Kay,

        The idea of a meeting seems just fine with me.  I got swamped this year
towards the end of the semester with preparations for Seneca's Bat Mitzvah,
which occurred on May 7th.

        Any other suggestions for fiction readers?

        Eric

At 03:02 PM 5/18/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi Eric,
>The line-up for fiction looks just fine with me: Scofield for the sprint
>course, Giles (if she can come) and Butler. I wonder, though, how you feel
>about having a meeting of all of us next year in the spring to discuss the
>various possibilities of visiting writers. Does anyone else think this a
>good idea? Or does the idea of yet another meeting seem a burden?
>Kay
>
>At 10:42 AM 5/18/99 -0400, you wrote:
>>Hello out there,
>>
>>        I'd like especially to hear from the poets regarding next year, so
>we can
>>get everything lined up.
>>
>>        1)  Has someone officially invited Carolyn Kizer for the Sprint
>Course?  I
>>think it would be great.  She read this year at AWP, and it was an
>>outstanding reading.  Perhaps, if she was really willing to stay on for two
>>weeks, we could use a bit extra from the Cooke fund to supplement what
>>would be available from the Sprint Course revenues, if necessary.  One fact
>>to note, is that the university will only provide five nights of free
>>housing, I believe.  If we wanted to get her more free days than that, it
>>will involve some scrambling, and still might be do-able.  So some funding
>>would have to be reserved for housing.
>>
>>        2)  Are all those poets really coming?  Constanzo, Drury and Kramer?
>>
>>        3)  What about the Margery Cooke fund?  It's built up quite a bit,
>>sufficient to have someone truly first rate for next year.  But if we are
>>to invite someone of that caliber, it needs to happen this spring, I think.
>> Or, if Kizer is coming, is the thought to hold off yet another year?????
>>Which would enable us to have big name poets in both 2000-2001, and
>>2001-2002, while still reserving say $500, if necessary to pay for housing.
>> It also might be possible to increase numbers in the Sprint Course--Debbie
>>Kennedy from Fiction for example, to get revenues up, given the luminosity
>>of Kizer's name.
>>
>>        4)  I understand that Annie wants to invite Salach and Stallings,
and
>>David only wants to invite Stallings.  What about Jim and Keith?  My own
>>feeling it that if all those others are coming, that either Salach or
>>Stallings is enough.  Budgetary constraints will limit us to 3 or 4 fiction
>>writers.  I should think that 6 or 7 poets or 8 poets is enough.
>>
>>        5)  On the fiction side, at Constance's urging, I have invited
>novelist
>>Sandra Scofield to teach the Sprint Course next spring.  Scofield has
>>published 6 or 7 books, and been nominated for a National Book Aware,
>>although I must admit I haven't read a word of it. She is very flexible on
>>dates; I have tentatively invited her for the week after spring break, but
>>she can come anytime during the spring, as she doesn't teach.  Let's
>>coordinate this with poetry.
>>
>>        6)  Keith Banner will read in September.  I have also put out
>prelimary
>>feelers to Molly Giles, the short story writer, whose first novel will be
>>published next spring.  Giles, who taught for many years at San Francisco
>>State, (Amy Tan her best known student), has just taken a Full Professor
>>job at U. of Arkansas.
>>
>>        7)  I have pledged $500 to try to help bring Octavia Butler to
>campus.
>>Cheryly Johnson is running with that ball.  The big problem is that Butler,
>>who has a big money gig at UC only has Friday available for Miami.  I don't
>>know if Cheryl is going to be able to arrange it or not.  She made a pretty
>>large dollar promise to Butler's UC sponsor ($2000, I think, for a pick-up
>>gig.) Whether or not she'll be able to raise the additional $1500 from
>>other sources, I don't know.
>>
>>         Let me know what your think.
>>
>>
>>        Eric
>>
>>
>>
>