Writers Museum free on Ray Bradbury’s birthday

To honor the Centennial of Ray Bradbury’s birth, the American Writers Museum (AWM) will open its doors for free on Saturday, August 22.

Showcasing manuscripts, personal items, and the typewriter of the man who wrote nearly a dozen novels including Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, the institution's Bradbury collection will help visitors see the author "in a whole new light."

Guests will also have an opportunity to get a peek at AWM’s upcoming exhibit Ray Bradbury: Inextinguishable, set to open in early 2021, and explore other popular exhibits including American Writers, the Children’s Gallery, the Word Waterfall and Chicago: A City of Writers.

Science Fiction podcasts

In further celebration of Ray Bradbury, the AWM podcast will air episodes featuring conversations with contemporary science fiction and fantasy writers in August:

• J. Michael Straczynski, author of Becoming Superman on August 10;

• Annalee Newitz, author of The Future of Another Timeline on August 17;

• John Scalzi, author of The Consuming Fire, on August 24;

• Isabel Ibanez, author of Woven in Moonlight on the August 31.

Located at 180 N. Michigan Ave., the American Writers Museum is on a mission to "engage the public in celebrating American writers and exploring their influence on our history, our identity, our culture, and our daily lives." The museum's current virtual exhibits include Frederick Douglass: Agitator, and My America: Immigrant and Refugee Writers Today.

To learn more about AWM, click here.