FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 17, 2012
Contact: Valya Dudycz Lupescu
valyadl@gmail.com
(773) 403-1144
Chicago Literary Hall of Fame to Honor Gene Wolfe
Supporters of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame and members of Chicago’s literary and arts communities will gather at the incredible Sanfilippo Estate on March 17, 2012, to present Gene Wolfe with the first “Fuller Award,” acknowledging an outstanding lifetime contribution to literature.
Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s news quiz show ‘Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” will be the toastmaster during dinner in Sanfilippo’s Carousel Pavilion, introducing Special Guests as they offer up speeches and toasts in honor of Gene Wolfe.
The Master of Ceremonies for the performance will be Gary K. Wolfe, Professor of Humanities and English at Roosevelt University and award-winning editor and critic.
Neil Gaiman, Peter Straub, Luis Urrea, Michael Swanwick, Audrey Niffenegger, Jody Lynn Nye, Michael Dirda and Patrick O’Leary are just a few of the many luminaries set to pay tribute to the writer whose body of work, including the Chicago-set Free Live Free, distinguishes him as one of our city’s finest literary treasures.
Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are available online at
http://genewolfesanfilippo.eventbrite.com/
.
Guests can attend the performance and award presentation for $65, which includes a staged reading of one of Gene’s short stories, adapted by Chicago writer Larry Santoro and performed by members of Terra Mysterium. After the reading, guests will be treated to a concert by R. Jelani Eddington, one of the world’s most accomplished pipe organists on Sanfilippo’s 80-rank, 8,000 pipe organ.
Those who purchase a Dinner Ticket for $150 will head to the Carousel Pavilion following the performance to enjoy a meal featuring delicacies from Barrington’s own chef Jeramie Campana of Wild Asparagus. While enjoying their dinner and wine, guests will be treated to speeches and toasts by Gene Wolfe’s family and friends.
Proceeds from the event will go toward a permanent home for the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, currently housed at the Cliff Dwellers Club of Chicago.
“We need a space that will enable us to permanently exhibit the story of Chicago’s great literary heritage,” said Chicago Literary Hall of Fame Executive Director Donald G. Evans. “Our mission is to preserve and promote Chicago’s literature, and as we enter Year Three, we’ve set ourselves to really make a difference in our community and beyond.”
For additional information on the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, please visit http://www.chicagoliteraryhof.org
The Sanfilippo Estate, nicknamed Place de la Musique, is a 44,000-square-foot private residence filled with magnificent collections of beautifully restored antique music machines, chandeliers, art glass, the most spectacular European salon carousel in existence, street and clock towers, steam engines and other functional mechanical antiques. The Estate, owned by Jasper Sanfilippo, former CEO of the parent company of Fisher Nut, hosts charitable fundraisers through the Sanfilippo Foundation.
About the Chicago Writers Association
The CWA is a federally registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with over 300 members, ranging from aspiring novelists to published authors, journalists, and poets. The CWA dedicates itself to promoting the four C’s of writing—creativity, commerce, craft, and community—by: fostering a visible, supportive writing community; providing genuine, constructive feedback and access to resources; assisting writers at all levels to achieve their writing goals; building a bridge to unite all facets of Chicago’s diverse literary culture; and promoting Chicago as a place of literary distinction.
