We have plenty of events and exhibits that are some of the top things to do in Chicago this month. Celebrate American writing with us!
Spring is on the horizon, plus there are a lot of fun things to do at the American Writers Museum in March! From ways to celebrate Women’s History Month programs both in-person and online to special events and tours, check out what we have lined up in March below and subscribe to our e-newsletter below to stay up-to-date on all that’s happening. Also, AWM members get free admission to the AWM and most programs, so if you’re not already a member, become a member today!
1. Get (Chick) Lit: Women Writers (March 14, 5:30 pm CDT)
Our monthly happy hour series Get Lit continues this month with an evening dedicated to women writers and their impact. Enjoy beer and wine while exploring all that the AWM has to offer! Bring a book of any genre by a woman writer and head home with a new book in your hands. Plus, we’ve partnered with Chicago Books to Women in Prison who will collect book donations to help them fulfill their mission to distribute free books to incarcerated people across the country. Other special activities include a museum-wide scavenger hunt of women writer trivia, typewritten poetry from Poems While You Wait, music, and more. Did we mention there will be plenty of beer and wine too? Get your tickets here!
Get Lit events take place the second Tuesday of every month from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Each month will have a different theme, so check out upcoming Get Lit events here and be sure to check back regularly as we announce more Get Lit events throughout the year.
2. A Few Days Full of Trouble: Revelations on the Journey to Justice for My Cousin and Best Friend Emmett Till by Rev. Wheeler Parker, Jr. and Christopher Benson (March 16, 6:00 pm CDT)
In A Few Days Full of Trouble, Reverend Wheeler Parker, Jr.—the last surviving witness to the lynching of Emmett Till—shares revelations on the journey to justice for his cousin and best friend with poignant recollections of Emmett as a boy, critical insights into the recent investigation, and powerful lessons for racial reckoning, both then and now. In a hypnotic interplay between uncovered facts and vivid recall, Rev. Parker offers an emotional and suspenseful page-turner, set against a backdrop of reporting errors and manipulations, racial reckoning, and political pushback—and he does so accompanied by never-before-seen findings in the investigation, the soft resurrection of memory, and the battle-tested courage of faith. A Few Days Full of Trouble is a powerful work of truth-telling, a gift to readers looking to reconcile the weight of the past with a hope for the future. Rev. Parker stops by the AWM to discuss the book and his story with co-author Christopher Benson.
This program takes place at the American Writers Museum and will also be streamed live online. Register for the in person program here, or register to get the livestream link here.
3. Because I Could Not Stop for Death: An Emily Dickinson Mystery by Amanda Flower (March 26, 1:00 pm CDT)
Agatha Award-winning mystery novelist Amanda Flower’s latest novel, the first in an all new series, is killer. In Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Emily Dickinson and her housemaid, Willa Noble, realize there is nothing poetic about murder. Because I Could Not Stop for Death has been nominated for the Edgar, Mary Higgins Clark, and Agatha Awards. Flower joins us at the AWM to discuss the story, Dickinson’s impact on her as a writer, and finding inspiration in Dickinson’s work. Get insights into the mystery writing genre from a bestselling author of more than 35 mystery novels. Flower is joined in conversation by Lambda Award in LGBT Studies finalist Peter Coviello, author of Tomorrow’s Parties, a study of literature and the American history of sexuality, with a chapter about Dickinson.
This program takes place at the American Writers Museum and will also be streamed live online. Register for the in person program here, or register to get the livestream link here.
4. Trailblazing Women Writers Tour
Discover the women of American literature on the Trailblazing Women Writers Tour, highlighting the accomplishments and contributions of women who changed the course of history with their words. This 15-minute tour introduces you to all areas of the American Writers Museum, and following the tour you can explore all of our exhibits more in depth and at your own pace. The Trailblazing Women Writers Tour is offered daily at 3:00 pm when the AWM is open. We are open Thursdays to Mondays, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. We are closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The tour is included with museum admission and no advanced registration is required. Tours begin at the Museum front desk. Learn more here!
5. Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice
March is Women’s History Month and our special exhibit Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice highlights the work and impact of a number of influential Black women writers from the end of the Civil War through the Civil Rights Movement. The centerpiece of Dark Testament is 16 large multicolored portraits by local Chicago artists that were commissioned for the exhibit exclusively. These paintings and quilts commemorate the likes of Ida B. Wells, Ethel Payne, Zora Neale Hurston, Maya Angelou, and more, and include augmented reality elements that bring these writers to life and allow visitors to dive deeper into the exhibit content. Prints of these one-of-a-kind pieces are available for purchase in the AWM gift shop. Dark Testament, and all other exhibits, are included with general museum admission. Plan your visit and purchase your tickets today!