Event Date: Week of October 20, 2009
Contact: Janet Bossange, College of Education and Social Services, 656-1217, janet.bossange@uvm.edu
Susanmarie Harrington, Writing in the Disciplines Program, 656-0878, susan.harrington@uvm.edu

Writers at the University of Vermont will join thousands of writers and teachers across the country in celebrating the National Day on Writing, Tuesday, October 20, 2009. The National Day on Writing, organized by the National Council of Teachers of English, draws attention to the remarkable variety of writing produced by writers in all walks of life, and celebrates the importance of writing in personal, professional and civic lives. Galleries and activities throughout the week will showcase writing in the UVM community, highlighting academic and creative approaches to writing. UVM's Writing in the Disciplines Program, the College of Education and Social Services, and the National Writing Project in Vermont are working with campus partners to showcase the work of faculty and students.

A week of events and exhibits, all free and open to the public, will illustrate the importance of writing as both a means of expression and a means of learning.

• The Writing in the Disciplines Program will celebrate the past and present of writing-across-the-curriculum at UVM at its National Day on Writing open house on Tuesday, October 20. The open house will honor Professor Emeritus of English Toby Fulwiler, Director of the UVM Faculty Writing Project from 1984 to 2002, with a dedication and reception from 12 to 1:30 pm. Exhibits will also highlight the work of faculty who attended the 2009 WID Institute, as well as writing produced by UVM Writing Center tutors. Please RSVP for the reception at http://events.uvmctl.info/.
  
• The Honors College and University Heights North Residence Hall will feature an interactive display of creative non-fiction essays by University of Vermont students documenting their experiences, their beliefs, and their truths. The collection will be displayed in the University Heights North Residence Hall's Lobby Gallery (30 University Heights) from October 19-23. Community members are invited to come read, think, and write their own comments and truths on the exhibit's "Wall of Truths."
  
• UVM's Department of Education, in partnership with the Young Writers Project, will host an exhibit of student writing (427A Waterman). The exhibit, featuring work by K-12 students around Vermont and UVM undergraduate education majors, will draw attention to the ways writing develops throughout childhood and into young adulthood, and the ways UVM's education students reflect on their elementary classroom internships and student teaching experiences.
  
• The Fleming Museum presents Cuban Artists' Books and Prints: 1985-2008. This exhibit, which runs from October 13 - November 25, 2009, brings together handmade books, maquettes for unpublished projects, related prints, and printed objects by a diverse group of acclaimed artists whose work reflects their experiences of life in Cuba for over two decades. Poignant poetry, technical mastery of print media, and the use of found materials unite these delicate handmade works. The exhibition contains bilingual labels.
  
• Bailey/Howe Library presents Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts: Witnesses from our Written Past, an exhibit displaying early book-making techniques with 12th to 17th century materials from the library's Special Collections. Colorfully illustrated books and manuscript leaves will illustrate numerous styles of writing, mostly in variations of Gothic script. The exhibit explains the process of manuscript production and copying in scriptoria at medieval monasteries and universities. It will be open through the fall semester in the Bailey/Howe library lobby and Special Collections area. A reception to open the exhibit will be held in on October 20 at 4:30 p.m.
  
• The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences presents an exhibit of research and science writing in 104 Morrill Hall. The exhibit will feature examples of academic and science writing connected to the study of disease, veterinary science, biology, and the environment. Visitors are invited to enjoy the variety of publications during regular business hours on October 20.
  
• The UVM Asian Studies Outreach Program, in collaboration with several Visiting Scholars from China and Thailand, invites community members to an active, multicultural literary experience at the Asian Studies library in Mann Hall (room 201) from 8 am to 4:30 pm on October 20. Visiting Scholars will give introductory workshops on the techniques of Chinese calligraphy and show guests how to write their own name in traditional calligraphy. Visitors will be able to browse Asian culture workshop kits and lesson plans, and enjoy the library's display of literary masterpieces of both prominent and lesser-known Asian writers.
  
• The National Writing Project in Vermont - an organization for teachers of writing from pre-K through college - will sponsor several events reflecting its commitment to improving writing and learning in the nation's schools through instructional leadership and professional development offerings. NWP members are teachers who believe in the power of writing. Don Murray, author of A Writer Teaches Writing, explains that writing "is a satisfying activity that extends both the brain and the soul. It stimulates the intellect, deepens the experience of living and is good therapy. Teachers should write so they understand the process of writing from within." With that in mind, the NWP in Vermont will host the following activities:
  • Writers' Marathon, October 20, 11 am–8 pm at Brennan's, in UVM's Davis Center. This non-stop, day-long presentation of original work will offer all writers and songwriters five minutes at the microphone to present original writing or song. Both participants and audience members are welcome.
  • WORD UP: An Informal Exhibit of Words and Images, an exhibit at the Allen House Gallery from October 19-31. Artwork combining words and images from members of the UVM and broader Burlington community will be displayed; a studio event to create art for the exhibit will be held on Saturday, October 10, from 10 am to 3 pm in Williams Hall on the UVM Campus. For more information, contact Lisa Italiano (litalian@uvm.edu) or Emily Willette at (ewillett@uvm.edu).
    
  • Online National Gallery of Writing: As part of the National Gallery of Writing, an online display space with separate galleries created by organizations and groups across the country, NWP-Vermont will host its own online gallery celebrating the work of Vermont writers. Teachers, students, and community members are invited to share their writing at http://galleryofwriting.org/galleries/212706.