Dickinson has named one of America's foremost playwrights, John Patrick Shanley, the 2016-17 recipient of The Harold and Ethel L. Stellfox Visiting Scholars and Writers Program award. Shanley will accept the Stellfox award and will take part in two public events on campus.
Shanley is best known for his diverse range of works, including the 2005 play Doubt, winner of four Tony awards, a Drama Desk award and the Pulitzer Prize; he also is a screenwriter and director of the 2008 film adaptation, starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Additionally, Shanley wrote the screenplay for the 1987 film Moonstruck, which won three Academy Awards, including best screenplay. Recent works, including Outside Mullingar and The Prodigal Son, also have received critical acclaim. Shanley’s residency will include talks and class visits across campus, as well as two public events:
Sunday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m.: Writing for Stage and Screen
Shanley will share his perspectives on his work as a writer and director for stage and film in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter (ATS) Auditorium. The talk is free and open to the public.
Monday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m.: John Patrick Shanley in Conversation
Shanley will participate in a moderated discussion and Q&A session in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter (ATS) Auditorium. The session is free and open to the public and will be followed by a book-signing in the lobby.
The Stellfox Visiting Scholars and Writers Program is a gift from Jean Louise Stellfox, a 1960 graduate of Dickinson who was inspired to become an English teacher after meeting Robert Frost during the poet’s visit to the college in 1959. When Stellfox died tragically in 2003, her estate provided $1.5 million to the college to continue her mission of inspiring students by bringing renowned literary figures to campus. Stellfox named the program in honor of her parents, Harold and Ethel L. Stellfox.
Shanley joins an illustrious group of previous Stellfox distinguished writers, including MacArthur Fellow and author Edwidge Danticat; three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee; Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo; Pulitzer Prize-winning poets Rita Dove and Paul Muldoon; Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang; and Booker Prize-winning authors Ian McEwan and Margaret Atwood.
Published November 3, 2016