Thanks to a generous grant from Dr.
Tony Foster ('73) and his wife Linda Nemec Foster ('72), Aquinas College inaugurated
an annual series of readings by well-known authors in
1997. The idea for funding the series started about
1992 when Linda, herself a published and well-known
poet, remembered her student days at Aquinas and thought
how much she would have benefitted from having writers
visit campus.
"When I was a student at Aquinas, even though
I was not an English major, I loved and read literature.
One thing I missed was having a visiting writers series
like my friends at large state universities had,"
Linda reminisces. "About five years ago, Tony and
I began discussing whether we could fund a series at
Aquinas ourselves, and this year we decided to implement
our plan."
The series will eventually be funded completely by
income from an endowment the Fosters are establishing.
One major goal of the Fosters was to make the series
financially independent so it could be free and open
to the public. "We felt that the whole city of
Grand Rapids, being the second largest city in the state,
should have this sort of experience available. In addition
to the Aquinas community, we want this series to benefit
the community at large," Linda explains. "We
are really pleased to be able to do this."
The Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series will
be coordinated by a steering committee consisting of
members of the Aquinas staff and faculty representing
the Friends of the Grace Hauenstein Library, the English Department,
and the Student Activities Department. In addition to
doing public readings, visiting writers will meet with
creative writing students in workshops and will offer
readings for students in the college's first and second
year core courses.
by Gary Eberle, Professor of English, Aquinas College
Friends of the Contemporary Writers Series
Therese Becker
John '58 and Elizabeth Burns '58
John '77 and Stacey Cashen '78
Sara Ebenreck, Ph.D. '60
Dr. Anthony Foster '72
Linda Nemec Foster '72
Drs. Denise and Tom Gribbin
Mark and Barbara Levandoski
Pamela A. Luebke
Dr. Chet and Elaine Maternowski
Vicki McMillan '90
Deborah Meijer
Paul Miles Advertising
Ellen Nelson
Kathleen Rainer '52
Rebecca Roberts
Jill M. Tewsley '88
Elizabeth Wagenschutz '02
Larry Zysk
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the Series, please call Pam
Luebke at (616) 632-2127.
Join Our Mailing List
If you would like to be added to the Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series mailing list for information regarding our upcoming events, please fill out the form below:
1607 Robinson Road S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49506-1799 - (616) 632-8900
