ABOUT THE LIBRARY
20th Century Authors Inscribed in Central Library Limestone
June 28, 2007
Dave Egan of Indiana Monument and Cut Stone, Inc. engraves the name of W.B. Yeats in the limestone at Central Library
When the transformed Central Library opens in late 2007, patrons will see the names of seven of the 20th century's greatest literary figures added to those from earlier ages already engraved in the stonework of the historic Cret building.
Based on the recommendations of contemporary authors, such as John Irving and Norman Mailer, who have presented the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library's annual McFadden Memorial Lecture, the latest inscriptions have been carved above the windows of the Cret building as viewed from the four-story atrium that connects the 1917 structure with the Library's new six-story addition.
Criteria for selection reflected the standards set forth by the Library in 1916 when authors and leading citizens in various fields nominated the 76 novelists, philosophers, poets, historians, dramatists, scientists and naturalists now inscribed. Today's criteria required that nominated authors 1.) be representative of the 20th century, 2.) represent a variety of literary genres, 3.) be critically acclaimed in their field by earning such awards as the National Book Award, the Nobel Prize or the Pulitzer Prize, and 4.) be deceased.
Joining such names as Aristotle, Bacon, Milton, Kant, Hugo, Darwin, Dickens, Plutarch, Grimm, Bryant, Keats, Hawthorne and Stevenson are:
James Joyce - Best known for his landmark 1922 novel, Ulysses, this Irish expatriate used Dublin as the setting for most of his fictional universe.
John Steinbeck - Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, he wrote Of Mice and Men (1937) and the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath (1940).
William Faulkner - Considered one of the most important "Southern writers," he was awarded the 1949 Nobel Prize for Literature. His most celebrated novels included The Sound and the Fury (1929) and The Unvanquished (1938).
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. - Indianapolis' literary son whose 25 books reflected a comic compassion for the human condition. His classic 1969 novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, was chosen as the 2007 One Book, One City selection for the city of Indianapolis.
Ernest Hemingway - As a rare cult-like figure for a serious writer, he received the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 for The Old Man and the Sea and earned the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. Other memorable works included A Farewell to Arms (1929), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) and A Moveable Feast (1964).
Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) - Best known for such classic children's books as The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, his works became staples for children and their parents. Seuss trademarks were his rhyming text and outlandish creatures.
W.B. Yeats - An Irish poet and dramatist, Yeats is considered one of the few writers whose greatest works were completed after being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923. Those included The Tower (1928) and The Winding Stair (1929).
To create these historic engravings, IMCPL selected Indiana Monument and Cut Stone, Inc. from Bedford, Indiana. Stone carver Dave Eagan used a process in which he placed self-adhesive stencils on the face of the building's limestone. He followed that by tracing the letter forms with a pneumatic chisel. After removing the stencil, Eagan carved out the letters of each author.
The new 293-thousand-square-foot Central Library will feature a collection of nearly one million items, over 300 public computers, and a dynamic new children's area (The Learning Curve at Central Library) that will encourage literacy and critical thinking.
For updates on Central Library construction activity, along with descriptions of new services and features, visit the Central Construction Project pages.