Dear Friends of the Kelly Writers House, Summertime at KWH is typically dreamy. We renovation of Writers House in 1997, has On pages 12–13 you’ll read about the mull over the coming year and lovingly plan guided the KWH House Committee in an sixteenth year of the Kelly Writers House programs to fill our calendar. Interns settle into organic planning process to develop the Fellows Program, with a focus on the work research and writing projects that sprawl across Kelly Family Annex. Through Harris, we of the Fellows Seminar, a unique course that the summer months. We clean up mailing lists, connected with architects Michael Schade and enables young writers and writer-critics to tidy the Kane-Wallace Kitchen, and restock all Olivia Tarricone, who designed the Annex have sustained contact with authors of great supplies with an eye toward fall. The pace is to integrate seamlessly into the old Tudor- accomplishment. On pages 14–15, you’ll learn leisurely, the projects long and slow. style cottage (no small feat!). A crackerjack about our unparalleled RealArts@Penn project, Summer 2014 is radically different. On May tech team including Zach Carduner (C’13), which connects undergraduates to the business 20, 2014, just after Penn’s graduation (when we Chris Martin, and Steve McLaughlin (C’08) of art and culture beyond the university. Pages celebrated a record number of students at our helped envision the Wexler Studio as a 16–17 detail our outreach efforts, the work we Senior Capstone event), we broke ground on student-friendly digital recording playground, do to find talented young writers and bring the Kelly Family Annex, a two-story addition chock-full of equipment ready for innovative them to Penn. And throughout these pages that will house an airy, second-floor Student experiments in sound. Andrew Beal, our you’ll meet people who are doing extraordinary Projects Room and a state-of-the-art digital financial coordinator and go-to fix-it-man, was things — often with help from their colleagues recording lab called the Freddy Wexler Studio. mastermind of everything behind the scenes, and friends. The construction project has allowed us to managing construction details and keeping We are grateful to all of the people who think holistically about how we use the house everyone calm despite the chaos and dust. A help make such projects possible, including the and, as a result, we’ve abandoned our typical visionary group of Penn parents and alumni — Office of the Provost, alumni, students, faculty, hot weather pace for a total house renewal. Gary and Nina Wexler, Jay and Nancy Zises, Penn parents, Philadelphians, and Friends of The renovation is extensive (and loud!): we’re an anonymous donor, and Paul and Nancy the Writers House from all over the world. upgrading offices, digging up chilled water Kelly — joined forces to fund the project; their On behalf of the Writers House Planning pipes, rigging up the garden with electricity generosity will help usher in our next decade of Committee, we thank you for everything you for outdoor performances, and creating a student-led innovation. bring to this community! brand new classroom called the Zises Seminar Most things at KWH work this way: Room. We couldn’t be more excited. dedicated people pool their resources to A project this big requires many partners, accomplish an ambitious goal. In the pages and in true KWH fashion, we’ve involved of this magazine you’ll read about some of Al Filreis Jessica Lowenthal community members at every step. Harris these people and projects — though a 28 Faculty Director Director Steinberg, who designed the original page booklet can’t quite capture everything. Kelly Professor of English THE WRITERS HOUSE RUNS ON STUDENT POWER. people that help Energetic undergraduate staff and seven people speak for seven minutes each make it all happen: volunteers make it possible for us to do the about a shared topic). When someone pitched work of an organization five times our size. As the idea of an all-pound-cake reception, that Al Filreis, Faculty Director participant-planners, students do everything clinched it for many of us and 7-up on Pound Jessica Lowenthal (GAS’06), Director here — from bookkeeping to online ballyhoo. edged out 7-up on Net in the final tally. From Lily Applebaum (C’12), Assistant to the Faculty Director Their ideas keep us hopping; their energy there we brainstormed sub-topics and speakers Andrew Beal, Financial Coordinator makes it all possible. to supplement the now-necessary pound cake. Amelia Bentley, Jacket2 Editorial Assistant Members of the Writers House Planning Bob Perelman on Ezra Pound? Madeleine Julia Bloch (GAS’11), Associate Director of Digital Projects Committee (also known as “the Hub”) meet Wattenbarger (C’16) on the #hashtag? Janelle Arielle Brousse (C’07, SPP’12), Assistant Director for Development informally all the time to discuss writing and McDermoth (C’14) on weights and measures? share their ideas. They gather around the old Later on the listserv, we argued about where Zach Carduner (C’13), Technology Assistant Emily Harnett (C’13), Research Assistant green table in the Kane-Wallace Kitchen to in Philadelphia to buy the best pound cake. Allison Harris, PoemTalk Editor cook up projects, such as the newly minted Kristen Martin (C’12) made a strong case for Michael S. Hennessey, Editor, PennSound and Jacket2 Writing About TV series, which developed this Entenmann’s All Butter Loaf Cake — but JM Jamie-Lee Josselyn (C’05), Associate Director year out of long conversations about favorite Conway (C’15) won out with his bid for Stock’s of Recruitment TV shows. Or they tweet at all hours to hash Bakery in Kensington (we owe thanks to JM’s Alli Katz, Program Coordinator out the latest trends in journalism, until an idea parents who provided our 7-up reception with Sharon Margolis, PennSound Associate Editor forms the kernel of a new print publication or several of Stock’s legendary loaves). Christopher J. Martin, Director of Technology blog. Or they huddle in the Pub Room, trading Subcommittees of the Hub take on special Steve McLaughlin (C’08), PennSound Senior Editor favorite stories and books, and dreaming up assignments. Jess Bergman (C’14) led the Katie Price (GAS’14), Administrative Assistant ways to get others involved at KWH. planning of this year’s marathon reading and Ana Schwartz (GAS’14), Program Associate Once a month the Hub convenes in the selected Toni Morrison’s Jazz for the daylong Peter Schwarz (CGS’04, LPS’08), Administrative Assistant Arts Café to toss around ideas for potential event. Donald Antenen (C’15) and Alli Katz Henry Steinberg (C’13), Robinson Press Director projects and hammer out the details for annual convened an ongoing committee to discuss Anna Zalokostas, PennSound Associate Editor events. At one such meeting this year we fiction and fiction writers, particularly up-and- planned our annual 7-up program (in which coming short story writers and experimental 2 Jess Bergman (C’14), Social Media Coordinator Camara Brown (C’17), Program Assistant novelists. After much debate, the fiction We depend on our student staff for digital Juan Cabrera (C’17), Web Team Trainee committee agreed to invite two fantastic young editing of our online poetry materials at Jacket2 Jenny Chen (C’14), Sustainability Coordinator writers to Writers House for readings and and PennSound. At J2, co-editor Julia Bloch Santiago Cortes (W’16), Purchasing Librarian conversation: Roxane Gay and Leigh Stein, (GAS’11) leads a stalwart team of student Andie Davidson (C’15), Archivist who visited in the spring. editorial assistants in the traditional crafts Gina DeCagna (C’16), Jacket2 Editorial Assistant Several groups led by undergrads meet of copyediting and proofreading. From Julia Josie Elias (C’14), Recruitment Assistant at Writers House to explore subgenres and students learn how to polish text using the Lauren Feiner (C’17), AV Specialist specialized writing interests. This year, Devon Chicago Manual of Style; in the process they Victoria Ford (C’15), Program Assistant O’Connor (W’17) organized a weekly jam master the finer points of usage, such as the Ayla Fudala (C’16), Chief Decorator session for aspiring songwriters to test out proper treatment of an appositive and when to Kristie Gadson (C’15), Program Assistant their tunes. Yessi Gutierrez (C’14) and wield an em dash. They also navigate the latest Kate Herzlin (C’14), Outreach Coordinator Kathy Cañeba (NU’14) convened a book publishing platforms, from Adobe Creative Cindia Huang (C’17), Financial Assistant club to read contemporary fiction.Lauren Suite to Drupal. At PennSound, students Diamond Irwin (C’15), Program Assistant Shapiro (C’16) and Alex Ortega (C’15) led digitize and edit poetry recordings, often Nadia Laher (C’15), Purchasing Librarian Dylan Leahy (C’16), Program Assistant an extracurricular poetry workshop that from old cassette tapes, such as the historic Gwendolyn Lweis (C’14), Program Assistant welcomed all kinds of poetic writing and Wednesdays @ 4 poetry series out of SUNY- Mariah Macias (C’17), Jacket2 Editorial Assistant performance. Alex Travis (C’15) and Georgio Buffalo, recorded by Charles Bernstein, mostly Janelle McDermoth (C’14), Program Assistant Legerme (C’15) encouraged students to write on a Sony Walkman Pro. Afrah Mohammed (C’16), Financial Assistant full-length novels. Gina DeCagna (C’16) Other students assist our financial Jack Nessman (C’15), Webmaster and Alina Grabowski (C’16) created multiple coordinator Andrew Beal and development Kenna O’Rourke (C’15), Editorial Assistant opportunities for visual artists and writers director Arielle Brousse in all the work Gabriel Ojeda-Sague (C’16), AV Specialist to collaborate. required to keep our accounting and Arielle Pardes (C’14), Webmaster Working this way — through committees, fundraising on track: database maintenance, Erin Peraza (C’14), Purchasing Librarian through conversations, through small group fundraising appeals, expenditure tracking, Maura Reilly-Ulmanek (C’17), PennSound Technician meetings and gatherings — ensures that KWH monthly account reconciliation, and special Julia Schwartz (C’15), Program Assistant projects and programs develop directly out of event planning.