Hi Eric,
Next year's proposed line-up of fiction writers seems good to me, and I
don't want to overload the schedule. One writer whose name I'll mention in
case someone isn't available is Ellen Douglas, whose new book, Truth, is a
very powerful collection of memoirs/stories. She has eight other books of
fiction out (the last was Can't Quit You, Baby), and has won lots of
awards. She's a good presence; I know Constance has heard her read, too,
and was impressed. Perhaps in the future. . .
I'm sure that Seneca's Bat Mitzbah was a wonderful celebration. Honestly,
as we struggle with a single five year old's needs, I'm all the more
impressed with how you and Susan managed to balance so much!
Have a good summer.
Kay
At 10:47 PM 5/18/99 -0400, you wrote:
>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
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>