A Summer Invitation

Thanks for watching Lauren Groff & Joyce Carol Oates in conversation last month. That was such a genuinely warm and spirited and brilliant exchange, wasn’t it?

We would love to stay in touch by sending you occasional updates through the New Literary Project’s newsletter. If you’re interested, please click the link below to join our newsletter.

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Read on for some recent highlights to give you a taste of what the New Literary Project is all about.

On the left, there is an image of the icon featured on Datebook's website for an article about the New Literary Project. On the right, there is text reading "New Literary Project Featured SF Chronicle Date."

New Literary Project Featured in SF Chronicle

The New Literary Project’s work was recently brought to life in the San Francisco Chronicle, in an article titled “Our stories matter. Oakland’s New Literary Project understands why,” written by Anna Nordberg.

We heard from many friends across the country who enjoyed how the article genuinely highlights the purpose and the innovative, life-changing programs of NewLit.

Read the article here.

On the left, there is text reading "Simpsonistas Vol. 4 Preview by Ryan Lackey. On the right, there is a portrait image of Ryan, in black and white, smiling with his mouth open.

Preview “Beyond the Process” by Ryan Lackey, Forthcoming in Simpsonistas Vol. 4 this Fall

In anticipation of our fourth volume of the Simpsonistas series—an anthology composed of work by friends of the Project as well as participants in our programs—we are pleased to share this essay by recent Simpson Fellow Ryan Lackey.

Like most writers, I think, I’m hugely hypocritical. If anyone—friends, students, other writers, strangers—asks, I say that I believe in the lunchpail theory of writing, which holds that writing does not begin with magical, Aeolian inspiration, that it’s not about finding the proper form to contain an amoebic blob of genius. Instead, writing is about showing up every day, about putting the butt in the chair and words on the page, about process rather than product—and a dozen other clichés besides. I say I believe this because I think on some level I do.

Ryan’s powerful reflection on writerly life is one of many brilliant works forthcoming in October 2022, and you can read it on our website now.

Read Ryan’s full essay here.

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New Literary Project is grateful for generous institutional support from philanthropic and corporate sponsors who, along with our many loyal individual donors, drive social change and make possible serving students, teachers, and writers across generations: Wood Family Foundation, Simpson PSB Fund, System Property, Literary Arts Emergency Fund through the Mellon Foundation, Rare Bird Books, Penguin Random House, Salesforce Foundation, Busby Communications, and the Miner Anderson Family Foundation.