Feb. 4, 2004

From the Page to the Podium

Creative Writing Hosts Local Writers, McKean Moore Series Continues

The Columbian College of Arts and Science’s (CCAS) creative writing program will host nine award-winning local poets and fiction writers for one-day residencies this spring. Five of the visiting writers — poets Michael Collier, Linda Pastan, Gregory Orr, novelist Howard Norman and fiction writer/poet Richard McCann — will conduct public readings in addition to visiting the creative writing classes. The remaining authors — playwright Ari Roth, novelist A.J. Verdelle, poet Cornelius Eady and fiction writer Jean McGarry — instead will devote their time to visiting with students.

The local writers series includes fiction writers, playwrights and poets. According to Professor of English David McAleavey, while the large number of visiting writers is “more than we would want on a regular basis,” with so many guest lecturers, most of the creative writing classes will host a working writer for a class. All of the students will have the opportunity to attend the open readings.
The program became possible because of a grant to the creative writing program from CCAS’ Academic Excellence Initiative.

“This is good for the students to meet some talented local writers and see models of successful writing careers,” said McAleavey. “It’s good for the local community of writers, it’s good for the faculty and it’s good for GW.”

“I think the faculty are pretty jazzed about the program,” he added. “It’s pretty exciting for us. For our part-time faculty it means an opportunity to connect with other established writers.”

In addition to the local writers program, the English department is continuing the Jenny McKean Moore Reading Series, presenting readings by Honor Moore, author of two books of poetry “Memoir” (1989) and “Darling” (2001) and daughter of the reading series’ namesake; C.K. Williams, a 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner in poetry and the 2003 National Book Award winner; and Githa Hariharan, whose first novel, “The Thousand Faces of Night” (1992), won the Commonwealth Writers Prize.

English Department Visiting Local Writers
Tuesday, Feb. 17, — Linda Pastan, poet (Marvin Center Amphitheatre, 8 pm) Poet Laureate of Maryland from 1991–95. Among her many awards and honors are a Pushcart Prize, a Dylan Thomas Award, the Di Castagnola Award and the Charity Randall Citation.

Tuesday, March 2 — Howard Norman, novelist (Marvin Center 307, 5 pm), best known for his Canadian trilogy, “The Bird Artist,” “The Museum Guard” and “The Haunting of L.” He won Time magazine’s “Best Five Books of the Year” (1996) and New England Booksellers Association Fiction Award (1995).

Thursday, March 4 — Michael Collier, poet (Marvin Center 301, 5 pm) Poet Laureate of Maryland since 2001 and director of the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference since 1994. His most recent work, “The Ledge” (2000), was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Tuesday, March 23 – Richard McCann, fiction writer/poet (Marvin Center 404, 5 pm), author of the 1994 Beatrice Hawley Award and the 1993 Capricorn Poetry Award winning “Ghost Letters.”

Tuesday, March 30 – Gregory Orr, poet/essayist (Marvin Center 307, 5 pm), author of more than seven collections of poetry, including “Orpheus and Eurydice” (2000) and “The Caged Owl: New & Selected Poems” (2003). He is the recipient of the YM-YWHA Poetry Center Discovery Award.

Jenny McKean Moore Reading Series
Thursday, Feb. 5 — Honor Moore, poet, biographer and playwright, Moore is the author of two books of poetry “Memoir” (1989) and “Darling” (2001). In between her poetry works she authored a biography of her grandmother, the modernist painter Margarett Sargent, “The White Blackbird” (1996).

Thursday, Feb. 26 — C.K. Williams, began his career in the early 1960s with his first collection, “Lies,” published in 1969. Among other honors, Williams was awarded the 2000 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for his work “Repair” and won the 2003 National Book Award for his book of poetry “The Singing.” He currently teaches in the Creative Writing Program at Princeton University.

Thursday, April 15 — Githa Hariharan’s first novel, “The Thousand Faces of Night” (1992), won the Commonwealth Writers Prize. Since then, she has published a collection of stories, “The Art of Dying” (1993), followed by three novels, “The Ghosts of Vasu Master” (1994), “When Dreams Travel” (1999) and “In Times of Siege (2003).”

Each of the readings in Marvin Center, Third Floor Amphitheater are free, open to the public and start at 8 pm. For more information about the Jenny McKean Moore Reading Series contact the English department at 994-6180.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu