New Lake County authors follow in famous footsteps
A number of notable authors, publishing both fiction and nonfiction works, have called Lake County home. Among these authors are Ray Bradbury, Eleanor Taylor Bland, Lisel Mueller, and the late Adlai Stevenson II.
Ray Bradbury, born in 1920 and raised in Waukegan, is one of the world's best-known science fiction novelists.
He is considered by many to be the greatest American writer of speculative fiction, in which the classic question, what if, is asked. The Green Town of Bradbury's 1957 classic "Dandelion Wine" is based on Waukegan. His best known books include "The Martian Chronicles" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes."
Eleanor Taylor Bland was born in Boston in 1944 and settled in Waukegan. Best known for her Marti MacAlister detective series, the African-American heroine has been featured in 13 novels.
Bland's stories often focus on the plight of the homeless, the mentally ill, the elderly and children.
German immigrant, Lisel Mueller, born in 1924, came to the United States in 1939. She and her husband settled in Lake Forest. Mueller is a well-regarded poet and essayist. She is noted for her lyrical verse and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her collection of poetry, "Alive Together."
One of the most important political figures of the 20th century, rounds out the list. Adlai Stevenson II, 1900-1965, lived with his family in Mettawa from 1935 to 1965.
He published books on politics and wrote eloquent and often witty speeches during his political career as governor of Illinois (1948-1952), Democratic nominee for president (1952 and 1956), and ambassador to the United Nations (1961-1965).
In his last speech to the United Nations, Stevenson said: "We travel together, passengers on a little space ship, dependent upon its vulnerable reserves of air and soil, all committed for our safety to its security and peace, preserved from annihilation only by the care, the work, and I will say the love we give our fragile craft."
It's not easy to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Ray Bradbury and others, but today's up-and-coming authors certainly strive for that level of perfection. You have a chance to meet the next generation of Lake County authors -- some historians and some fiction writers -- as they read from their published works from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Lake County Discovery Museum.
For details on "An Evening with Lake County Authors," call (847) 968-3400 or visit www.LakeCountyDiscoveryMuseum.org.