June 14, 2026 · Darcel Rockett

Chicago Public Library Foundation will honor authors Gabriel Bump and Mo Willems

“They are three books about my life before things settled down,” Bump said. “I wrote these books in my late 20s … went through hard times mentally, and felt like all I had was writing and literature. Now, I’m married with two kids, teaching the next generation of confused 20-year-olds, looking back on my previous work with different perspectives. They’re all works of fiction — parts of me everywhere in it — but this one is about fatherhood, being a son. At the heart of ‘Don’t Stop Snowing’ is this idea of working on yourself … thinking about who you are, what you want from the world, how are you going to make yourself happy, so you can pass that along to other people.”