A Living Book on Michigan Avenue

November 21, 2025

What can one say about a museum experience that doesn't merely present history but invites you into it, one that engages the visitor through creative, physical interaction; that ignites every sense; that carries the imagination forward long after the moment; that gives texture and dimension to the lives of writers past and present; and that profoundly reminds us that we ourselves are story?

The American Writers Museum, behind the rotating door on the second floor of The Art Deco Building on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, serves as a threshold to a larger vision. In this participatory museum, literature becomes tactile. Imagine adjusting a display, selecting a scent that evokes a story, or even choosing a color that represents a theme. The lineage of American writing unfolds through color, sound, scent, movement, and memory, inviting you to contribute to its narrative. Within this space, they present a remarkable temporary exhibit: American Prophets: Writing, Religion & Culture.

I had the honor of representing Rachel Pollack and her award-winning, genre-spanning work. Beside her artifacts — her Persephone statue,the candlesticks where each Friday she would ignite Shabbat prayers, handwritten fragments, and photographs — I felt the resonance of her devotion to myth, magic, and story. Her fierce spiritual imagination shaped everything she touched.

At the exhibit's opening soiree, the gentle clink of glasses and occasional clack and tap from a vintage typewriter underscored the buzz of lively conversation. I overheard a snippet from a nearby group discussing the fabric of storytelling. Someone exclaimed, 'There is no life without story.' It was a delight meeting the other honored authors and representatives. Kudos to the excellent AWM team for creating a space where even reclusive, introverted writers could comfortably mingle with the museum's founders, board members, trustees, supporters, and each other.

Where else would you find, gathered around Jack Kevorkian's typewriter, a biographer from the Pacific Northwest, Black cultural playwrights, a Pixar animator, a promising young videographer, a music legend, a Cherokee language steward and author, and a passionate bookseller with over thirty years dedicated to the trade?

Only two places come to mind: a museum dedicated to the written word...and, of course, a book.

Sit down at your keyboard. Pick up your pen. Add your voice to the lineage.    

Make magic.