Carl Sandburg: Poet, Politician and Prophet

There’s no better way to celebrate National Poetry Month than with Carl Sandburg: Poet, Politician and Prophet. This free online broadcast is presented by the Elmhurst History Museum. It will be available to stream on YouTube from April 7 through May 6. Sandburg scholar Lawrence Webb will look at the poet and former Elmhurst resident’s influence on 20th-century American culture. At McGrath Elmhurst Toyota, we’re always impressed by the Elmhurst Art Museum’s many exhibits and presentations.

Carl Sandburg was born in 1878 in Galesburg, Illinois, to Swedish immigrants. While he is best known as a poet and biographer, his work also includes fiction, nonfiction, children’s books and plays. His first collection of poems, “Fire Under the Coal,” was published in 1912. Sandburg received three Pulitzer Prizes, including one for his two-volume biography, “Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years.” He resided at 331 South York Street in Elmhurst from 1919 to 1930. During that time, he wrote several poetry collections, including “Cornhuskers,” “Chicago Poems,” and “Smoke and Steel.” He also authored three children’s books while he lived in Elmhurst.

Sandburg supported the Civil Rights Movement. He was the first non-African American to receive the Silver Plaque Award by the NAACP. After his death in 1967 at the age of 89, he was eulogized by President Lyndon Johnson, who said, “Carl Sandburg was more than the voice of America, more than the poet of its strength and genius. He was America.”

Lawrence Webb is a scholar who has written nine books, including his most recent work, “Carl Sandburg: Poet, Politician and Prophet.” He holds a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina-Columbia.

Date and Time:
The presentation will be available April 7 through May 6, 2022

Location:
Carl Sandburg: Poet, Politician and Prophet is a virtual presentation. Visit https://bit.ly/3u3pL7R starting April 7 for a link to the streaming broadcast.

Admission:
Free.

For More Information:
Call the Elmhurst History Museum at 630-833-1457.