Author, Lecturer Jen Garners Prize

A lauded women’s studies visiting lecturer was awarded $250,000 from the American Academy of Arts and Letters earlier this month in honor of her outstanding prose writing.

The Strauff Livings award will grant author Gish Jen ’77 $50,000 annually over five years to focus on her writing career without other job obligations, said Jane E. Bolster, a spokesperson for the academy.

Bolster said that the award is given to writers of high caliber whose books have received acclaim in academic circles.

“I’m very happy, but I am also flabbergasted,” Jen said. “There are so many messages even now that writing is selfish, a luxury activity, and I should think of my children’s needs first.”

“As life becomes more complicated it is difficult to give writing kind of priority you would like to give it,” she added.

But Jen recognized one potential problem with concentrating solely on writing.

“The danger of this award is that one develops the largest case of writer’s block one ever had,” she said jokingly.

Since the award prohibits recipients from holding other salaried employment, Jen will leave Harvard after teaching an advanced creative writing seminar in women’s studies this past semester. This was her first year teaching at Harvard, though she had previously served as a Radcliffe writer-in-residence as part of the Institute’s fellowship program.

“It’s a little bit sad for me, because I had a wonderful time and a great class,” Jen said. “I was reminded how stimulating it is to be in the classroom.”

Students in her seminar praised Jen’s teaching style and sense of humor.

Alicia Menendez ’05 said that Jen’s personality enlivened the class.

“She was phenomenal,” Menendez said. “She was quick and witty. At the end of two hours, we wished we had two more.”

“She laughs all the time during class,” said seminar member Arianne R. Cohen ’03, who is also a Crimson editor. “She’s pushing us. We’re doing graduate level writing theory. I’m glad I got to catch her while she was here.”

Jen said she plans to return to teaching. “It’s only five years, I’ll sure I’ll be back.”

Jen said with the money provided by the award she will continue work on a novel she began last year about a Chinese-American family with biological and adopted children.

“I’m headed for China for six months, and I plan to come back with plenty of material,” Jen said. “[The award] is extremely fortuitous.”

Notable authors John H. Updike ’54, Don DeLillo, Cynthia Ozick and Joyce Carol Oates were on the committee that decided who would receive the award.

Jen said that she was overwhelmed by the committee’s prestige.

“These are all people whom I have looked up to since I was 14, whose shoes I aspire to fill,” Jen said. “But you never imagine that you could come to their attention much less meet with their approval.”

Menendez said she thinks that Jen will do a great service to society.

“It’s undoubtedly a tremendous loss for Harvard,” she said. “But in the larger scheme we are lucky to have an intellectual human being out there writing social commentary. It’s where she can make the largest contribution.”

The Strauff Livings award is given every five years to two writers. Claire Messud, a short fiction writer who has taught at Amherst College, was the other recent award winner.

Past winners include John Casey, Joy Williams and Raymond Carver.

—Staff writer Hana R. Alberts can be reached at alberts@fas.harvard.edu.