The New Writing Series Fall 2011

write to request the Committee\u27s support for the fall 2011 New Writing Series, an innovative literary arts program sponsored since 1999 by the English Department and the National Poetry Foundation. The amount we request, $5,000, is less than one-half of the projected operating budget for the fall Series of $13,338. The majority of the financial support for the Series will be provided by the English Department through its Elliott and Ellis Funds. I am happy to report that the Honors College has renewed its collaborative agreement with the Series for another academic year, promising $1000 per semester to support the Series; in renewing the arrangement Dean Slavin spoke appreciatively of the work the Series does to to enrich the atmosphere of UMaine. We\u27re grateful for the vote of confidence. The detailed budget appended to this letter provides an overview of projected expenses and revenue sources. Per the Committee\u27s recent request, I have adopted the standard budget form and supplemented it with a spreadsheet that itemizes projected expenses. The Fall 2011 line-up will feature nine writers-seven poets and two fiction writers-in CADLS-supported events. Two of the poets-Ken Irby and Piene Joris-are being carried forward from the spring 2011 schedule, when a bereavement in Joris\u27s family forced us to postpone the event after their plane travel had already been arranged and paid for. There will be some costs associated with rebooking those flights, but the honoraria and other expenses related to the spring visit will not be drawn against already committed CA/DLS funding (Wanda Madden-Carr and I are in communication about this)