AWM Foundation Celebrates First Year

To celebrate its first-year anniversary, the AWM Foundation held a party on February 3rd in conjunction with the Annual AWP Writers Conference, which was held in Washington D.C. this year. More than 100 guests attended the elegant cocktail reception to applaud the progress that has been made towards establishing the museum. Highlights of the evening included a progress report and an expression of appreciation from founder Malcolm O'Hagan as well as remarks by Ford Bell, president of the American Association of Museums. Dana Gioia, poet, and former NEA chairman also spoke. A special treat was the reception décor, which included enlarged images of the iconic woodcut illustrations from the 1930 special edition of Moby Dick published by Lakeside Press in Chicago. Literary maps, courtesy of the Library of Congress, were also featured.

Ford Bell

Dana Gioia

AWM's New Website Includes Map of Author Museums and More

The new and improved American Writers Museum website has been launched! In addition to a new look, the redesigned AWM website has some great new content. In the Literary Links section, you'll find an interactive map of authors' museums around the country, and links to literary society and literary award websites. Literary Links will soon be expanded to provide a portal to a variety of additional literary websites. A page featuring the American poets and writers who have been featured on the covers of TIME magazine over the years is currently available. Have a look

Chicago Literary Advisory Council Being Established

With the Windy City likely to be the future home of The American Writers Museum, the Chicago Literary Advisory Council is being established. The new council will be headed by Dr. Reginald Gibbons, a member of the AWM Advisory Council. Gibbons is a poet, fiction writer, translator, critic and former editor of TriQuarterly Magazine. He is currently a professor of English, Classics, Spanish and Portuguese at Northwestern University. The Chicago Literary Advisory Council will serve as an adjunct to the AWM Advisory Council, providing local support and helping us build our connections with the literary and cultural communities in Chicago. Visit our Testimonials page to read some thoughtful and enthusiastic endorsements from civic leaders in Chicago.

Jay Hammer Joins AWM Executive Planning Team

Jay M. Hammer, president and CEO of Theralogix, one of the nation's leading physician-referred nutritional supplement companies, has joined the AWM Executive Planning Team. Hammer has served on the board of a number of Washington, D.C. nonprofits and most recently was chairman of the Washington Performing Arts Society. Raised in Chicago, Hammer received his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and his MBA from Harvard University. Hammer's business acumen will be a valuable asset to the AWM team.

Book Awards, News Coverage and TV Appearance Cap Visit to Minnesota

Founder and President Malcolm O'Hagan visited St. Paul in April for the Minnesota Book Awards. O'Hagan likened the event to the Academy Awards-a stellar evening attended by more than 700 literati. While there, O'Hagan shared the AWM Foundation's message and received a warm reception. St. Paul officials are very interested in being on the short list for the museum location. A flurry of enthusiasm for AWM in Minnesota was evident in media coverage, tweets, blog postings and a spirited interview televised on Twin Cities Public Television's Almanac program hosted by Cathy Wurzer-all added up to a big week for AWM! View televised interview,  read article in Minnpost.com and coverage in the Minneapolis Tribune.

The following endorsement was provided by the current and former mayors of St. Paul Minnesota.

In St. Paul, the city that raised F. Scott Fitzgerald, and in Minnesota, that state that gave voice to writers from Sinclair Lewis and O. E. Rolvaag to Louise Erdrich and Tim O'Brien, we instinctively understand the need for an American Writers Museum. Our writers define us as Minnesotans and Americans, reminding us who we have been and helping us talk about who we are. We urge everyone to support the effort to keep these writers alive and in front of the public through an American Writers Museum.  

-Christopher B. Coleman, St. Paul Mayor, and George Latimer, former St. Paul Mayor

Corporate Foundations Become AWM Sponsors

The American Writers Museum Foundation's initial fundraising campaign got off to a strong start with generous donations from the Harvey Hubbell Foundation, the S&C Electric Foundation, the Cooper Industries Foundation and the SunTrust Foundation. Please take time to show your support for The American Writers Museum. Any amount is welcome - and will help us take the museum project to the next stage of development. Please donate.

Spotlight on an AWM Friend: Academy of American Poets

April is National Poetry Month, an event established by the Academy of American Poets, an early supporter and friend to AWM. The Academy fosters appreciation for contemporary poetry and connects millions of people to great poetry through programs such as National Poetry Month, Poets.org, American Poet (a biannual literary journal), and annual poetry readings and special events. The Academy also awards prizes to accomplished poets at all stages of their careers-from hundreds of student prizes at colleges nationwide to the Wallace Stevens Award for lifetime achievement in the art of poetry. The Academy's president, Tree Swensen, was one of our very first Advisory Council members. If you haven't been to the Academy of American Poets website, you'll find it to be a treat every month of the year. www.poets.org.

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How do you envision The American Writers Museum? We've added some new questions to our online survey. Please take time to share your thoughts (even if you have previously). We review survey responses very carefully and appreciate your insights. Many thanks!

http://www.americanwritersmuseum.org/survey/