Carrie Muehle

President

Carrie Muehle is a graduate of Northwestern University’s MFA program and a former Managing Editor of TriQuarterly, Northwestern’s literary magazine. She is the past recipient of a scholarship to attend the Kentucky Women Writers Conference and received an honorable mention in the 2021 Craft First Chapters Contest. When she’s not working on her novel, she loves nothing more than sitting down to interview favorite authors. You can find her interviews at Triquarterly.org.

Kelci Dean

Secretary

Kelci Dean is an English literature graduate from DePaul University who served as an intern at the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame prior to joining the Associate's Board. She’s worked with other non-profit Chicago literacy organizations such as MAKE Literary Productions and Propeller Collective.

Kelley Engelbrecht

Kelley Engelbrecht, a recent MFA graduate in creative nonfiction from Columbia College Chicago, writes essays and prose that interrogates womanhood and traditional gender roles. With over ten years of experience in advertising and branding, she also helps companies articulate their unique brand narratives and values. Kelley lives in Chicago with her husband, daughter and cat. 

Rebecca Hathaway

Rebecca Hathaway is currently an English Literature and Publishing MA Candidate at DePaul University; she graduated from the University of Georgia with her BA in 2022. Rebecca studies ecocriticism and the interaction of setting within literature. Inevitably, she finds Chicago’s uniqueness as an environment, and its inspired stories, remarkable. 

Anna Hyslop

Anna Hyslop is a published author and aspiring screenwriter. She graduated summa cum laude from DePaul University, majoring in Creative Writing. Building upon her internship experience, she joined the associate board of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. At the 2023 Fuller Award Ceremony, Anna adapted and directed two short scenes from Harriette Gillem Robinet's acclaimed works. In her spare time, she enjoys talking movies, television, music, and, of course, books! 

Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson is a poet who lives and works in Chicago. He is currently finishing his MFA in Poetry at Northwestern University, where he's been focusing on ecopoetics and exploring the environment through form. When not reading or writing, he can be found skateboarding, painting, and tending to overgrown plants.

Allison Manley

Allison writes book reviews and short stories. She graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor’s in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing.

She is currently an MFA Candidate at Queens University of Charlotte and is slated to graduate May 2022; she previously worked at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. In addition to reading, she likes opera, beer, movies, dogs, and Chicago’s rich live lit scene.

Ellie Martin

Ellie Martin is an English Educator in Chicago Public Schools who graduated cum laude with her BA in English at the University of Central Arkansas and her M.Ed. in Educational Equity at the University of Arkansas. Her focus remains on uplifting the voices of young writers, especially those of under-represented groups. She previously served as the Social Media Coordinator for the CLHOF and continues her work with the organization on the Associate Board. She spends her free time doing organizing and advocacy work, reading, caring for her handicapped cats, and spending time with her partner.

Jocelyn Ruby

Jocelyn Ruby graduated in 2021 from Knox College with a BA in English Literature and a minor in Arts Administration. In the Winter/Spring of 2021, she helped CLHOF secure grant funding that would go towards the publication of Wherever I'm At: An Anthology of Chicago Poetry (2022). Jocelyn comes from a family of local published writers, including her uncle, Jeff Ruby, and her grandmother, Lois Ruby. Her favorite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. 

Emily Winkler

Emily Winkler is an aspiring novelist based in the Chicagoland area. She graduated from Elmhurst College with a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and Writing, going on to graduate from DePaul University with her Master's Degree in English Literature and her Certificate in Publishing.

She currently works in fashion marketing, using writing and her passion for photography to bring beautiful products to life.

Emily became involved with CLHOF during her time at DePaul, where she worked on researching and mapping out our popular Literary Walking Tours.

Emily is thrilled to assist CLHOF in expanding our audience and sharing her love of literature and the great city of Chicago with anyone interested!