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Best Literary Landmarks In Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is dotted with landmarks made famous by local writers and the books, plays and songs they wrote. From Lawrenceville to Oakland to downtown, Pittsburgh authors have made their neighborhoods famous, both in life and death. Take a literary tour of the city by visiting these top five literary landmarks for a trip back in time you won't soon forget.
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August Wilson Center for African American Culture

980 Liberty Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 258-2700
augustwilsoncenter.org/

As a memorial to the late August Wilson, the August Wilson Center for African American Culture opened in 2009 on Liberty Avenue downtown. Used as a cultural space for exhibits, plays and educational classes, the August Wilson Center features a full calender of events year round. Wilson was born in Pittsburgh, and the majority of his plays are set in Pittsburgh's Hill District neighborhood. "Fences," Wilson's best-known play and a Pulitzer Prize winner, also won a Tony Award on Broadway. Visit this cultural landmark to get a full understanding of how growing up in the Hill District shaped Wilson and inspired his play writing.

Related: Best Spots to Spend a Summer Day with Your Family In Pittsburgh

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Rachel Carson Homestead

613 Marion Ave.
Springdale, PA 15144
(724) 274-5459
rachel_carson_homestead.myupsite.com/

Located just a few miles north of Pittsburgh, Springdale, Pa., was the birthplace of Rachel Carson and, later, the inspiration for her life-long dedication to ecology and conservation. Her novel "Silent Spring" highlighted the dangerous path humans were on as the use of pesticides and biology-altering chemical agents became a more popular way of making farming easier. The Rachel Carson Homestead serves as a tribute to Carson's childhood home in Springdale.

Related: 5 Must-Read Books by Pittsburgh Authors

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Duquesne University

600 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15282
(412) 396-6000
duq.edu/

John Grisham makes use of Duquesne University as an important plot setting in his novel, "The Associate." This novel is the story of a recent law school graduate starting a career as a high-powered attorney. When his past indiscretions during his undergraduate days at Duquesne University come back to haunt him, the path the main character thought he was on changes. References to Pittsburgh abound throughout the novel, and Grisham has said he used Duquesne University as the setting for major plotlines in the novel because of how much he enjoyed the city.

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Carnegie Mellon University

5000 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 268–2000
cmu.edu/index.shtml

When Michael Chabon wrote "Wonder Boys," he did not reference any specific Pittsburgh university as he depicted the life of a college professor with writer's block and serious relationship issues. The novel is, however, littered with references to Pittsburgh locations only true 'Burghers would know. The movie with Michael Douglas based on "Wonder Boys" is another story: CMU figures prominently into the movie plot. Read or re-read the book and then watch the movie. Details in the book are perfectly portrayed on screen at CMU. The studio wanted to outsource the movie to a different city, but producers knew how much Pittsburgh meant to the author and decided to use genuine Pittsburgh places to make Chabon's characters come to life. See how many dorms, lecture halls and coffee shops in and around CMU you can pick out in the book and movie, and then head out for a tour of the campus.

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Allegheny Cemetery

4734 Butler St.
Pittsburgh, PA 5201
(412) 682-1624
alleghenycemetery.com/

Stephen Foster is laid to rest with a modest grave marker at Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood. Foster was not a writer of plays or novels, but his songwriting is now legendary. "Oh! Susanna," "Camptown Races" and "Beautiful Dreamer" made him famous, and Pittsburgh, specifically Lawrenceville, has the distinction of being both his birthplace and final resting place. He is often credited by songwriters for being the first artist who tried to make a career out of songwriting. Though he never struck it rich, due to plagiarism by others and a lack of copywright enforcement in the 1800s, his songs continue to be a part of the American lexicon. Visit Allegheny Cemetery to pay tribute to this writer in his own right.

Sally Turkovich Wright lives in her beloved city of Pittsburgh with her husband, Jason and German Shepherd, Zeus. She is a policy analyst by training, an eyewear stylist by trade and an amateur healthy-living advocate by choice. She also writes a column for Twoday Magazine. Catch up with her there at twodaymag.com. Her work can be found at Twodaymag.com.

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