UAlbany's
Lydia Davis Named MacArthur 2003 Fellow
Contact:
Lisa James-Goldsberry (518) 437-4980
ALBANY,
N.Y. (October 7, 2003) -- Lydia Davis, an acclaimed fiction
writer and associate professor/Writer-in-Residence in the
English Department at the University at Albany, has been named
one of 24 new MacArthur Fellow for 2003 by the John D. and
Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Each fellow receives $500,000
in "no strings attached" support over the next five
years.
Davis
is well known in literary circles for her extremely short
and brilliantly inventive short stories. Her newest collection,
"Samuel Johnson is Indignant" (2002) is a book of
56 short, sharp meditations on life, language, and such miscellaneous
topics as lawns, funeral homes and jury duty. Her previous
works include "Almost No Memory" (stories, 1998),
"The End of the Story" (novel, 1995) and "Break
It Down" (stories, 1986).
"The
University at Albany is extremely delighted by the selection
of Lydia Davis as a 2003 MacArthur Fellow. This honor gives
stature to the University, the College of Arts and Sciences,
and the renowned Writers Institute," said Carlos E. Santiago,
provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at UAlbany.
"Her accomplishments are certainly deserving of this
award and the fellowship will undoubtedly allow her the opportunity
to continue her high quality and pathbreaking literary work."
Davis
is also a Fellow of the New York State Writers Institute at
UAlbany, which is headed by former MacArthur Fellow and Pulitzer-prize
winning author William Kennedy. He used part of his award
to start the Writers Institute. In her new position as a Writers
Institute Fellow, Davis will advise the institute's directors
on programming for the visiting writers series and other literary
projects.
In
addition, Davis is also a celebrated translator of French
literature into English. The French government named her a
Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her distinguished
translations of works by Maurice Blanchot, Pierre Jean Jouve
and others. This year, she published a new translation (the
first in more than 80 years) of Marcel Proust's masterpiece
"Swann's Way." Davis earned her B.A. from Barnard
College.
The
MacArthur Fellows Program is designed to emphasize the importance
of the creative individual in society. Fellows are selected
for the originality and creativity of their work and the potential
to do more in the future. "The fellowship offers highly
creative people the gift of time and the unfettered opportunity
to explore, create, and accomplish," said Jonathan F.
Fanton, president of the MacArthur Foundation.
This
year is one of particular significance for the foundation,
marking its 25th year of grantmaking. As one of the nation's
largest private philanthropic foundations, MacArthur has awarded
more than $3 billion in grants since it began in 1978. Other
2003 recipients include a blacksmith, a biomedical engineer
and a gerontological nurse.
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