Kelly Writers House
Founded in 1995 by a group of students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the University of Pennsylvania, the Kelly Writers House (3805 Locust Walk, Philadelphia) hosts more than 300 events and projects per year, such as readings, art exhibits, lectures, seminars, film screenings, manuscript exchanges, tutoring programs, and literary celebrations.
[1] Penn alumnus Paul Kelly funded renovations to the house itself, a cottage built as part of a Victorian suburban development project in 1851.
What had once been the parlor became the Arts Café, a south-facing room with large windows where classes and many Kelly Writers House events are held.
[7] In 1997, Paul Kelly, a University of Pennsylvania alumnus (C'62, WG'64) and investment banker, provided an initial grant that was used to fund renovations to the house itself, a Victorian cottage built in 1851.
As described in the original mission statement, the main goals of the house are to provide information about events and projects to those that are interested in participating in writing-related activities, to reserve space for engaging writers and students of writing in such activities, and to develop and sustain an environment in which disparate groups can work together with common goals and purposes.
Read the original mission statement, authored by Shawn Lynn Walker and the Writers House Planning Committee in the notes.
Other affiliated groups with the Writers House include Philadelphia residents, elementary school students,[10] faculty and staff of the University of Pennsylvania, literary magazines, visual artists, collaborating organizations, administrative staff members, and a network of friends and donors that supports the Writers House financially.
Renovations, funded through the generous support of Penn alumnus Paul Kelly (C'62, WG'64), have readied the Writers House for the 21st century.
Ongoing supporters include: The Provost's Office of the University of Pennsylvania; Friends of the Kelly Writers House, including the Williams Carlos Williams Circle; Penn's Vice Provost for University Life; the Hillcrest Foundation; the Alice Cooper Shoulberg Scholarship Fund for the Support of Creative Publishing; the Roxanne and Scott Bok Endowed Visiting Writers Series Fund; the Parents of the Class of '99; Anonymous Donor—to support the annual print publication of Xconnect; Harold Rosenberg; and Paul Kelly.
The program encourages recent Penn graduates with a history of involvement in the Writers House community to remain close to it and gives them an opportunity to pursue their literary interests beyond their college career.
Past exhibits include That's What She Said: Female Voices in Embroidery, Spin Glasses and Other Frustrated Systems, Poem Posters: Small Press Broadsides,Umlaut Machine: Selected Visual Works by Christian Bok, Hiroyuki Nakamura, Susan Bee: A Retrospective, and State of the Union: Photography by Linh Dinh.
[27] is a children's literacy program run by the Kelly Writers House at the University of Pennsylvania in collaboration with the Lee Elementary and Penn Alexander schools in West Philadelphia.
has taken some small field trips to other University buildings, local bookstores and coffee shops, and writing-related places in Philadelphia to supplement the program's curriculum.
The series aims to create globally minded conversation and readership, and to give a voice to work that, due to reasons such as cultural turmoil, political unrest, and translation issues, may not otherwise be shared.
Seven speakers are invited to speak for seven minutes each on a single concept or topic of the Writers House planning committee's, (the Hub's) choosing.
The Hub strives to make sure that the chosen topic is approachable from a variety of angles, possessing many interpretations and allowing each speaker's talk to be entirely unique.
Past books include Jack Kerouac's On the Road,[48] Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita,[49] and F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
The Robinson Press serves to remind writers that writing is a communal activity that requires practical skills and hard work to bring it to readers.
The hourly program airs six times during the university's academic year and features readings of poetry, prose, and other spoken-word art in addition to one musical guest.
Founded in 1997 by Penn alumni, the event, which occurs every other Wednesday throughout the academic year, allows students and community members to read, recite, chant, or sing.
Feminism/s[67] is an interdisciplinary series that explores structural and cultural solutions to gender hierarchies through art, criticism, political action, and community building.
Made possible by Mitch and Margo Blutt, the symposium has brought in singer-songwriters Rosanne Cash, Suzanne Vega, Steve Earle and Patti Smith.
Writers featured in the past include Adrian Khactu, Samuel Delany, Ben Fountain, J. C. Hallman and Karen Russell.
Made possible by Penn alumns Susan Small Savitsky and Ed Kane, the program has featured writers such as Stuart Dybeck in the past.
Wexler series visitors have included novelists Joseph Skibell and Sam Munson, and poets published in Zeek magazine.
[86] According to the information provided, it appears that the magazine primarily featured original content but also included material that was excerpted from or co-produced with other sources.
This approach likely helped the magazine to expose its readers to a wider range of literary material and to support other publications by bringing attention to their work.
[86] First Call is Penn's weekly undergraduate magazine that provides a forum for the expression of ideas and opinions, in the forms of creative fiction and poetry, reviews and critiques, as well as art.
Their mission is to provide an outlet for writing or art pertaining to feminism (broadly defined as respect for all individuals regardless of gender or sexual affiliation).
It is a forum through which Black women can discuss their concerns and opinions on a range of topics that include sexuality, emotional health, and financial growth.
