IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GIANTS, A BEHEMOTH PRINT IS PLACED

source: www.baruch.cuny.edu, photo by Marion Ettlinger

It begins much like any other show.  There are introductions outlining the point of the evening, there are forgettable speeches received with light applauses, and there are refreshments devoured before the arrival of most guests.  Yet, amidst all this sits a woman with an air of confidence and self-acknowledgment, knowing full well that all these arrangements have been made in her honor.  In that crowd of dozens, it is easy to point out Francine Prose, the Fall 2008 Sidney Harman Writer-in-Residence.
Held at Baruch College’s Newman Conference Center and co-sponsored by Poets & Writers, the event started off with introductions by, among others, Roselyn Bernstein, director of the Sidney Harman Writer-in-Residence Program, which is now celebrating its tenth year.  Originally introduced in 1998, this residency is one of the Weissman School’s humanities programs designed to help students hone their writing skills.  The program’s impressive pedigree of resident writers includes, among others, US poet laureate Charles Simic, distinguished playwright Edward Albee and Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner.  So, with such a history behind the program, one would think that Francine Prose would have to be quite the personality to earn such a position, and she proves that point with ease.
After further introductions by both the Dean and a professor at the college, Francine Prose took the stage.  She started off with a reading of “Hansel and Gretel,” a short story she wrote over twenty years ago.  Dark and cryptic, Prose revealed in this reading an extraordinary understanding of her characters, as was made obvious by the inflection in her voice.  She then describes a bit about the tale and how she took a real experience and, with a storyteller’s wit, made it the piece of art that it is.  The affair was followed by many simple questions, although her answers were quite enjoyable and her sense of intelligent humor really shone through.  It was here that she mentioned that, when left at the whim of another member of film production, she lost the freedom she had in writing and always had to edit out her favorite parts of the script, something that a less professional writer could have never put up with.  The whole evening felt like a display of her expertise in her field.  If writers could achieve half of her subtle humor, verbal eloquence and intelligent tone, they could very well be the next residents of the program.
Overall, the event was for, about, and made special by Francine Prose.  Fans would enjoy the intelligent talkback and beautiful reading while others would be impressed by the air of confidence and intellect that Prose so easily carries.  If this author is any indication, the Sidney Harman program is still going strong after a decade in existence.