American Writers Museum

 This place is amazing! This fall I visited the American Writers Museum in Chicago and I was so impressed. The museum had so much to see and was completely interactive. There was a children's section that featured Goodnight Moon, Charlotte's Web, and Dr. Seuss. Any young readers would be thrilled to see their favorites.

 There are beautiful quotes from authors decorating the walls. There are musical sections. When I was there, the entire Kerouac scroll was on display. I easily could have spent half a day there exploring the whole place. Unfortunately, I was attending a conference and so I only had a few hours, but I'm so glad I took the time to visit on that quiet Thursday afternoon.
 
 One of the main area is a giant timeline of American authors. It's broken up by different periods and includes details about what was happening during that time (like the Civil War or a medical advancement). Make sure you turn the text block beneath the author photo for more info. I didn't realize they turned until I was halfway down the hall. 

I loved discovering new authors alongside old favorites.  Seriously such an incredible place to visit. If you're in Chicago, even for a day, I hope you'll stop by. It's right downtown and worth every second you spend there!

Vonnegut's Childhood Home and Putt Putt

The other day I got to see Kurt Vonnegut's childhood home in Indianapolis. His parents were wealthy when he was young and the home is in a gorgeous neighborhood. The family put their handprints in cement near the backdoor and the littlest one is Kurt's!

His parents' initials are on the front door (pictured above). I'm such a sucker for seeing author's home. It's fun to get a tiny glimpse into their lives. This one just happens to be in my own hometown! 

 Last year my local art museum (the Indianapolis Museum of Art) created a mini golf course with themed holes. Each one had some significant meaning to the state of Indiana. There was a Vonnegut hole, which, of course, was my favorite!

Photos by me and a friend.

The Mockingbird Next Door

The Mockingbird Next Door

Life with Harper Lee

by Marja Mills

★★★★☆

Like so many other, I’ve always loved To Kill a Mockingbird. In 2011 I took a road trip with the Huz and we visited the Mockingbird museum in Monroeville, Alabama. We got to see the original site where Harper Lee and Truman Capote’s homes were and we even ate at a few local places said to be Lee’s favorites. I think that trip is a huge part of why I enjoyed this book so much.

Reading about the author’s own trips to the same place brought back great memories. Her first person account of getting to know the Lee sisters takes place in the tiny town of Monroeville. We had stayed in the same hotel and ate at the same restaurants. Mills visits Lee’s hometown for a simple article, assuming she’ll never have the opportunity to speak with the infamous author herself. Yet over the course of the next few years she actually becomes friends with the author and rents a house next door for a while. They watched movies from Netflix together and shared the occasional cup of coffee in the morning.

It was like sinking into a porch rocker on a humid afternoon. Mills tells you about the slow, unexpected friendship in a leisurely way that suits the setting. Lee comes across as witty and feisty. If the whole things had been fiction I wouldn’t have been surprised because it reads like such a dream for any fan of TKAM.

Mill’s portrait is exactly how I always pictured Lee would actually be. I’ve heard about the recent complaints about the authenticity of the book. I hope it’s all unfounded. I suppose there’s no way to know for sure, but in my opinion I felt like the author was constantly respectful of the Lees and their privacy. There’s no feel of privacy being evaded or secrets being aired to the public. It’s just a glimpse into their quiet world.

A few years ago I read Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields. It came across as dry and a bit boring. I think the thing that was obviously missing is that irreplaceable spark that Harper Lee herself provides.

I loved the honest way it addressed Lee’s complicated relationship with fame. The sincerity about being proud of her work, but hating the attention and press that came with it. She was honored when she won the Pulitzer, but she still didn’t want to go through the stress of publishing another book.

BOTTOM LINE: A wonderful read for any fan of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s also a great way to get excited before the release of Go Set a Watchman on July 14th!

Battery Park Book Exchange

So while on vacation in May the Huz and I visited an amazing bookstore in Asheville, North Carolina. It's called the Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar and it was amazing! When you first go in you see a big wine bar area, then you climb the stairs and you can just wander for hours through the stacks.

Joyce reigns over the staircase and dogs are welcome throughout the shop! There are little corners everywhere with chairs and tables for people to sit and chat over their glasses of wine.

 Little tables in front of the bookstore. We grabbed a drink and sat out here people watching after the sun had set.

This area was packed with chairs and little tables. People were sipping wine and nibbling on cheese plates. The whole time other shoppers were browsing the stacks around them.

These were all rare books. There were so many great classics! I was incredibly tempted to buy a copy of Rebecca... but it was $300.

 The Huz browsed with me while I squealed at each new nook we discovered. I ended up buying a copy of Doctor Doolittle and Hemingway's The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories.

 The main wine bar area when you first enter the shop.

Even the front door is inviting. You can see the little coffee bar where a barista will ring up your books when you're ready to leave (although you never really are ready to leave). If you're ever in North Carolina I definitely recommend you check it out!

Wordless Wednesday: Fitzgerald's Home

The home where Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul

More Wordless Wednesday here.
Photo by moi.

James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home

 
Tucked in the old Lockerbie neighborhood just off the trendy Mass Ave in Indianapolis is the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home. Riley was an incredibly famous poet in his time, touring with Mark Twain and corresponding with famous authors like Rudyard Kipling. His name might not be as well-known as their's now, but most people still remember his "Little Orphan Annie" poem and all Hoosiers are raised on his poetry.
 
I recently visited the museum and just loved learning more about Riley. In addition to sharing tidbits about his life and his years spent living in the home, the tour guides were a wealth of information about the house itself. It's one of the few homes that still has almost all of its original furniture and artwork. It was beautiful!

(The street in front of the home still has the wonderful old cobblestone pavement) 

 
Riley was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and most people in Indy might not even realize that Riley Children's Hospital was named in his honor. He was a tiny man, only 5' 6" and in his later years his health declined rapidly. He was only 66 when he passed away.

If you're interested in visiting the home you can find more info at their site. It's definitely worth the trip!

Here are a few more details:

James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home, 528 Lockerbie St, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Sunday and Monday: Closed / Tuesday–Saturday: 10 am to 3:30 pm
Admission: $1 for students (ages 7–17)
/ $4 for Adults

More Wordless (or today, not so wordless) Wednesday here.

Photos by moi

Carl Sandburg Historic Site

 (The birthplace of Carl Sandburg)

 A recent road trip took the Huz and I through Illinois and we stopped for lunch in Galesburg. I was surprised to discover signs for the Carl Sandburg Historic Site. We made a quick detour and visited the birthplace of Carl Sandburg, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning poet whose famous "Fog" poems is read by students everywhere.

 There is a visitors center located next to the small home where Sandburg was born. It had a wonderful exhibit (see above) chronicling his entire life. There were also poetry collections and novels by the author for sale at the front.

(RIGHT: Sandburg's childhood home / LEFT: The Remembrance Rock)

 The wonderful staff member took me on a quick private tour of his home. There was also a lovely garden behind the house where Sandburg's ashes are buried beneath the "Remembrance Rock."

 (RIGHT: The tiny home in the 1800s / LEFT: Sandburg meeting with JFK)

I wasn't expecting to stop in Galesburg, but I'm so glad I did! It was wonderful to learn a bit more about one of our nation's finest poets. If you're in the area I'd recommend stopping in for a quick visit!

Photos by moi.