65 books by American authors chosen by the public. 18 of the 65 featured works come from 15 of our Affiliated authors.
For more information, click here.
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AWM Affiliate Spotlight
AWM is proud to have several Affiliates that are part of the
National Park Service
, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this August. This month, we are spotlighting the Carl Sandburg Home in Flat Rock, North Carolina.
Carl Sandburg National Historic Site
"Bend low again, night of summer stars.
So near you are, sky of summer stars,
So near, a long-arm man can pick off stars,
Pick off what he wants in the sky bowl,
So near you are, summer stars,
So near, strumming, strumming,
So lazy and hum-strumming."
- Carl Sandburg
Sandburg's home, which he lived
in
from
1945
until
his death in 1967. The house is currently going through a preservation process, but is still open for tours. The park also offers hiking along the trail where Sandburg would sit and write while observing his surroundings. Summer Ranger Programs feature 30-minute programs
from National Park Service rangers to share and discuss unique topics related to Sandburg's life at Flat Rock, including letters from Carl and his wife, Paula, and cultural landscape walks. Special events include Jr. Ranger Day, Memorial Day Folk Music Festival, summer stage performances of Rootabaga Stories, Fall Farm Festival, and Christmas at Connemara.
Be sure to visit the home's
Facebook
page for more information and updates on events this summer.
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Upcoming Events
AWM has over 50
Affiliates throughout the United States. Here are some of the exciting events they have coming up this summer:
- Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House (Concord, MA):"Summer Conversational Series & Teacher Institute: "Finding Beauty in the Humblest Things" and "Apple Slump Players' Youth Drama Workshop"
- Emily Dickinson Museum (Amherst, MA):"Creatures of Bliss and Mystery": A 19th Century Children's Circus"
- The House of the Seven Gables (Salem, MA): "17-Century Saturdays at The House of the Seven Gables,""Living History Lab,"and "Fourth of July at the Gables"
- The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park (Oak Park, IL): "Hemingway Alive in Oak Park"
- Will Rogers Memorial Museum & Birthplace Ranch (Oologah, OK):"Family Day at the Birthplace Ranch"
- Carl Sandburg Historic Site (Flat Rock, NC):"Jump Into the Park-A Family Fun Day at the Sandburg Home"
- Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (Hartford, CT): "Workshop: Unpacking White Privilege" and "21st Century Stowe: Stowe House Preservation"
- Noah Webster (Hartford, CT): "Homegrown Terror,""Colonial Kid's Camp," and "Bookworm Adventures"
- Thomas Wolfe Memorial (Asheville, NC): "Writers at Wolfe" Summer Series (May-August)
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The American Writer's Museum thanks those who feature us in their publications. This month, we are happy to share this recent coverage.
- C-SPAN featured a spotlight on the American Writers Museum with coverage of the building space at 180 N. Michigan on Book TV June 11. See the interview with AWM co-chair Roberta Rubin and Lit Fest coverage here. The interview is from 50:03-56:40 minutes in the video.
- Big Ten Network published a spotlight on AWM co-chair Roberta Rubin's background and involvement with the museum. Read the full article here.
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Giving Tuesday
Mark your calendars! Giving Tuesday is November 29, and
will
be
here before you know it.
AWM counts on your generous support!
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AWM Trivia Contest- Enter to win a $25 Gift Card or an AWM Poster
Which young adult horror novelist comes up with
the
titles
to their books before writing the plot?
Submit your answer
here for a chance to win.
A winner will be drawn randomly from the correct respondents to receive the $25 gift card, and the runners-up will each receive an AWM poster featuring American Writers on the topic of writing.
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AWM Blog
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here.
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