In Fall 2017, the First-Year Writing Program will launch the Grace Paley Teaching Fellowship, a semester-long residency. The fellowship will recognize a writer of considerable achievement, in any genre, whose work also reveals a concern for social justice. The Fellowship honors Grace Paley, whose commitment to the arts and activism is a model for the writer in our moment. Applications are now being accepted (deadline, May 1).

As the director of First-Year Writing, I’ve helped to organize an event to help announce the fellowship. On April 20, the Grace Paley estate joins the First-Year Writing Program to present an evening recognizing Paley’s work and the release of the new Grace Paley Reader. The discussion will feature the book’s editors, Nora Paley (Grace’s daughter) and poet Kevin Bowen, and writer Victoria Redel. Writer and editor Paul Elie will moderate.

The event is April 20, 2017, from 7:00-9:00pm, in the Bob and Sheila Lecture Hall, room UL105 in the University Center (63 Fifth Ave.).  Free and open to the public.