A one-of-a-kind initiative is in the works at the University of Texas at Austin’s Michener Center for Writers to give individuals a chance to get inspired by one of American literature’s most celebrated authors, John Steinbeck.
The Michener Center, UT’s creative writing college, is collaborating with the Sag Harbor Partnership, the Township of Southampton, the New York State Assembly, and the heirs of the Steinbeck estate to arrange a retreat for writers at the author’s former home in New York.
Dubbed the Steinbeck Writers Retreat, this program “will allow writers the breathing room to unlock their creativity in one of the most inspiring settings on the East Coast,” explained UT President Jay Hartzell in a news release.
Steinbeck clinched both the Nobel Prize in Literature and a Pulitzer for his exemplary body of work, which includes Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, Tortilla Flat, and East of Eden.
He was living in this house in Sag Harbor when he wrote his final two books and won the Nobel Prize.
Writers in residence at the house will be asked to participate in different events — such as public readings or workshops — both in Sag Harbor and on the UT campus.
UT Austin has several connections to the Steinbeck estate, with Steinbeck’s wife Elaine Anderson Steinbeck, an Austin native, once studying drama there. The school is currently home to the John Steinbeck collection.
Writers at various career stages specializing in multiple genres, including fiction and plays, as well as Michener Center alumni, are welcome to apply for the Steinbeck Writers’ Retreat.
“During his lifetime, John Steinbeck was committed to supporting young writers and enabling them to succeed,” said Bret Johnston, director of the Michener Center, according to the news release.
Those behind the Steinbeck Writers Retreat have started collecting funds to finance the initiative. UT Austin aims to set up an endowment to cover the costs related to fellowships, property expenses, and more.
Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar, a novelist and playwright, will be the first to experience the new retreat.