Chicago, Illinois, Dec. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Writers Museum’s (AWM) new special exhibit American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture is now open through November 2026, taking visitors on a journey through spirituality and storytelling. Featuring interactive displays incorporating more than 100 different creative works and writers spanning genres and mediums, American Prophets explores the stories, songs, and spirits that have shaped American culture.
For more information on American Prophets at the American Writers Museum (180 N. Michigan Avenue, 2nd Floor) visit awmamericanprophets.org. AWM is open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $16 with discounts available for seniors, students and teachers.
In American Prophets, visitors can discover faith-inspired songs including Chance the Rapper’s “Blessings,” Patti Smith’s “Gloria” and Frank Waln’s “7.” They can compare the imagined worlds and faiths explored in Star Trek, Black Panther and Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, and laugh through an exploration of holiness in humor with Taylor Tomlinson, Patton Oswalt, Hari Kondabolu and Joan Rivers. AWM invites guests to learn how storytelling serves as a powerful lens for examining belief systems, personal identity, and the ever-evolving relationship between religion and American culture.
Along with interactive displays spanning genres and mediums, the American Prophets exhibit includes a selection of unique objects of religious significance to writers that can be tied to their works. Featured artifacts include:
- Harold Ramis’ pocket-sized primer The Five-Minute Buddhist
- Louie Pérez’s statue of the Santo Niño de Atocha
- Flannery O'Connor's rosary and holy water bottle
- Ursula K. Le Guin's annotated copy of the Tao Te Ching
- Samira Ahmed's amulet with the Ayatul Kursi, a Muslim prayer
- Jack Kevorkian’s typewriter
- Brad Wagnon’s Cherokee turtle shell rattle
- Pauli Murray’s vestments
- Sanjay Patel’s prayer bell
- Rachel Pollack’s statue of Persephone, mezuzah and candlesticks
- W. S. Merwin’s copy of The Roaring Stream: A New Zen Reader
- Sholem Asch’s antique inkwells and spice boxes
Across time and tradition, prophets have been those who see what others can’t, voices with uncommon insight who guide us toward deeper understanding. The writers in American Prophets share that same visionary spark. They’re not prophets in the religious sense, but their words reveal extraordinary awareness of the world around them, insight born of belief, experience, and imagination. These writers invite us to see our culture, and ourselves, through new eyes.
American Prophets events with authors spanning genres will be presented at AWM through 2026. Check the events calendar at awmamericanprophets.org for updates on American Prophets programming.
American Prophets is supported by a $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.
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American Prophets press kit and images available HERE>>
The American Writers Museum is the first museum of its kind in the United States. The mission of the American Writers Museum is to excite audiences about the impact of American writers — past, present and future — in shaping our collective histories, cultures, identities, and daily lives. The museum is located at 180 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60601, and offers something for every age group including permanent exhibits and special galleries highlighting America’s favorite works and the authors behind them. Tickets to the museum are $16 for adults, $10 for seniors, students, and teachers. Free for members and children ages 12 and under. To inquire about discounted rates for groups of 10 or more, including adults, student travel groups, and University students, visit AmericanWritersMuseum.org/visit/groups or call 312-374-8765. Museum hours are Monday, Thursday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. For more information visit AmericanWritersMuseum.org or call 312-374-8790. Follow AWM on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. Although the Endowment maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana, it also funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.
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Karie McGahan American Writers Museum 312-374-8764 mcgahan@americanwritersmuseum.org
