New Orleans Literary Tourism

In May 2018 I finally got to visit New Orleans. I'd been dying to explore it for years and was thrilled to get to take a short girls trip there. The city's literary history is rich and I had a few must see spots on my list. 

Faulkner Books was the one I was the most excited about. It's a perfect little bookstore located down a quiet side street near Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter. William Faulkner lived in the home in 1925 and it is filled with gems from his life. After exploring the stacks for awhile I purchased a copy of Faulkner's "New Orleans Sketches" and the short story, "A Pair of Silk Stockings" by Kate Chopin for myself and Mary Poppins for my daughter. Books are always my favorite souvenirs from a trip. 

In addition to an excellent selection of books, there are framed letters from famous writers like Hemingway, Flannery O'Connor, and Tennessee Williams. There were first editions of Faulkner's books (including the ones above). They were locked in a glass case, but the man working there let me look at them. They were worth thousands! The bookstore was completely charming and I'm so glad we made it there.

The other literary highlight of the trip was the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone. It's literally a carousel that rotates very slowly in the hotel lobby. It was a popular hangout for authors like Truman Capote, Fitzgerald, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, and others. We got there early enough to grab a seat on the carousel and I sipped on my sazerac while we slowly turned. I loved it! There's a display in the lobby featuring books and photos of the famous authors who have been guests at the hotel. 

All-in-all New Orleans was wonderful. Filled to the brim with delicious food, great music, a cemetery tour, and time to wander the unique streets. Highly recommended!

The Mark Twain House & Museum

As you might have guessed, I love visiting literary spots while traveling. A recent work trip took me to Massachusetts via the airport in Hartford, Connecticut and I couldn't resist taking a quick side trip to the Mark Twain House & Museum. 

The gorgeous home is huge! No pictures are allowed inside, but an extensive guided tour gives you time to enjoy everything while learning about the famed author's life. I loved hearing more about his family life. There's also a separate museum with exhibits and a gift shop. You can see things like his desk (pictured above) and artifacts from his travels. 

I always assumed he build this home after becoming famous and wealthy, but it was his wife's family fortune that funded the home. He loved to entertain and the place is clearly designed for that. There are so many gorgeous details that have been preserved in the three-story mansion. Honestly, it's worth visiting for the home alone, even if you aren't a fan of the author! There's a little garden conservatory, a carriage house, huge winding staircases, and the author's study which has so many detailed elements dripping with his personality. 

Just across the lawn is the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (pictured above). Although Twain is the more famous of the two now, at the time, the author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was a household name. Make sure to save time to visit both places if you can. 

If you fly into the Hartford airport you can also check out the impressive Lego creation of Twain's home (above). It was amazing! 

Photos by me.

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!

Harry Potter Bar - The Lockhart

 The Huz and I had a quick trip to Canada in September and spent one night in Toronto before heading to Prince Edward Island. While there we stopped in a new bar called The Lockhart that had just opened. We heard that it was a Harry Potter bar and I just had to check it out.

 It was a tiny hipster bar, but I loved the Harry Potter references. In addition to the name of the place, there are drinks named after HP characters. I took a couple pictures of the menu just for fun. I love that in addition to the HP drinks, there's a Captain Picard!

There were also a few stags in the bar and a neon sign (see top pictured) that says "All was well." So glad we stopped in!

Photos by me.

The Lilly Library

In January I had the chance to visit the Lilly Library in Bloomington, Indiana. Oh my goodness that places is a bibliophile's dream! I toured the building and checked out the current exhibit on Ross Lockridge, Jr. (the author of Raintree County). I liked the space and was glad I visited but wasn't impressed. Then as I was making my way back to the entrance a staff member asked if I wanted to see some of the collections. They took me through a locked door and proceeded to bringing out a dazzling collection of literary gems.

I saw a 1477 edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (top left corner of photo), a tiny series of books each the size of my thumbnail (top right), Syvia Plath's hair (eww, bottom left) and drawings and cards from her childhood and a drafts of Vonnegut's novels with his notes and edits (bottom right.)

I was completely blown away! The librarians brought out one items at a time and I was given gloves to wear before I could touch some of them. I was like a kid in a candy shop.

The absolute highlight for me was a 1623 First Folio edition of Shakespeare's complete works (see above). Not only did I get to see it, I got to turn every single page and read my favorite passages from Twelfth Night, The Tempest, Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing. It was heaven! I had no time limit so I just sat there slowly reading through some of my favorite pieces of literartue in an edition published only seven years after the author's death.

Anyway, if you are going to be in Indiana for any reason I would highly recommend making a sidetrip to Bloomington for this incredible library!  

Photos by moi (except the one I'm in).