Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus to Celebrate the First National Day on Writing
October 20th festivities to include the launch of an online gallery of writing;
readings from the works of faculty, students and local writers; and a seminar on careers in writing

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus will celebrate the National Day on Writing on Tuesday, October 20, from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and recognized by the United States Senate, the National Day on Writing is the first-ever nationwide initiative to call attention to the remarkable writing produced across the country.

The NCTE will unveil a national electronic gallery featuring submissions of writing from individuals, which will be complemented by local galleries and events presented by institutions nationwide, including the Brooklyn Campus, the Association of American College and Universities, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

"Through numerous activities, we will highlight the richly varied scholarly and creative writing that is done at the Brooklyn Campus and in its surrounding communities," said Deborah Mutnick, professor of English and director of the Campus’ undergraduate writing program. "As part of a concerted, national effort to contest the refrain of ‘Johnny can’t write,’ we are demonstrating how much and how well we write, as well as how committed we are to the teaching and learning of writing."

The centerpiece of the Campus’ commemoration of the National Day on Writing is its electronic gallery, “Voices at a Crossroads: LIU-Brooklyn.” Featuring the works of students, faculty members, administrators, staff members and alumni, as well as writers from neighboring areas, the gallery includes a wide array of writing samples ranging from lab reports and history papers to essays, poems and songs, demonstrating the diverse applications of the written word in the Brooklyn community. It can be accessed through the Campus’ Web site, www.brooklyn.liu.edu/voices, or directly by visiting http://galleryofwriting.org/galleries/279337.

Other highlights of the Campus’ celebration of writing include: “Words to Live By: Careers in Writing,” a panel discussion featuring entertainment journalist and hip hop magazine editor Georgette Cline and others who have built successful careers in writing and editing (11 a.m., Pratt Building, Room 120); a calligraphy table hosted by noted artist and author Cynthia Dantzic, who is a senior professor of art at the Campus (1-2 p.m., Resnick Gallery, Library Learning Center, 3rd floor); "Writing in Your Pocket" (WLIU-TV studio, throughout the day), an LIU-TV project during which students, faculty, staff and local residents will tape interviews for broadcast, sharing a piece of writing and explaining its significance to them; a poetry reading (4:30 p.m., Avena Lounge) featuring students from the M.F.A. program in creative writing; and the Grand Reading for the National Day of Writing (6:00 p.m., Avena Lounge) showcasing the work of Brooklyn writers, including special guests like John High, assistant professor of English; Gary Racz, associate professor of foreign languages and literature; and Andrea Libin, adjunct professor of English. The Grand Reading also will include poetry by the late poet and Professor Emeritus Robert Donald Spector, set to music and performed by John Sannuto, associate professor of communication studies, performance studies and theatre, and Gloria Cooper, associate professor of music.

Throughout the Campus, there will be "Writing Points of Interest," including a library exhibit on writers and writing, and a "Post-It Wall" inviting passersby to help create an interactive piece of art by writing words, short poems and messages on post-it notes and adding them to the wall. A Campus-wide writing scavenger hunt, writing workshops and classroom activities that explore the role that writing plays in various disciplines will provide further enrichment. For more information, contact Deborah Mutnick at (718) 488-1110 or deborah.mutnick@liu.edu, or William Burgos at (718) 488-1094 at william.burgos@liu.edu.

Serving a diverse student body of more than 11,000 students, Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus is located at DeKalb and Flatbush Avenues, near major subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road, and just 10 minutes from Wall Street.

Posted: October 19, 2009