Written by Alex Vara, WriteOn Fellow Spring 2020
This year’s fundraiser was held in the New School’s President’s house on 11th Street where the founding donors, the Gottlieb Family, and the WriteOn team welcomed guests to an evening of celebration dedicated to WriteOn and the opportunities it provides to teaching fellows and their students. After hors d’oeuvres, refreshments, and mingling, President David Van Zandt warmly welcomed the gathered group of New School faculty, staff, alumni, students, and friends to his beautiful home before passing the floor to 2019 WriteOn Fellow Zac Ginsburg, representing his class at George Jackson Academy by sharing one story written by a student and read by WriteOn Fellow Jude Loscar. Two High School Fall Fellows, Daniel Goulden and Olivia Jane Ureles, were accompanied by two students, Emilia P. and Natasha Santana, who read their own personal work. The crowd was impressed by the confidence of their readings and the overall vulnerability and quality of the student’s work.
Santana read a piece called “25 Random Things About Me.” The piece began during an in-class writing prompt based on Matias Viegener’s “2500 Random Things About Me Too.” In the student’s introduction to her piece, she cited the lesson as her inspiration. Olivia Jane Urles remembers the introduction, “I was thrilled to hear my student explain how it encouraged her to speak openly and honestly and in turn, expand her own list.” As part of the lesson, Urles had shared her own list with her students, encouraging writerly vulnerability by example.
“I was very moved by the students who volunteered to read,” said WriteOn Fellow Zac Ginsburg. “The creative outlet of WriteOn clearly meant a lot to them, and it was wonderful to see the products of their hard work.” National Book Award winner and New School faculty, Sigrid Nunez was the final reader of the night. She read from her award-winning novel The Friend. As she read of the Great Dane in the novel, President David Van Zandt’s bichon sat in front of Nunez as if he was listening to the story. “It was a magical moment,” said WriteOn Fellow Jude Loscar. The high school students and Nunez shared a moment after the readings. Nunez gifted the students with signed copies of her novel and the students gave her letters of gratitude for supporting WriteOn and copies of their own personal writing. The evening concluded with more refreshments and the celebration of literature, teaching, and our love for encouraging students to write their stories.
President David Van Zandt welcomes guests 
Phin Lambert and Helen Schulman introduce the program
