Exhibit of Illinois Books by John Hallwas at WIU
By: WIU Senior Library Specialist - Kathy Nichols
Photo of the Hallwas exhibit taken by George Hartmann of WIU Photography and Design.
An exhibit of books by the most prolific current author focused on Illinois history, John Hallwas, was officially dedicated at the 125th WIU anniversary celebration, on October 18, at Western Illinois University’s Malpass Library. It features enlargements of his many book covers that have historic images, and those framed enlargements were created by noted photographer George Hartmann, a specialist in Visual Production at WIU.
The Hallwas exhibit is devoted to more than two dozen books that relate to Illinois history, which he wrote or edited, including such well-known titles as The Bootlegger: A Story of Small-Town America, Dime Novel Desperadoes: The Notorious Maxwell Brothers, Illinois Literature: The Nineteenth Century, Spoon River Anthology: An Annotated Edition, and Western Illinois Heritage. It also includes his recent book, Forgotten Voices from Illinois History, which is derived from his long series about writers from our state that has appeared in Illinois Heritage magazine for many years.
Because of the author’s focus on Illinois, which spans half a century, the exhibit is expected to attract many visitors with an interest in our state. And one framed quotation in the exhibit, from his book On Community: A Crucial Issue, a Small Town, and a Writer’s Experience, indicates the deep purpose that underlies all of his writing: “We all have to work at belonging, and at finding meaning in our lives. . . . Reading about the local and regional past is a great way to foster that cultural bonding, and to make people feel part of a meaningful tradition.”
The exhibit also features several of the more than twenty local, state, and regional awards that Hallwas has received over the years, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society—of which he is now the president—and the MidAmerica Award, from the Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature.
The Hallwas book exhibit, titled “Remembering This Place and Expressing Our Story,” was created at the WIU library to recognize the remarkable achievement of such a prolific writer (who has also written several plays, scores of professional journal articles, and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles about Illinois). But it will also attract visitors to the university’s Malpass Library, which not only has a million books and thousands of periodicals but features an outstanding Archives and Special Collections unit, focused on the culture and heritage of western Illinois, where Hallwas worked for twenty-five years as the Director of Regional Collections.
The initial portion of the dedication event was held in the Garden Lounge on the second floor of Malpass Library, where guests were welcomed by Dean of University Libraries, Hector Maymi-Sugranes. Following his greeting, Interim President Kristi S. Mindrup addressed the audience, commenting on Western’s celebration of its 125th anniversary and the values that had made it a success. Next, former Dean of the Centennial Honors College and Dan and Laura Webb Endowed Professor of Political Science Richard J. Hardy provided an insightful, thought-provoking, and entertaining talk.
In conclusion, the attendees adjourned to the third floor of the library, where they viewed the forty-foot-wide permanent exhibit of book covers and awards related to the work of Distinguished Professor Emeritus John E. Hallwas.