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Starting last month, writers from historically under-represented populations were invited to apply for the first Pruitt-Meinke scholarships to cover accommodation, tuition, and a travel and meal allowance for the month of January. 2022. Writers in Heaven at Eckerd College.
Traditionally held during the week coinciding with Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s vacation, Writers in Paradise is an eight-day writing conference on the waterfront campus of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., Featuring a diverse group of accomplished mentors. professors who represent the ultimate achievement in their respective genres, including conference co-directors Dennis Lehane ’88 and The Standiford.
“We are well aware of the cost of going from a week to spend a week in Florida in January, even though it is for such a special purpose, so we are delighted to be able to help a set of talented writers who otherwise wouldn’t want to, be able to come, ”says Standiford. “It’s just very exciting and rewarding for us to be able to do this.”
The new round of scholarships aims to address the challenges of moving away from family, work and study to come to Florida during a peak tourist week for flight and accommodation prices. Lehane and Standiford hope to offer up to four awards in the first year to make the conference offerings accessible to as many writers as possible and to foster the creative spirit that allows everyone to share the words that matter to all.
Some of the recent former Paradise writers include Vinod Busjeet, author of the novel Silent winds, dry seas; AK Small, author of the novel for young adults Shining burning stars, which was chosen for a film adaptation by Amazon Studios; and Gale Massey, author of The Blind River Girl, winner of the Florida Book Award bronze medal in general fiction.
The scholarships estimated at $ 3,000 are made possible through generous donations to the College from Eckerd Board of Directors member Martha Rudy Wallace in honor of Professor Emeritus Eckerd of Literature Peter Meinke and the Pruitt family in honor of the late Dr Crayton Pruitt and his former wife, the late Frances McSwain Pruitt.
Peter Meinke, who was Florida Poet Laureate from 2016-2020, founded and led the Creative writing program with Eckerd for almost 30 years. Dr. John Crayton Pruitt Sr. was a beloved cardiovascular surgeon and visionary entrepreneur. He and his former wife, Frances McSwain Pruitt, were staunch advocates of the arts and sciences and generous philanthropists who resided in St. Petersburg for nearly six decades. Their support for Eckerd College, where Frances once served on the Board of Trustees, and their long-standing generosity to the arts continues today not only with this gift supporting practicing writers, but also in the work of their daughter, former professor of creative writing at Eckerd College Helen. Pruitt Wallace, who has been Saint Petersburg Poet Laureate since 2016 and hosts the Dali Poetry Series at the Dali Museum.
Scholarship applicants must submit a written sample to be judged by a committee. Building on the conference’s long-standing commitment to inclusion and diversity, special consideration will be given to applications from individuals from historically underserved populations as well as from individuals who have overcome obstacles. important socio-economic factors.
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