Presenter
Presented by Ms. Carlisle
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Whereas, on November 13th, 2004 the acclaimed writer and Homewood native John Edgar Wideman will be the keynote speaker at "412: The Pittsburgh Creative Nonfiction Literary Festival"; and
Whereas, John Wideman, who has achieved at the absolute highest level academically, is an inspiration to children of modest beginnings as they pursue their educations. He earned a membership in Phi Beta Kappa while studying at the University of Pennsylvania on a Benjamin Franklin scholarship, was only the second African-American ever to receive a Rhodes scholarship to study at Oxford University's New College, and finished his first novel while a Kent Fellow at the University of Iowa's Writer's Workshop; and
Whereas, John Edgar Wideman's brilliant literary career has yielded numerous novels such as Two Cities, Sent For You Yesterday, and Philadelphia Fire, short story collections including Damballah, Fever, and All Stories Are True, and the memoir Brothers and Keepers. His writing has earned him wide spread acclaim and many awards including an unprecedented two PEN/Faulkner Awards for Fiction in 1984 and 1990, a Rea Award in 1998, an American Book Award in 1990, a Lannan Literary Fellowship Award in 1991, as well as many others; and
Whereas, Mr. Wideman has so vividly, skillfully, and consistently described the experience of living in Pittsburgh in his various works that he has been compared to literary giant and setting specific writer William Faulkner, with one New York Times review calling that comparison "particularly apt".
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Now, therefore be it resolved, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does declare John Edgar Wideman Pittsburgh's Creative Nonfiction Laureate, and does express its gratitude to the "412: The Pittsburgh Creative Nonfiction Literary Festival" for bringing this master of the craft to speak to the writers of this city.
SPONSORED BY COUNCILWOMAN TWANDA CARLISLE
CO-SPONSORED BY ALL ...
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