Roxane Gay
Please join me in congratulating Roxane Gay, Associate Professor in the Department of English, for being the recipient of the Paul Engle Prize from the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature.
The prize honors an individual who, like Paul Engle, represents a pioneering spirit in the world of literature whose active participation in the larger issues of the day has contributed to the betterment of the world through the literary arts. Roxane will receive the prize, which includes a one-of-a-kind work of art and $10,000, during a special ceremony as part of the Iowa City Book Festival on Oct. 6.
Roxane has emerged as one of the strongest voices in American letters in her various roles as a writer, professor, editor and commentator. She is the author of the short story collection Ayiti, the novel An Untamed State, and the New York Times best-selling essay collection Bad Feminist. Along with being an associate professor, Roxane is a contributing op-ed writer at The New York Times, founder of Tiny Hardcore Press, and co-editor of PANK, a nonprofit literary arts collective. Her next book, Difficult Women, will be published in January.
Upon winning the award, Roxane noted, "I write because I love it, plain and simple."
Congratulations, Dr. Gay!
David A. Reingold
Justin S. Morrill Dean
College of Liberal Arts