Since writing in our last issue about Sherwood Anderson’s home in Elyria, Ohio, Will Schuck has undertaken a project that should be of great interest to Andersonians. Here is the announcement of his plan:
The Anderson Project, a community literacy project to be based in Elyria, Ohio (where Anderson drafted Windy McPherson’s Son and Marching Men), is now forming a steering committee to map its journey from concept to reality. Individuals with a love of reading, writing, literature or local history are invited to join The Anderson Project’s steering committee, not only to memorialize Anderson, but also to help improve the lives of local residents.
The Anderson Project aims to reach students, business people, and the community at large through a variety of activities including:
- writing workshops and camps
- book talks
- tutoring
- hosting business and civic meetings
These activities will allow people of all backgrounds and affiliations not only to become better readers and writers but also to discover themselves and perhaps others. Sherwood Anderson left behind a local legacy of helping people discover the joys of reading and find success in writing. He and his wife, Cornelia, played host to a literary discussion group in their Elyria home early in the century while he worked as president of Anderson Manufacturing Company, also in Elyria. His participation in the group led him to draft his first two novels while living here.
The Anderson Project’s goal is to open a community-based literacy center in or near Anderson’s historical home close to downtown Elyria. To find out more or to serve on The Anderson Project’s steering committee, please reply by phone or e-mail to Will Schuck, director, phone: (440) 933-0865, e-mail: wschuck67@hotmail.com. If replying by e-mail, describe your interest in the project and anticipated level of involvement.