The Chicago Literary Archive is an independent, open-source research guide to Chicago’s literary, printing, and publishing history from 1837 to today. Founded by Adam Morgan in 2021, the CLA is viewable and editable by anyone interested in Chicago literature. Read more about the project in the Chicago Tribune.
We are dedicated to cataloging Chicago-based writers, books, presses, printers, and literary institutions past and present. We are particularly interested in digitizing literary artifacts, ephemera, and images, as well as gathering and sharing scholarly work.
“Love Chicago books? This archive is for you.”
“A kind of dedicated one-stop Chi-lit Wikipedia”
“A book critic looks to revive lost literary works of Chicago”
Become an Archivist
To add your own research, all you need is a WordPress account and an invitation.For an invitation to add and edit content, or to join the masthead in a more formal role, email Adam at adam@adam-stephen-morgan.com.
Please note that while we are open-source, the Chicago Literary Archive adheres to a no self-promotion policy as well as a conflict of interest policy that prohibits users from adding information about their own work or the work of friends and family (just like Wikipedia). As such, we will not be able to respond to self-promotion requests.
More details and guidelines coming soon. In the meantime, here is a sample book page and a sample people page to use as a structural model.
Masthead
Founding Editor
Adam Morgan
Culture critic and founder of the Chicago Review of Books and Southern Review of Books
Editor-at-Large
Maria Dikcis
ACLS Emerging Voices Fellow, Pozen Family Center for Human Rights, The University of Chicago
Contributing Editor
Mary I. Unger
Associate professor of English and Chair, Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Ripon College
Chicago Literary Archive 