Saul Bellow set much of his fiction in Chicago, the city where he was raised. Investigate the rich history of this dynamic city, concentrating on its contributions to arts, literature, music, or drama, and write a paper detailing your findings.

Charlie takes his daughters to see a rendition of “Rip Van Winkle,” adapted from Washington Irving's short story, first published in 1819. Read this story and write an essay on its significance within the novel Humboldt’s Gift.

Compose a short story about Charlie Citrine that unfolds after the conclusion of Humboldt’s Gift. Is Charlie happier? Does he find love again? Does Humboldt’s gift continue to influence his life? Is he still writing or has he ventured into something entirely new?

The Mafia, represented by Rinaldo Cantabile, plays a crucial role in Bellow’s novel. Examine the presence of the Mafia in contemporary culture (news, entertainment, politics, business, etc.). Does the Mafia contribute to society or cause harm? Present your argument in a poem.

Humboldt’s Gift is a semi-autobiographical work. Humboldt is modeled after Delmore Schwartz, while Charlie represents Bellow himself. How many parallels can you find between the novel’s storyline and Bellow’s actual life? Collaborate as a class to compile a list.

Read a short story by Delmore Schwartz. Did you enjoy it? Does his writing style reflect the character of Humboldt? How so? Write a one-page response to the story you read, connecting it to Bellow’s novel.

In Humboldt’s Gift, Charlie and Thaxter aspire to start a journal of literature and ideas named The Ark. Their efforts are thwarted partly due to the high costs of printing. With the rise of the Internet in the 1990s, online literary journals became more common. Find a literary journal that exists solely online or features web-only content. Read the current issue and write a review discussing what makes this journal unique, what you liked and disliked, and why.

Create a poem inspired by the novel—its characters, events, or themes. For extra credit, write it in an avant-garde style, similar to how Humboldt composed his poems.