Windy City Writers

We're so giddy about the tremendous response we've received for our silent auction call for donations that we just had to share it with you. The collection of items that will be auctioned or raffled at our Jan. 7 Sheffield's fundraiser keeps growing, and we hope it continues to grow up until the day of the event. Below are the items donated or pledged so far. Many, many thanks to our generous donors. 

Signed books 

• Peter Abresch - If They Ask for a Hand, Only Give Them a Finger & Easy Reading Writing, Easy Reading About Writing Easy Reading
• Arnie Bernstein - Bath Massacre: America’s First School Bombing
• Cynthia Clampitt - Waltzing Australia
• Scotti Cohn - It Happened in Chicago and One Wolf Howls
• Stump Connolly – The Long Slog: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House
• Don De Grazia- British and American 1st edition hard covers of American Skin
• Stuart Dybek - 1st Edition hard cover of Brass Knuckles
• Donald G. Evans et al. – Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting Till Next Year
• JoAnn Fastoff – The Gordian Knot and The Pact
• Neil Gaiman - Newbery Award winner The Graveyard Book
• Jane Hamilton - A Map of the World
• Libby Fischer Hellman –1st edition hard covers of Doubleback and Image of Death and limited edition chapbook of the story, "The Murder of Katie Boyle" 
• Alex Kotlowitz
• Maureen Lipinski – A Bump in the Road
• Rachel Madorsky - Create Your Own Destiny - Spiritual Path to Success and Symphony of Your Karma: Healing Destiny of Your Soul
• John McNally - 1st edition hard cover of Ghosts of Chicago
• Audrey Niffenegger - 1st edition hard cover of Her Fearful Symmetry
• Bayo Ojikutu – 47^th Street Black and Free Burning
• Marcus Sakey – 1st edition hard cover and audiobook of The Amateurs
• William Savage
• Mary T. Wagner – Heck on Heels
• Robert W. Walker - 1st edition hard cover of Dead On and paperback of Shadows in the White City
• Rick Kogan and Charles Osgood - 1st Edition hard cover of Sidewalks ii: Reflections on Chicago
• Sharon Rendell - Living with Big Cats
• Monte Irvin and 5 other Negro League players - Few and Chosen: Defining Negro Leagues Greatness

 Miscellaneous items

• Gift certificate for two for the Chicago Dramatists' production of Jade Heart by senior network playwright Will Cooper
• Pair of gift certificates for Black Ensemble Theater
• Pair of tickets for an upcoming Chicago Bulls game at the United Center
• Collection of vintage fountain pens donated by Paul Neilan - three vintage Esterbrook fountain pens (ca. 1950s), all in good - excellent condition, working, with a retail value of around $40-50, as well as some vintage pen nibs (1920s) from the Chicago Public Schools. The nibs are embossed with "CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS." 
• Handmade jewelry by Star Girl Jewelry
• One-year membership to the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park
• Two certificates to have your manuscript evaluated by The Knife Editing Services donated by Robert W. Walker
• Two certificates to have your name in Robert W. Walker's next book
• Beer packages from Chimay, Hofbrau and Founders donated by John Freyer
• Manuscript evaluation by The Word Bird Editing Services donated by Kelly O'Connor McNees
• "Royko and the Goat" DVD donated by Stump Connolly
• One-hour blog consultation donated by Marcie Hill
• The Ultimate Oliver Stone Collection: CD set featuring 12 of the director's films 
• 1 hour air time on WRMN-1410 AM Elgin