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CPCW Literary Journalism Fellowship: October 5
October 2, 2007, Volume 54, No. 6

The Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing will be sponsoring a fellowship for writers of literary or “long-form” journalism. One student will be chosen. This student will set out to write a 4,000-word nonfiction piece of long-form journalism that is of publishable quality. This nonfiction article should be ambitiously reported and written distinctively - that is, it will be judged on the merits of voice as well as substance, and should be suited for publication in a monthly or quarterly (e.g. The Atlantic or comparable magazines)–the sort of article that has relevance and currency but can be read months or years later and still be meaningful, not dated.

For 2007-2008, Lee Eisenberg will be the assigning editor. Literary Journalism Fellows will work closely with Mr. Eisenberg throughout the process. Mr. Eisenberg, a Penn alumnus, spent 17 years at Esquire, where he served as editor-in-chief throughout the 1980s. Applicants should look closely at profiles of Lee Eisenberg’s life and career: http://writing.upenn.edu/~wh/calendar/0306.html#23, http://www.thenumberbook.com/theauthor/.

This project is for juniors or sophomores; juniors will be given priority, but sophomores are encouraged to apply. The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, October 5. Decisions will be made soon after that, and the winner will be expected then to begin working with the assigning editor.

You should send (a) a query letter of the sort freelance writers send to editors, briefly yet enticingly describing a writing project you want to undertake, (b) a short sample of your writing, and (c) a one-paragraph description of your background and/or experience as a writer (if you’ve taken writing courses, list these). Send these materials to Mingo Reynolds at mingo@writing.upenn.edu.

–Al Filreis, Kelly Professor,
Director, Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing; Faculty Director, Kelly Writers House

Almanac - October 2, 2007, Volume 54, No. 6