Talese to teach


Pennsylvania Current
October 29, 1998

Gay Talese has been named the first Kelly Writers House fellow and will teach an undergraduate seminar on literary nonfiction in the Spring 1999 semester. Literary nonfiction, sometimes called the "new journalism" or creative nonfiction, is the perfect kick-off subject for the first Writers House fellow, said Resident Coordinator Heather Starr. "It's a new kind of writing that will stretch students' ideas about creative writing, which is what we try to do at the Writers House," Starr said.

A Talese library will be assembled and available for reading at the Writers House in advance of the semester, and before his visit to campus Nov. 11 (see page 7), Starr said. Talese's weekly seminar will only be open to undergraduate students, but graduate students, staff and other writers should keep their wars open for announcements about various informal sessions Talese will host next semester, said Writers House Faculty Director Al Filreis. Penn alumnus and trustee Paul Kelly paved the way for next semester's fellowship with a generous grant.