Creative Practice Workshop Fellows
Fall 2024 Workshop Fellows
G’Ra Asim, assistant professor of English
Asim will develop the manuscript for his next creative nonfiction book, 99 Problems Finding the 1. The book will explore the pitfalls of 21st-century love, as viewed from Asim’s personal experiences in the “unforgiving climate of contemporary bachelorhood.” Facing hurdles posed by technology, upbringing, and societal skepticism toward traditional romance, Asim seeks to discover new definitions of love in a rapidly changing world.
Nancy E. Berg, professor of Hebrew language and literature
Berg is compiling an anthology of literary works from Israel by Mizrachi women writers. The CLA fellowship will give her the time and support to translate the pieces not available in English. Describing the project as one of “reclamation, revision, and rectification,” Berg notes that the authors selected have often been overlooked or less considered due to their gender and their family backgrounds from Arab and Islamic lands.
Todd Decker, Paul Tietjens Professor of Music
Decker will work on the first draft of a new non-fiction book: My Classical Music (and Yours). During the Covid pandemic, Decker watched as his younger son fell in love with classical music, reigniting his own appreciation for the artform. That experience inspired Decker to reconsider how centuries-old composers fit into contemporary life, and how their works continue to capture the hearts of modern listeners.
Julia Walker, chair of the Performing Arts Department, professor of English and performing arts
Walker will adapt Anthony Sattin’s nonfiction book, Nomads: The Wanderers Who Shaped Our World, into a stage play. Each act of the play will correspond to a chapter in the book, focusing on early human mythologies, infamous nomadic conquerors like Chinggis (a.k.a. Genghis) Khan, and indigenous traditions of caring for the earth's natural resources.
Fall 2023 Workshop Fellows
Flora Cassen, chair and associate professor of Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern studies
Cassen's book project, “Major Transitions in the History of Antisemitism,” weaves together the history of antisemitism with true stories of Jewish men and women from the 14th century to today. Each story centers on a time of transition when perceived differences between Jews and Europeans were redefined as society changed.
Ji-Eun Lee, associate professor of Korean language and literature
Lee will pursue a translation of several travelogues by female Korean writers from the early 20th century. Her project will explore the less-known and less-translated genre of women’s travelogue and explore its significance in the context global feminist writing.
Edward McPherson, associate professor of English
McPherson will work on a nonfiction book investing long-distance mapping, aerial photography, and top-down perspectives from pre-Civil War America to modern times. “The Long View” will combine history, reporting, and personal experience as McPherson talks to activists, programmers, spies, artists, entrepreneurs, and locals on the ground.
Note: Edward McPherson was originally awarded a Creative Practice Workshop Fellowship for Fall 2023 but declined after being awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.