January News from the Simpson Project

We began the Project in Fall 2015, and here we are, four years in—which feels like a minute. Thanks so much for your interest and your support. Let me get you up to speed, please.

We are in the second year of creative writing workshops catering to underserved younger writers, led by Simpson Fellows, distinguished UC Berkeley English Department graduate student writers and instructors. Four workshops, offered at no charge, are soon to get off the ground—at Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall (one workshop in the boy-identified wing, one in the girl-identified), Girls Inc in Downtown Oakland, and Northgate High School in Walnut Creek).
  
We are very happy to report that Simpsonistas: Tales from the Simpson Family Literary Project (Vol 1) is out in the world, featuring marvelous work from Simpson Project-related writers like Joyce Carol Oates, Anthony Marra, Geronimo Johnson, Samantha Hunt, Lori Ostlund, and many others, as well as Simpson Fellows and students from Simpson Workshops. Please take a look. 

I asked Anthony Marra, 2018 Simpson Prize Recipient, to share some thoughts on what he has been up to this year. Here's a link to his brief, gorgeous essay.

Speaking of the $50,000 Simpson Prize, the jury is busy reading the Longlisted writers for 2019. We will announce the Longlist before long, and then the Shortlist in March, and the Prize Recipient in April.

In future updates, I will keep you informed as to everything else that is going on, such as a writing workshop offered by Joyce Carol Oates, our Writer-in-Residence at the Lafayette Library.

In the meantime, here’s a date to keep in mind: Joyce Carol Oates and Anthony Marra in conversation at the Lafayette Library on Tuesday evening, 5 March, 7 pm. That should be a lively event; you are cordially invited. 

Thanks so much for being on the Project’s journey. Please let us know what you think along the way. We welcome any suggestions you have.

All very best wishes,

Joe