Words to live by

studs-terkel.jpgThe newly created Chicago Literary Hall of Fame inducts its first class, which includes two UChicago notables.

“Chicago is America’s Dream, writ large. And flamboyantly.”—Studs Terkel, PhB’32, JD’34

Six members of Chicago’s literary community were posthumously inducted into the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame November 20, including Terkel and Saul Bellow, X’39.

Honoring “authors whose words have best captured the essence of our city,” the hall of fame was created by the Chicago Writers Association as a space to showcase the city’s literary tradition (it will be housed in the Cliff Dwellers Club at 200 S. Michigan Avenue). In the ceremony held at the Northeastern Illinois University Auditorium (3701 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue), U of C senior lecturer in Yiddish Jan Schwarz presented Bellow’s award, and Gregory Bellow, AB’66, AM’68, accepted it on his father’s behalf. For Terkel, Chicago author Stuart Dybek presented, and his son, Dan Terkel, accepted.

Ruth E. Kott, AM’07

November 22, 2010