Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the publication of Fire!! - an influential but short-lived Harlem Renaissance literary magazine - this exhibit features first edition works from the Rare Books collections written by artists featured in Fire!! such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Countee Cullen. Consisting of three display cases (two located in Rare Books & Special Collections, a third in Lam Square), the exhibit is a joint collaboration between Professor Melanie Chambliss's Spring 2026 History class "Harlem and Black Chicago Renaissances" and Professor Matthew Omelsky's Spring 2026 English class "Introduction to African American Literature.” Curation was overseen by Autumn Haag, Assistant Director of Outreach, Rare Books & Special Collections. The three display cases feature short essays written by members of both classes. 

Read more in this piece from the Campus Times: https://www.campustimes.org/2026/04/20/catching-fire-in-a-rare-books-exhibition/