The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute’s Renewing Illinois program encourages Illinois university students to discuss and debate creative solutions to revitalize the Prairie State. While preparing background materials for the students who will participate in our annual summit, we recognized the need to provide additional sources to allow them to delve more deeply into the history, politics, and literature of Illinois.
To that end, we have compiled a recommended reading list. We asked more than 25 prominent Illinoisans to respond to the question: If you were teaching an “Illinois 101” course to highly motivated undergraduates, what five books you would assign them to read? They can be histories, biographies, novels, or essays. In sum, they would provide a wide-ranging and nuanced understanding of Illinois.
Photos: Did you know? These 32 celebrities went to SIU
Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone
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Melissa McCarthy, an actor and comedian who has been nominated for the best actress Oscar for her role in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" went to SIU. Her husband, Ben Falcone (left), also an actor, is from Carbondale.
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Bob Odenkirk
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Bob Odenkirk is an actor, comedian, writer and producer best known for his recent role as Saul Goodman on AMC's "Breaking Bad."
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Jenny McCarthy
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Jenny McCarthy is a model, actress, and television host.
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Jim Belushi
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Jim Belushi is an actor best known for his role as Jim Orenthal in the sitcom "According to Jim."
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Hannibal Buress
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Hannibal Buress (left) is a stand-up comedian, actor and television writer.
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Brandon Jacobs
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Brandon Richard Jacobs is a former American football running back, who spent the majority of his career with the New York Giants.
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Curt Jones
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Curt Jones is a businessman best known for creating Dippin' Dots, an ice cream snack created by flash freezing ice cream mix in liquid nitrogen.
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Darryl Jones
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Darryl Jones is a musician best known in his role as bassist for The Rolling Stones.
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Justin Hartley
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Justin Hartley is an Emmy-nominated actor, known for his roles on "This is Us," "The Young and the Restless" and "Smallville."
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Joe Swanberg
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Joe Swanberg is an independent film director, producer, writer and actor.
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Thelma Mothershed-Wair, Minnijean Brown Trickey and Terrence Roberts
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Three of the Little Rock Nine, who as high school students in 1957 integrated Little Rock Central High School, attended SIU: Thelma Mothershed-Wair, Minnijean Brown Trickey and Terrence Roberts. The Little Rock Nine, from left, Elizabeth Eckford, Roberts, Melba Pattillo Beals, Jefferson Thomas, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Brown Trickey, Ernest Green, Gloria Ray Karlmark and Mothershed-Wair, are pictured in 2005 in Little Rock, Ark., where they gathered on the state Capitol grounds for the unveiling of a monument marking their battle with Gov. Orval Faubus.
Danny Johnston, Associated Press
David Lee Murphy
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David Lee Murphy is a Southern Illinois native best known for his country music.
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Dave Steib
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Dave Steib was the winning pitcher in the 1983 All-Star at Chicago's Comiskey Park. Steib was a seven-time All-Star during his 16-year career, in which he pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago White Sox. Steib pitched a no-hitter in 1990.
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David Selby
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David Selby is best known for playing the roles of Quentin Collins on the ABC-TV serial "Dark Shadows."
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Dennis Franz
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Dennis Franz is an actor best known for his role as Andy Sipowicz in the television series "NYPD Blue."
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Dick Gregory
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Richard Gregory was an American comedian, social activist, social critic, writer, and entrepreneur.
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Jason Frasor
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Jason Frasor pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox over his 12-year MLB career.
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Jim Hart
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Jim Hart (right) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals.
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Joan Higginbotham
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Joan Higginbotham (front, center) is an engineer most known for her flight aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-116 as a mission specialist.
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Roland Burris
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Roland Burris is a politician best known for his position as a United States Senator.
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Donald McHenry
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Donald McHenry was the United States Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations from September 1979 until Jan. 20, 1981.
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Mark Victor Hansen
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Mark Victor Hansen is an American inspirational and motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is best known as the founder and co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series.
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Randy Daniels
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Randy Daniels is a journalist and educator best known for his career as Secretary of State of New York.
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Richard Roundtree
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Richard Roundtree is an actor best known for his role as private detective John Shaft in the film "Shaft."
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Steve Finley
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Steve Finley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.
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Walt Frazier
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Walt Frazier (left) is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association. As their floor general, he led the New York Knicks to the franchise's only two NBA Championships (1970 and 1973), and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.
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Walt Willey
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Walt Willey (right) is best known for playing Jackson Montgomery on the soap opera "All My Children."
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Steve James
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Steve James is a film producer and director of several documentaries, including "Hoop Dreams," "Stevie" and "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail."
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Shawn Colvin
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Shawn Colvin is a musician best known for her Grammy-winning single "Sunny Came Home."
