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 Among them, they have received two Nobel Prizes,
seven Pulitzer Prizes, three National Book Awards and one “genius”
grant.
Oak Park native Ernest Hemingway led the voting, followed by the
Galesburg’s poet Carl Sandburg and Waukegan’s Ray Bradbury. Two
poets rounded out the top five: Gwendolyn Brooks, who chronicled
life in Chicago, and Edgar Lee Masters, who brought to life a
small-town cemetery.
“Illinois has an amazing history of producing truly wonderful
writers,” said Alan Lowe, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum. “I am a fan of all those
represented in the top 10 and especially love the work of the
first-place finisher, the great Ernest Hemingway. “
The Illinois Top 200 project lets Illinoisans vote every two weeks
on the most inspiring leaders, greatest inventions, top businesses
and much more. By the state’s 200th birthday on Dec. 3, voters will
have chosen 10 favorites in 20 different categories – the Illinois
Top 200.
Voting in the next category, heartbreaking moments, is underway at
www.IllinoisTop200.com. Voters can choose from floods, fires, riots
and gun battles as they try to determine the most tragic moments in
state history.
Here are the top 10 authors chosen in online voting:
1. Ernest Hemingway – Hemingway ranks among America’s greatest
novelists, with “The Sun Also Rises,” “A Farewell to Arms” and “For
Whom the Bell Tolls” among his works. He won the Pulitzer in 1953
and the Nobel in 1954.
2. Carl Sandburg – The work of Sandburg in both prose
and poetry was inextricably linked to Illinois. He famously dubbed
Chicago “hog butcher for the world … city of the big shoulders” and
wrote a massive biography of Lincoln.
3. Ray Bradbury – Bradbury’s best-known works include “Fahrenheit
451,” his dystopian novel of a future in which critical thought is
outlawed, and “The Martian Chronicles,” a poetic account of
colonizing Mars.
4. Gwendolyn Brooks – Brooks was the first African-American writer
to win a Pulitzer Prize. Much of her poetry described life growing
up on Chicago’s South Side, capturing both the joy and heartbreak
there.
5. Edgar Lee Masters – Masters grew up in Petersburg
and Lewistown. His experiences there inspired “Spoon River
Anthology,” a collection of epitaphs “spoken” from the grave by the
former inhabitants of a fictitious town.
6. Edgar Rice Burroughs – Burroughs was born in Chicago and lived
there when he created one of the most popular and enduring character
in all of fiction -- Tarzan. He also wrote the swashbuckling “John
Carter of Mars” books.
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 7. Lorraine Hansberry – Hansberry wrote the classic play “A
Raisin in the Sun,” inspired by her family’s battle against housing
discrimination in Chicago. Its debut made her the first African-American woman
to have a play on Broadway.
8. Saul Bellow – Bellow, who grew up in Chicago, is the only writer to win the
National Book Award for Fiction three times. He also received a Pulitzer and the
Nobel. His novels include “The Adventures of Augie March” and “Herzog.”
9. Richard Wright – Wright developed his craft in Chicago, writing poetry and
working on his first novel. His books included the classics “Native Son” (set in
Chicago) and “Black Boy.”
10. Sandra Cisneros – Cisneros was born in Chicago but spent much of her
childhood shuttling between Mexico and the United States. Her novel “The House
on Mango Street” examines a girl coming of age in Chicago.
Nominees that did not make the top 10 include playwright and screenwriter David
Mamet, science fiction author Philip Jose Farmer and Chicago novelist Nelson
Algren.
ABOUT ABRAHAM LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
The presidential library and museum uses a combination of rigorous scholarship
and high-tech showmanship to immerse visitors in Lincoln’s life and times.
Visitors can see ghosts come to life on stage, watch TV coverage of the 1860
Presidential election, roam through the Lincoln White House, experience booming
cannons in a Civil War battle and come face to face with priceless original
Lincoln artifacts.
The library holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln books, documents,
photographs, artifacts and art, as well as some 12 million items pertaining to
all aspects of Illinois history.
For more information, visit
www. PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov.
ABOUT ILLINOIS BICENTENNIAL
On Dec. 3, 1818, Illinois became the 21st state in the union. The Illinois
Bicentennial is a yearlong celebration of what has been BORN, BUILT & GROWN in
the state and a reminder of why we are #IllinoisProud. Citizens are encouraged
to participate in the celebration by visiting www.illinois200.com and using the
hashtag #IllinoisProud. Partners and event and project managers planning
activities between Dec. 3, 2017, and Dec. 3, 2018, can apply for endorsement to
become an official part of Illinois Bicentennial by visiting the PARTICIPATE
page at www.illinois 200.com.
[Christopher Wills] |
