The American Writers Museum in Chicago celebrated Ray Bradbury’s birthday by offering free admission today so that visitors could have the opportunity to take a peek at some of the artifacts slated for the "Ray Bradbury: Inextinguishable" exhibit opening in early 2021–including one of Bradbury’s typewriters and copies of the widely translated Fahrenheit 451 in various languages.
In recognition of Bradbury’s lasting influence, the Museum is using podcasts to highlight conversations with four writers of contemporary speculative fiction. Check each week between August 10-31 for conversations with J. Michael Straczynski, author of Becoming Superman; Annalee Newitz, author of The Future of Another Timeline; Hugo-Award winner John Scalzi, author of The Consuming Fire; and Isabel Ibanez, author of Woven in Moonlight.
For more details about these podcasts, as well as the exhibit opening in 2021 at the Museum, just click on the link below:
John Patrick Mullins, Ph.D., will share insights about Ray Bradbury's life and writing on the American Writers Museum's Nation of Writers podcast on March 31, 2021. Dr. Mullins is assistant professor of history and Public History Director at Marquette University in Milwaukee and the Exhibit Research Director of Waukegan's Ray Bradbury Experience Museum. Joining him will be Jason Aukerman, Center for Ray Bradbury Studies, IUPUI. Nation of Writers is AWM's series of podcasts featuring the writing habits, styles, and influences of iconic American writers. For more information about this program and others, as well as Chicago's American Writers Museum, click on the link below:
The March 31, 2021 American Writer's Museum Nation of Writers podcast, which featured the discussion of Ray Bradbury referred to in the post immediately above, can be accessed by clicking on the link below. And the on-line exhibit of the American Writer's Museum, "Ray Bradbury: Inextinguishable!", is scheduled to launch and be available for viewing on the Museum's website on April 14, 2021:
The American Writers Museum in Chicago is now accepting entries in it's 2nd Annual OnWard Writing Competition for students. The competition is open to students in grades 3 through 12, with winning entries eligible to receive prizes ranging from $500 to $2000. The deadline for submission is June 15, 2021. For more information, click on the link below:
To view the American Writer's Museum on-line virtual exhibit, "Ray Bradbury: Inextinguishable", which just opened, click on the link below. And by clicking on the link "Share Your Story", you can tell how Ray inspired you or influenced your life:
In conjunction with its exhibit "Ray Bradbury-Inextinguishable!", Chicago's American Writers Museum is continuing with its programming relating to the life and legacy of Ray Bradbury. There are additional on-line, virtual programs scheduled for the coming weeks and months. On May 3, 2021, at 5:30 pm, the Museum will present the program, "Bradbury & Waukegan: The Influence of Home". On May 25, 2021, at 6:30 pm, the Museum will host "Playboy and Fahrenheit 451: A Program with Christie Hefner". (Ms. Hefner is Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's daughter, and the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Playboy Enterprises. Of course, FAHRENHEIT 451 was serialized in early issues of Playboy Magazine.) And on August 17, 2021, the Museum will present "Killer, Come Back to Me: The Crime Stories of Ray Bradbury", with Hard Case Crime's Charles Ardai, who edited the book. This last talk appears to be scheduled to coincide with the release of KILLER, COME BACK TO ME in trade paperback.
For more information, and to register for these presentations, click on the link below:
This is just a quick note to let folks know that if you would like to sign up for the May 3, 2021 American Writers Museum program, "Bradbury & Waukegan: The Influence of Home" (presented in conjunction with the Waukegan Public Library), there are only 47 attendee slots still available as of this writing.
The American Writers Museum is re-opening to the public this Friday, May 14, 2021. The Museum is located in downtown Chicago, Illinois. To purchase tickets and to learn more about its exhibit upon re-opening, "Ray Bradbury-Inextinguishable", just click on the link below and then click on either "Buy Tickets" or "Learn More".
Just a reminder that on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at 6:30 pm CDT, the American Writers Museum will host a virtual conversation, "Playboy and Fahrenheit 451: A Program with Christie Hefner". Ms. Hefner is Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's daughter, and the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Playboy Enterprises. Many of Ray's short stories appeared in Playboy, and FAHRENHEIT 451 was serialized in early issues that magazine. While the event is free, you still need to register in advance in order to attend. For more information about the program, click on the link below:
In case you may have missed it, the American Writers Museum has now posted on YouTube a video of its May 25, 2021 conversation with Christie Hefner on Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 and Playboy. To view that video, just click on the link below:
From the American Writers Museum comes a short (about nine minutes) video of several contemporary writers discussing the legacy of Ray Bradbury, and how his work impacted their writing and lives. Among those interviewed are Sam Weller, Ray Bradbury's biographer, and John Scalzi, one of today's leading science-fiction writers. (I highly recommend Mr. Scalzi's novel, OLD MAN'S WAR.) To view the video, click on the link below:
Just a quick reminder that at 6:30 pm Central Daylight Time on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, Chicago's American Writers Museum will present "Killer, Come Back to Me: The Crime Stories of Ray Bradbury", a conversation with Hard Case Crime's Charles Ardai, who edited the book. This event coincides with the release of KILLER, COME BACK TO ME by Hard Case Crime in trade paperback. And while the event is free, you will still need to register in order to attend the event live. For more information, and to register for this presentation, just click on the link below:
Do you know how to spell "Fahrenheit"? How about "Waukegan"? On Thursday, August 26, 2021, at 6 pm Central Daylight Time, the American Writers Museum in Chicago is hosting a Ray Bradbury themed spelling bee and happy hour! The event will take place at the Museum, and requires a ticket purchase, $10 for members and $15 for non-members. The ticket includes drinks. For more information and to purchase tickets, just click on the link below:
For those who could not attend in real time, the American Writers Museum has posted on YouTube a video of its very interesting August 17, 2021 conversation with Charles Ardai, who edited the Hard Case Crime book, KILLER, COME BACK TO ME by Ray Bradbury. To view that video, just click on the link below:
The American Writers Museum will be celebrating Ray Bradbury's 101st birthday on Sunday, August 22, 2021, outdoors at the "Sundays on State" activities, taking place on the corner of North State Street and West Randolph Street in downtown Chicago. The event will be from 11 am to 4 pm, and will include writing activities as well as a talk by Ray Bradbury biographer Sam Weller from 2 pm to 2:30 pm. No advance registration is required. For more information, just click on the link below:
