Newswise — Wilmington, NC (May 22, 2013) - UNCW professor and author Clyde Edgerton is the recipient of the Thomas S. Kenan III Distinguished Professorship in Creative Writing, the University announced today. Recognizing Edgerton’s international prominence in his respective field, the professorship will begin in the 2013 fall semester and is appointed for a five-year term. Edgerton has been in academia since 1972 but first came to UNCW in 1998 as a visiting professor. During this time, he was named the Creative Writing Department's Distinguished Visiting Professor and shortly thereafter, in 2002, became a full-time faculty member. In addition to being an experienced educator, he is the author of ten novels, a memoir, numerous short stories, and essays. A past Guggenheim Fellow, five of Edgerton’s novels have been New York Times Notable Books.
“I am thankful to J.D. Spangler, Tom Kenan, fellow faculty members, and administrators who have made this honor possible,” said Edgerton. “I look forward to using this position to support innovation among faculty and students in the Creative Writing Department as well as throughout the University.”
Established through a grant from the C.D. Spangler Foundation, the Kenan Distinguished Professorship will support Edgerton in various ways by funding his creative work and the department. The professorship is intended to further enhance the reputation of the highly lauded Creative Writing program. Currently, UNCW’s Department of Creative Writing offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts and a Certificate in Publishing. In 2012, Poets & Writers named the Creative Writing MFA one of the nation’s top 50 writing programs.
Edgerton has also been the recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature and the University of North Carolina Education Department Distinguished Alumni Award. His works have been published in the New York Times Magazine, Pembroke Magazine, Nashville Scene, Best American Short Stories and The Oxford American. His latest title Papadaddy’s Book for New Fathers: Advice to Dads of All Ages was released on May 7th by Little, Brown and Company. He will be the keynote speaker at UNCW’s upcoming Summer Writers Conference on Saturday, June 29 at 8 p.m.
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