Thursday, December 3, 2020

Something About Illinois

Illinois

Comes an echo on the breeze!

Birthday greetings to Illinois as it celebrates its 202 year since admission to the country. I feel like celebrating but I haven’t been to the state in almost a decade and I doubt I get there or anywhere soon.

Our man Bellairs lived in the state off-and-on during the 1960s. He visited Chicago during the late 1950s as an undergrad and moved to the Windy City for graduate school. Bellairs lived in a handful of places most notably the International House where students from different countries could live and interact with each other. 

Then, after a short stint in Minnesota, Bellairs wound up in Mount Carroll, up in the northwestern corner of the state. This was the one-time (and first) home to Shimer College at the time. Bellairs taught there for two semesters – one full school year – before leaving for England.

I’m trying to imagine what a birthday cake for the state would look like. Maybe a Lincoln log-type of roll cake? What is your favorite place or thing in the Land of Lincoln?

1 comment:

  1. My favorite thing is that it is the original home of Ray Bradbury and I was like to think of the northern part of Illinois there is still rural as his October Country.

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