If you've read Al's web page, you know that ALAN FILREIS is a professor of English at Penn, the Faculty Director of the Writers House, the husband of Susan Albertine and father of Ben and Hannah, a specialist in modern and contemporary American poetry and the literary politics of the American 1930s and 1950s, a former and present member of University committees on innovative initiatives ranging from the new residential college house system to computing, an erstwhile mentor to dozens of students and friends, and now, the 1998 Pennsylvania Professor of the Year.

People who know Al also know that he loves celebrations and ceremonies-those rituals that help all of us see what we've been able to accomplish and who and what we might someday become. On December 5, 1998, a number of Al's friends and family will gather at the Writers House, 3805 Locust Walk, to mark Al's own latest achievement with a party and program. For people who can't make it to the party, the Planning Committee at the Writers House (led by House web meister Chip Blaustein) has assembled this web page in celebration of Al, featuring contributions by some of Al's friends, fans and family, including: Greg Djanikian, Al's fellow hub member at the Writers House and a good friend, too; Jennifer Baldino, with whom Al has exchanged many emails; Rebecca Bushnell, who served with Al on the IT committee; Art Casciato, a pal since he and Al went to graduate school together at UVA; Leon Chazanow, Tom Newmann, Dan Kligman, Steven Robinson, and Joe Williams, aka Alumversers, Penn alumni who studied poetry with Al over the net; John Richetti, Al's (dearly beloved) squash partner; Libby Rosof and Murray Dubin, whom Al knows and reveres as journalists and friends; Loretta Williams, Al's friend in the English department office; and Frankie and David Zurav, Al's former neighbors; Evelyn Bender, Al's friend at Penn-Edison; Peshe Kuriloff, Al's friend and longtime partner on innovative writing projects at Penn--including the Mellon Project for Cost-Effective Uses of Technology in Teaching; ***Click here to reach a recent article by Libby about Al in the Pennsylvania Current.

If you'd like to add your own contribution to the page, just send it to the Writers House at wh@writing.upenn.edu.

Celebration in Honor of Al's Award, May 12, 1998

1. Bob Lucid (2:54)
2. Ira Winston (2:44)
3. Susan Albertine (7:08)
4. Myra Lotto (3:54)
5. Paul Kelly (8:27)
6. Shawn Walker (1:06)
7. Kerry Sherin (1:39)
8. Heather Starr (0:40)
9. Kristen Gallagher and the Hub (5:04)

Or you can hear the entire recording of the program in mp3 format here.