November 2016 Newsletter

Published by the American Writers Museum Volume 7, Number 9 November 29, 2016

"The essential literary experience, of course, takes place in silence inside a book, but why shouldn't the abundant joy of American writing have its own museum, a physical place that readers can walk into and learn and marvel?"

- Billy Collins, Poet Laureate 2001-2003

It's #GivingTuesday!

Today is #GivingTuesday, a day meant for giving back after the hectic buying season following Thanksgiving. Today we hope to appeal to you, our friends and donors, without which we could not have made it this far.

This year, we have made tremendous progress. Our exhibits are designed and in the process of being built, and the museum space is under construction right now (see the next 2 stories for more updates!). Our inaugural President is taking the museum from concept to concrete. Our new Program Director is working with our partners to craft exciting and innovative programs for the public and school-children. And, the number of Author Homes and Museums affiliated with us continues to increase and now totals more than 50.

Our goal for #GivingTuesday: raise at least $50,000 from donors from every part of the United States and the world. Americans are the most giving people on earth, and we are counting on that generosity to bring our collective dream to life. Your participation in #GivingTuesday is one small way you can help the American Writers Museum achieve its reality and open in Chicago in 2017.

Thanks to the generous Challenge Grant from our Founder, Malcolm O'Hagan, all donations will be matched 1-to-1 up to $500,000 through the end of 2016. We have already achieved more than 50% of that goal and, with your help, hope to reach the 100% mark by the deadline.

Gifts of EVERY size are welcome and important. Whether you give $10,000 or $1 - or any other amount, the match is in effect - making your gift worth double.

Remember to go to our Giving Tuesday page today, Tuesday November 29, click on the " Donate" button, and follow the instructions to make your gift. You can also send a check with "Giving Tuesday" on the memo line to 180 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 505, Chicago, IL 60601 if you prefer. We will be counting all donations we receive this week toward our #GivingTuesday challenge. Be sure to visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and share why you donated with #MyGivingStory.

Many thanks for your support!

Exhibit Spotlight: Featured Works

This multi-user touch-table will allow you to explore over 25 masterworks of American literature in depth.

The table features a flowing ribbon of icons which represent different works. When a work is selected, a series of menus will allow visitors to explore influences, backstories, biographical information about the writer, and much more. AWM author-home affiliates and many others will be featured in this exciting exhibit.

Construction Update

Photo courtesy of Slawek Chrzaszcz

The construction crew remains busy working in the 2nd floor space of 180 N. Michigan Ave. We are all very excited about our Spring 2017 opening!

AWM Affiliate Spotlight

Don't you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by and you're not taking advantage of it? Do you realize you've lived nearly half the time you have to live already?
- Ernest Hemingway

The Pfeiffer-Hemingway Museum and Educational Center

The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Education Center in Piggott, Arkansas was the family home of Ernest Hemingway's second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer. Her parents were leading citizens of northeast Arkansas and the Pfeiffer home encompassed more than 60,000 acres. Hemingway converted the property's barn into a studio in the 1930's. The works written in this studio include portions of A Farewell to Arms and many short stories.

Ernest and Pauline married on May 10, 1927 in Paris, France. During their 13-year marriage, their two sons, Patrick and Gregory were born. The couple frequently traveled together to Key West, Paris, and once to Africa for a two-month safari. Those adventures all led back to their home at the Pfeiffer house in Piggott.

The museum and education center has areas of interests for all visitors including: the development of Northeast Arkansas during the Depression and New Deal eras, 1930s world events, and the literature agriculture, family lifestyles, and relationships of the time. The tour takes visitors through the home and barn studio, which have been renovated to capture the original 1930's style.

The museum held a Fall Writer's Retreat in early November and will sponsor a trip to Cuba in May 2017, to discover the places which provided the backdrop to Hemingway's "Islands in the Stream."

For news and updates from the Site, visit their Facebook page.

To learn more about these American writers, please visit the website for the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center. Be sure to find the Affiliate nearest you and check out their upcoming events.

Upcoming Events with AWM Affiliates

AWM has over 50 Affiliates throughout the United States. Here are some of the exciting events they have coming up in December:

Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House (Concord, MA): " An Alcott Christmas Stocking "
William Cullen Bryant Homestead (Cummington, MA): " An Old-Fashioned Christmas at the Homestead " and " A Fond Farewell to the Old "
Pearl S. Buck House (Perkasie, PA): " 38th Annual Holiday Festival of Trees " and " Pearl S. Buck Holiday Craft Show "
The Willa Cather Foundation (Red Cloud, NE): " Midwest Dueling Pianos "
Emily Dickinson Museum (Amherst, MA): " Amherst Arts Night Plus! " and " Emily Dickinson Birthday Open House "
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, Concord Museum (Concord, MA): " Spoil Them with Stories ," " The Fete ," " Holiday House Tour ," " Author and Illustrator Day ," " Morning with Santa , " " Scenes Made Small ," " Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings ," and " Costume Character Days "
The Old Manse (Concord, MA): " Wreath Making ," " 1820s Holiday House ," " Winter Solstice Celebration ," " Boxing Day Celebration ," and " What to do with Friends and Family Weekend "
The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum (Montgomery, AL): " Christmas Open House " and " Fitzgerald Museum Poetry Contest Awards Ceremony "
The House of the Seven Gables (Salem, MA) : " Settlement Tree " and " Home for the Holidays "
Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum (Colorado Springs, CO) : " Festival of Lights Family Fun Day 2016 " and " Windows Into History Tour "
Sarah Orne Jewett House Museum and Visitor Center (South Berwick, ME) : " A Writer's Circle " and " Home for the Holidays "
Jack London State Historic Park (Glen Ellen, CA) : " Book Discussion Group- The Valley of the Moon " and " American Piano Music "
Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters (Cambridge, MA) : " Magic Lantern Show " and " Holiday Open House "
Wadsworth-Longfellow House & Garden (Portland, ME) : " An Evening with Longfellow and Dickens " and " Holiday Tours of the Wadsworth-Longfellow House "
John Muir National Historic Site (Martinez, CA) : " Las Posadas " and " Winter Solstice Camp Fire Program "
Will Rogers Memorial Museum (Claremore, OK) : " Will's Country Christmas "
National Steinbeck Center (Salinas, CA): " Salinas Valley Comic Con 2016 "
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (Hartford, CT): " Champagne & Chocolates " and " Stowe House Preservation Tour "
Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site (Rome City, IN): " "A Dream of Beauty" Holiday Walk "
Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum (Hannibal, MO): " Christmas Carols with Heather & Willy ," " Living Windows ," and "" Miracle on 34th Street" Radio Theater Production "
The Mark Twain House & Museum (Hartford, CT): " CLUE Tours of the Mark Twain House " and " 36th Annual Holiday House Tour "
The Mount (Lenox, MA) : " Stone Court Writer-in-Residence Reading with Phoebe Bright ," " 2017 Edith Wharton Writing Competition Awards Ceremony ," and " The Bookstore: A Conversation with Matt Tannenbaum "
Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site and Interpretive Center (Huntington Station, NY) : " Walking with Whitman featuring Nathalie Handal , " " High Tea for the Holidays ," and " Yuletide Family Day "
Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum (Mansfield, MS) : " Christmas at Laura's "
Thomas Wolfe Memorial (Asheville, NC) : " Holiday Open House "

AWM in the News

The American Writers Museum thanks those who feature us in their publications. This month, we are happy to share this recent coverage.

DNAinfo announced the appointment of inaugural President, Carey Cranston. Read the full announcement here.
The Culture Trip included the American Writers Museum on a list of literary landmarks to visit in Chicago. See the full list here.
The Beverly Review announced the appointment of President Carey Cranston. Read more here.

AWM Trivia Contest- Enter to Win a $25 Gift Card or an AWM Poster

Why was F. Scott Fitzgerald's second novel about "the lost generation" not as successful as his first, The Great Gatsby?

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.

AWM Blog

Visit and subscribe to our blog here to see weekly posts from our talented bloggers.

Interested in being a volunteer blogger? Contact us here .

STAY CONNECTED

Thanks to all our donors, patrons, affiliates, and friends for your ongoing support!

americanwritersmuseum.org

The mission of the American Writers Museum is to engage the public in celebrating American writers and exploring their influence on our history, our identity, our culture, and our daily lives.

American Writers Museum

Executive Offices

180 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 505

Chicago, IL 60601

(312) 347 - 8790

American Writers Museum

Opening in 2017

180 N. Michigan Avenue

2nd Floor

Chicago, IL 60601