A House of One’s Own
UPenn Spotlights
Spring 2016
Long before “active learning” became buzz words in higher education, a contingent of Penn faculty, students, and local writers led by Al Filreis had the idea to establish a place on campus where students could be co-creators of literary and artistic knowledge. They challenged each other and the larger community of Penn writers to generate ideas for the co-curricular programming that would be offered there. That place was the Kelly Writers House (KWH) and the idea was a trendsetting success.
KWH laid the foundation for a robust community of students seeking to learn about and contribute to contemporary literature through innovative events, symposia, readings, and workshops.
“The whole point of the Writers House was to create a space where students could have and get and make for themselves an intellectual life apart from their classes,” says Filreis, who has served as faculty director of KWH since its founding.
In the 20 years since, KWH’s community has grown in size, scope, and international renown, attracting more—and more highly qualified—arts and humanities students. This ongoing trend has contributed to Penn’s growing reputation as a university that nurtures non-linear thinkers and creators as much as it fosters budding doctors, CEOs, scientists, and engineers.
Read the full article here.