Prose deals her prose

The Sidney Harman Writer-in-Residence Program celebrated the first event of its second decade with the presentation of "A Reading and Conversation with Francine Prose." On Tuesday, Oct. 21, students, professors and guests came out for an evening of socializing and the exploration of literature.

The event began with a short introduction by Professor Roslyn Bernstein, director and head of the Harman program.English Professor John Brenkman introduced Francine Prose, mentioning her latest books titled "Reading like A Writer" and "Goldengrove."

Once introduced, Francine Prose, who is the author of over 20 books of fiction and nonfiction, took the stage. Defying the expectations of attendees, Prose decided to read a passage entitled Hansel and Gretel, a short story from her older collection, "The Peaceable Kingdom." The passage tells the story of one of Prose's past marriages.

The reading was followed by a Q-and-A session where attendees were able to pose questions to Prose and inquire about her contributions to literature.

"Fiction is an enjoyment because it is much scarier," said Prose. "There are certain surprises that come to you unexpectedly," she said. "I couldn't do anything else but writing." Jeffrey Peck, the new dean of the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, was also present at the gathering and explained how he was delighted to be a part of the writer-in-residence community.

"It's a pleasure to be a dean of an institution that focuses on writer residence," said Peck. "It's a jewel in the crown for the program where students can attend events like tonight and meet with writers," he said.

The writer-in-residence program features distinguished writers every semester allowing the opportunity for students involved with the program to obtain a reflective experience with their own work along with an individual who has the criteria to assist them.

"The program added lust to the Weissman School," said Bernstein, who helped with the project back in the fall of '98. "It's a dream come true to have established this," she said.

"I really enjoyed the reading tonight," said Susi Gomez, who is a student of the program. "It is helpful to take these creative seminars and attend events with different writers because it will help nourish the overall structure of my writing," said Gomez. "It can definitely help explore the possibilities of literature."

"I was curious to learn about the program since I attended the 10th anniversary event last year," said Prose. "It has been a pleasurable experience teaching this semester; the students are wonderful," said Prose. "I always want to make an emphasis on how great Baruch is and how brilliant this program has become."