FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ann Piccininni
Marketing and Communications Assistant, Wheaton Park District
630.510.4987 | [email protected]

October 27, 2022

WHEATON – DuPage County has a history of producing authors of acclaimed works of fiction, poetry, and comics, from “Anna and the King of Siam” to “Little Orphan Annie.”

An exhibit exploring how DuPage County shaped the lives and works of nationally recognized and beloved authors is on display at the DuPage County Historical Museum through March 25, 2023.

“Stories of DuPage: Reading Between the Lines,” curated by Museum Curator Emily O’Brien, is open to the public during Museum hours and will be complemented by a series of special events highlighting famous literary works and their creators.

The exhibit and series were funded by a $2,500 grant awarded to the Museum by the History DuPage Fund of DuPage Foundation.

DuPage Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation that has awarded more than $65 million in grants since its founding in 1986 to not-for-profit organizations serving DuPage County residents.

At 7 p.m. on August 3, the Museum will partner with the Wheaton Public Library to present a virtual, free event featuring Laura Keyes of Historic Voices as she recounts how the fabled fictional character of Sherlock Holmes met Irene Adler, another of Arthur Conan Doyle’s memorable characters. To register, visit wheatonlibrary.org.

Next up, a program titled “Louisa May Alcott” will feature a presentation about the well-known author’s life at 7 p.m. on August 18 in the Museum auditorium. The event is free; please register at dupagemuseum.org.

Three discussions of author Luis Alberto Urrea’s work, “The House of Broken Angels,” will be presented at the Wheaton Public Library in September. To register, visit wheatonlibrary.org. Urrea is featured in the Museum’s “Stories of DuPage” exhibit.

A free, in-person event at 1 p.m. on September 10 will be held at the Museum. Western Illinois University professor John Hallwas will talk about poet Carl Sandburg’s “Chicago Poems” and how Sandburg’s works illuminate the importance of fostering a sense of community.

Fictional detective Nancy Drew, the protagonist featured in a series of mystery books, was conjured up by authors writing under the pen name Carolyn Keene, much to the delight of generations of fans. Historian Leslie Goddard will explore the series’ popularity at a presentation titled “The Mystery of Nancy Drew” at a free event scheduled for 1 p.m. on September 24 in the Museum auditorium.

At 1 p.m. on October 8, Terry Lynch will portray legendary American author Mark Twain in a program titled “Between Two Comets: The Life of Mark Twain” at a free event in the Museum auditorium.

The Museum auditorium will be the site of a free program at 1 p.m. October 15 titled “Leapin’ Lizards” Craft Workshop. Attendees will have the opportunity to create crafts based on works of children’s fiction. To register, visit dupagemuseum.org.

The Wheaton Public Library again teams up with the Museum to present “C.S. Lewis and the Marion E. Wade Center: Wheaton’s Connection to Britain” at 7 p.m. on November 3 in the Museum auditorium. The event will feature Laura Schmidt, archivist of the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College, which holds the largest collection of C.S. Lewis material in the United States. This is a free, in-person event.

For more information, please visit dupagemuseum.org.