Help put Algren and others in the Hall of Fame

Now that Andre Dawson‘s legacy is secure, we can turn our attention to other Chicago luminaries who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Like Nelson Algren and Shel Silverstein.

Those all-stars might not make it to Cooperstown, but they will be on the first ballot for the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. The temple of literature doesn’t actually exist yet, but it could with your help. The Chicago Writers Association, which has been planning such a Hall since May 2009, is hosting a fundraiser tonight at Sheffield’s (6:30-9:30 p.m.; $35) to get the thing off the ground, according to the Reader. Brave the snow and you’ll enjoy unlimited specialty beers and appetizers, plus appearances by Chicago authors Bayo Ojikutu, Marcus Sakey and Don De Grazia.