It stands to reason that technical communicators are lovers of the written word. And whether your tastes lean toward nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or all of the above, Chicago’s got you covered.
Chicago is known for a rich literary tradition, being the hometown (or at least the one-time home base) of Ernest Hemingway, Mike Royko, Studs Terkel, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nelson Algren, Sara Paretsky, Saul Bellow, John Dos Passos, Audrey Niffenegger, David Mamet, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Elizabeth Berg, Carl Sandburg, and Irving Wallace—to name a few. So, I thought it might be fun to research some literary haunts, events, shrines, etc. for any of you word geeks who might want to indulge your literary leanings while you’re in town.
Technically Ernest Hemingway isn’t from Chicago, but he is from Oak Park, which is a suburb just west of Chicago. His boyhood home at 600 N. Kenilworth happens to be on the market right now, so if you bring about $525,000 in spending money, you can get a really big souvenir. If, on the other hand, you prefer just to tour the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Home and the Ernest Hemingway Museum, you can start your visit at 200 N. Oak Park Ave. Admission to both the home and museum is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors.
If you want to hang out where the Chicago newspaper reporters hang out, visit the original Billy Goat Tavern. The address is 430 N. Michigan Ave, but it’s actually below street level, near Tribune Tower and the Wrigley Building (home to the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, respectively). The “Wall of Fame” displays columns and photographs of local celebrities and famous reporters, including Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mike Royko, who was a fixture at the Billy Goat every day after work for years until his death in 1997. You might also see some celebrities in the flesh while you’re there.
If you’re looking for something a little more interactive, try your hand at some slam poetry at the Green Mill, 4802 N. Broadway, Chicago. The Uptown Poetry Slam occurs Sunday nights from 7:00-10:00 PM, hosted by Marc Kelly Smith, founder of the poetry slam movement. The cover charge is $6. (What’s a poetry slam? Click here to find out.)
Finally, if you simply want books, you can visit one of the following cool book shops:
Ernest Hemingway birthplace home
Uptown Poetry Slam occurs every Sunday night
- The Book Cellar, 4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago
- Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore, 7419 W. Madison St, Forest Park
- Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave, Chicago
- Powell’s Bookstores, multiple locations
- Women and Children First, 5233 N. Clark, Chicago
- Selected Works Used Books & Sheet Music, 410 S. Michigan Ave, Suite 210, Chicago
