Students and community members enjoy visit with Author in Residence Alix Harrow

This past week, students in 9th and 11th grades were treated to a visit from Alix Harrow, our 2024-2025 Author in Residence. Harrow is a New York Times bestselling author whose most recent novel is "Starling House."
By Kate Pritchard, Library Director

Harrow visited USN for two full days of school, during which time she spoke with all 9th and 11th grade students through their English classes. She discussed her path to publication and the importance of stories that help us to imagine a better world. Her talk centered on the idea of fiction as “honest lies,” guiding students through an examination of Ursula K. Le Guin’s story “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.” Students participated in a writing exercise and then had a chance to ask their own questions. Harrow also met with smaller groups of students during lunch on both days, and joined English Department Chair Freya Sachs ‘00 for a public reading and conversation on Monday night, attended by many community members.

The Author in Residence program aims to provide students with the opportunity to meet and talk with an author, not just about their books but about the craft of writing, and to go into greater depth than is possible with a more typical author visit. Many students consider this to be a very valuable program. Ismaeel Moskinzada ‘26 says, “This meeting was a highlight of my week. I loved discussing literature and writing with like-minded people and see incredible value in bringing authors like Harrow to USN.”

Coco Shepard ‘27, who wrote a Peabody Press article about the history of the Author in Residence program, says, “I really enjoyed getting to meet Alix Harrow and getting to know her as an author. She was a very enjoyable and engaging speaker.” Moskinzada agrees: “I found it so interesting that someone could become a writer through such a non-traditional path. I also loved hearing about what being a writer feels like and Harrow’s writing techniques. I feel I came away from this with a bit more hope that I could one day become a writer as well as a deeper understanding of the importance of bettering my craft.”

The Author in Residence program is an annual event sponsored jointly by the English Department and the Hassenfeld Library. We want to give a special thanks to Fall Book Frenzy for the funds it raises for the library every year, a large portion of which supports the Author in Residence program. Many thanks also go to all those who helped put on this program, particularly Deb Alberts and the Evening Classes team, Marte Beaty and the Operations team, and Kelly Mozzi with SAGE.
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