By Judy Carmack Bross
“At a time when we are facing threats to books, libraries, and the teaching of literature, the American Writers Museum preserves the rich history of writing in America. Thousands of students come to the museum, and we bring the museum to thousands more through our John Estey Student Writing Competition, teacher training, and related programs. OnWord is a wonderful celebration of literature, and an opportunity to support these crucial programs.” — Roxanne Decyk, OnWord 2025 Co-Chair.
Viewers learn more about their favorite American writers at the American Writers Museum.
OnWord is an apt title as Chicago opens a new chapter: The Fall gala season. On September 8 at the Four Seasons Chicago, the American Writers Museum (AWM) will have the first word.
David Grann, photo credit Rebecca Mansell
Naturally, some of our country’s most-read novelists will be there, including the Founder’s Inspiring Writer Award recipient David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon, who will be interviewed by guest presenter Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” As Decyk noted, “Aside from his skill as a writer, David Grann helps us learn about issues and events in our history that have not been well understood.”
Chicago best-selling author Scott Turow will receive the Beyond the Page Award.
Scott Turow and Jerre and Mary Joy Stead will receive the Beyond the Page Award. This honor recognizes writers and others who have gone beyond the page to celebrate and elevate the power of the written word. The Steads are lifelong philanthropists who have supported people around the globe, and they were visionary backers of the American Writers Museum from its earliest days, recognizing the positive impact it could have on young people. Turow, an accomplished and prolific author, has also advanced the rights of writers as President of the Authors Guild of America, fought for the wrongly convicted on death row, and contributed his expertise to the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission and the Illinois Commission on Capital Punishment, which helped bring an end to capital punishment in Illinois. Both the Steads and Turow exemplify the AWM’s belief in honoring those who go beyond what is expected to help write a better future for all of us.
Additional honors for the evening include: The Inspiration Award to be presented by Brit Bennett, New York Times best-selling author of The Vanishing Half and The Mothers. Each year, the AWM selects an established writer to nominate a teacher who inspired them. Bennett will be bestowing the award on her former teacher, Christine Esteban, who will receive a $10,000 prize. The evening will also spotlight winners of the sixth annual John Estey Student Writing Competition, which draws talented young writers from across the globe. This creative writing competition is a cornerstone of AWM’s ongoing initiatives to foster development and motivation for young writers.
OnWord Co-Chair Roxanne Decyk
Roxanne Decyk and Brenda Grusecki, this year’s OnWord Co-Chairs, embody the spirit of the event, and it was a pleasure to talk with them about it. Both trace their involvement back to a lifelong love of reading.
“I have had a lifelong love affair with books. The bookmobile was my best childhood friend, I studied literature in college, and I tutored in literacy programs,” Decyk said. “American writers, from Nathaniel Hawthorne to Toni Morrison, helped me understand the greater world and what motivates people. Supporting the Museum is a happy combination of my love of writing and a commitment to engaging as broad and diverse a population as possible in the wonder of books.”
Co-Chair Brenda Grusecki at the 2024 OnWord
Grusecki echoed the sentiment: “Involvement in the Museum was an easy one for me: my commitment to philanthropy combined with my lifelong love of literature led me directly to the mission of the Museum, its importance in recognizing the value of reading, writing, books, authors, and learning. As an English teacher, those are my passions, and the Museum, beautifully designed for engagement and the celebration of language, is ‘home sweet home.’ Too, as a nationwide Museum, its scope is broad, as American writers are. Its commitment to diversity and to free expression are fundamentally important, especially when books are being banned in the United States, and learning and teaching are being undermined, unbelievable in 2025.”
Both co-chairs also emphasize the unique joy of OnWord. “The first time I was a guest, I was delighted because it was FUN and because it celebrated teachers as well as students,” Grusecki said. “The idea of fun and the reverence for learning have persisted, as evidenced by my own guests’ appreciation of the event.”
Decyk added: “Peter Sagal is a great friend of AWM and has helped in so many ways. We are grateful for his involvement and always look forward to his wry humor and deftness in interviewing writers and honorees.”
NPR’s Peter Sagal at the 2024 OnWord
One of the most important aspects of the evening is devoted to budding writers around the world. Teachers were invited to submit entries of any genre from 3rd to 12th grade students using a quote from Ursula K. Le Guin, “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end,” as the prompt. $10,500 in prizes will be awarded to 10 finalists.
The winners include students from New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Maryland, India, and Australia. “The student writing contest is a brilliant way to engage students in not only writing but the inevitable reading that accompanies accomplished writing,” Grusecki noted. “Three age levels are important as is the prestige these students feel as Recognized Writers.”
Elizabeth Boguslavsky, high school winner in 2022, with 2022 John Estey Student Writing Competition honoree Elizabeth with John W. Estey
Elizabeth Boguslavsky, a high school winner in 2022, will return to be part of this year’s OnWord awards. She reflected: “Winning felt so incredibly empowering. I felt heard, validated in my hard work and what I had to say. The museum helped me believe in myself and encouraged me to continue writing as well as to have confidence in the power of my voice. Being able to be a part of OnWord 2025 feels like a full-circle moment, and I am so grateful to be involved in an event for the organization that helped me so much in my personal journey.”
Interactive in nature, inspirational from when you first enter, and always insightful when you connect with a favorite author, AWM has much to celebrate. This literary feast will support operations, including its expanding youth programs and a mission to recognize the enduring influence of American writers on our history, identity, cultural, and daily lives. Last year’s OnWord raised $820,000, and this year’s event promises to build on that success. With recent cuts to federal funding for libraries and museums, support for institutions like the AWM is more critical than ever.
For more information and to purchase tickets or contribute, visit AmericanWritersMuseum.org. Follow AWM on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
