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This is not the last chapter in Chicago's literary legacy, but the next chapter in our literary legacy."
Mayor Rahm Emanuel
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American Writers Museum Press Conference
Thank you to everyone who came out to make the American Writers Museum press conference a success!
Mayor Rahm Emanuel was excited to announce the American Writers Museum will be opening in Chicago on May 16, 2017.
Here are a few photos from the event:
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American Writers Museum 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.
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American Writers Museum Construction Update
Construction underway at 180 N. Michigan Avenue
We are ready to install the exhibits next!
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Exhibit Spotlight: Reader's Favorites
The Surprise Bookshelf will present a series of stunning, illuminated boxes, each showcasing samples of great American writing. Visitors will slide the lit box to the side to discover something exciting about the work and its author, including music, videos, photos and more. 100 writers, spanning a broad sweep of genres and media, from poets and science fiction authors to sports writers and song writers, will be featured side-by-side on a rotating basis.
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American Writers Museum Affiliate Spotlight
Be curious, not judgmental
Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site and Interpretive Center
( Photo credit:
George Mallis)
One of America's greatest poets, Walt Whitman, was born in 1891 in Huntington, New York, on Long Island. The small farmhouse faced destruction in the mid-20th Century, but the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association was established to preserve the site.
The site was originally used for public programming and limited tours, but expanded its annual guest numbers from 1,000 to 16,500 after implementing educational programs. A large portion of visitors is made up of grade school students and those who enter the annual student poetry contest. At the end of the contest, the winners are announced on the weekend closest to Whitman's birthday on May 31.
Those who tour the site will discover life in the late 19th Century and be swept away by its historic charm. The site was restored in 1997 after research was conducted to discover the lifestyle of a humble family in the 1800's. Curators were careful to only include furniture, decor, and necessities that Whitman's parents, Walter and Louisa, could afford.
The site is open year-round to individuals and groups and offers a Spanish speaking guide for all to enjoy the history of Walt Whitman and his home.
For news and updates from the Site, visit their
Facebook page.
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American Writers Museum
Announces New Affiliates
The Edward Gorey House is dedicated to the life and works of Edward Gorey, as well as Gorey's devotion to animal welfare. The house and its annual Gorey exhibits are open to the public from April through December.
Theodore Roethke Home Museum
The Roethke House celebrates the life and works of poet Theodore Roethke, and maintains a library of his works. Tours are available by appointment.
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Become a Donor
On behalf of the
American Writers Museum
, we would like to thank everyone who participated in our $500,000 Founder's Challenge, which is now complete. We couldn't do any of this without you, and for that we are very grateful!
Up next we are hosting our new Anonymous $500,000 Challenge Grant, running
from now until we open on May 16th! So every donation made between now and then will be matched dollar for dollar.
The American Writers Museum Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Federal Tax ID Number 27-1822749). All donations made to the Foundation are fully tax deductible.
Your support will help us accomplish our goal of creating a national museum to celebrate the lives and works of our nation's preeminent. Please select an amount and use the
"Donate" button to make a secure online contribution via PayPal.
If you donate $100 dollars or more, we will list you as a Chapter One Patron on the website.
For information on wire or stock transfers, please call the AWM office at (312)374-8790.
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Let's Get Social!
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for exciting updates and special offers!
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American Writers Museum Giveaway
Enter to Win a $25 Gift Card
What year was Toni Morrison awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature?
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.
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Upcoming Events with American Writers Museum Affiliates
AWM has over 55
Affiliates
throughout the United States. Here are some of the exciting events they have coming up in March:
- Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House (Concord, MA): "Welcome to Our Home Living History Tour"
- The Beat Museum-Jack Kerouac (San Francisco, CA): "Tribute to David Meltzer," "Happy 95th Birthday, Jack Kerouac!," "Toby Lurie & Friends," "Beat Poetry With Larry Beckett" and "North Beach Stories with Ray Hanna"
- William Cullen Bryant Homestead(Cummington, MA): "Maple Days at the Old Homestead"
- Pearl S. Buck House (Perkasie, PA): "Fashionably Pearl Fashion Show," "Creative Writing is Needed for ALL Writing," "Short Story Discussion Group," "Mandarin Language and Chinese Culture Classes," "Writers Guild," "Writing as a Platform for Social Change," "Writing Short Stories in a Year," "Write a Novel in a Year," and "Journaling and How to Use it in Your Other Writing"
- The Willa Cather Foundation(Red Cloud, NE): "Prairie Perspectives," "'Cather Book Club: In This Our Life," and "Todd Green and his cultural instruments"
- Emily Dickinson Museum (Amherst, MA): "Amherst Arts Night Plus: Poetry Night and Art Exhibition" and "Poetry Discussion Group"
- Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, Concord Museum (Concord, MA): " Gallery Talk - Walden: Four Views," "Tea & Sweets: An Author's Tea," "Hands on History," "Tea & Sweets: An Alice in Wonderland Tea," "Walden: Four Views, Members Preview and Reception," "Collection Spotlight," and "Walden: Four Views - A lecture by Abelardo Morell"
- The Old Manse (Concord, MA): "Winter Warming Weekends," "Women's History Month Series: The Remarkable Sarah Ripley," "Women's History Month Series: Revolution on the Home Front," and "Women's History Month Series: Sarah Ripley Ames Boyer Last Daughter of the Manse"
- The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum (Montgomery, AL): "'Fitz-Film' Event: The Last Tycoon"
- The House of the Seven Gables (Salem, MA): "From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend: A Short History of Labor in the United States," "A Taste of Derby Street," and "Salem Women's History Day at The House of the Seven Gables"
- Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center (Piggott, AR): "Papa's Upland Bird Hunt and Dinner"
- Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum (Colorado Springs, CO): "Windows Into History Tour @ Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum," "LECTURE - Through Her Lens: The Photography of Sara Jackson Loomis ," "Children's History Hour @ Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum," and "Home School History Fest"
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