Opportunities

2020 Lost & Found Grants and Fellowships

January 8, 2020

Eligibility: Doctoral Students at The Graduate Center, CUNY

Deadline: Monday, February 10th, 2020 by 11:59 PM

The Center for the Humanities is delighted to announce, thanks to generous support from the Early Research Initiative at The Graduate Center, CUNY, the 2020 Lost & Found Research Grants & Fellowships available for doctoral students from all disciplines at The Graduate Center, CUNY, with experience and/or an interest in archival research centering on the study of figures critical to New American Poetry and/or expanding that field through the inclusion of artists, writers, and musicians whose contributions and connections to New American Poetry remain understudied.

Lost & Found: The CUNY Poetics Document Initiative is a publishing project centered on student archival research in 20^th century cultural materials. Poised at the intersection of scholarly investigation, innovative publishing, and cultural preservation, each Lost & Found chapbook emphasizes the importance of collaborative and archival research. The work of Lost & Found is multi-valent and involves: archival research at all stages of its development, digital practices, public events, oral history, mentorship, transcription, and editorial support. Now in our 9^th year, we have seen a number of Lost & Found projects become dissertations or published books.

While focusing on poetry and poetics, we continue to expand our range of focus into other art forms including music, performing arts, and the visual arts, particularly in the context of specific historical moments of great synergy. In addition, while our concentration is on 20th century cultural figures, we are interested in work those figures have done that focuses on past historical moments or figures as well as work in other areas, such as political or pedagogical activism: we have published, for example, poet Jack Spicer’s translation of Beowulf; poet Diane di Prima’s lecture notes on English Romantic poet Shelley; Argentinian novelist Julio Cortázar’s work on Keats; Muriel Rukeyser’s translations of Rimbaud and her writing on Charles DarwinToni Cade Bambara, Audre Lorde, June Jordan, and Adrienne Rich, as well as position papers and proposals by groundbreaking Native American scholar and poet Jack D. Forbes.

Before applying, we urge you to familiarize yourself with the range of our work on our website here or in person through the Center for the Humanities (Room 5103), to determine if your project makes sense in the context of our mission. Please feel free to make inquiries as well at: [email protected].

ARCHIVAL RESEARCH GRANT

The Lost & Found Archival Research Grant is for students in all disciplines who are currently developing or seeking to develop archival research in or around 20^th century poetry, poetics or other art forms as outlined above, and will range from $1,000 to $3,000. It is important to note that Lost & Found is about process as much as product, and only some projects will ultimately be published, though all projects will be stewarded toward completion. Recipients should expect to complete a survey of their progress in August 2020.

We will entertain proposals for projects at all stages of development, from exploratory to advanced, but, again, we strongly suggest that applicants familiarize themselves with Lost & Found publications or our other public work to determine if their project makes sense within the context of what we do. Please reach out to [email protected] should any further questions or concerns arise.

CECIL TAYLOR FELLOWSHIP

Pianist, composer, and poet Cecil Taylor (1929-2018) was born in Long Island City and raised in Queens. Growing up he played Chopin and Bach while moved by Ellington, Lunceford, and Billie Holiday. His inimitable performances and compositions broke new ground. Also a poet, Taylor was intimately involved in dance and performance, and believed that research into cultural origins, influences, and expressions was an essential mode of survival. Proposals for a Cecil Taylor Fellowship should reflect the width and breadth of his vision and life, as well as the interdisciplinary nature of creative work. Recipients will range from $1,000 to $3,000.

TONI CADE BAMBARA FELLOWSHIP

Toni Cade Bambara (1939-1995) was born in Harlem and attended both City College and Queens College. Novelist, essayist, anthologist, screenplay writer, radical educator and activist, Bambara was deeply involved in the SEEK Program and the struggle for Open Admissions at CUNY but she also took her pedagogy to the people, in homes and at community centers. Proposals for a Toni Cade Bambara Fellowship should reflect the spirit of her work and the circles she moved in as artist, activist and teacher. Recipients will range from $1,000 to $3,000.

AMIRI BARAKA FELLOWSHIP

Amiri Baraka (1934-2014) was born in Newark, New Jersey, where his son Ras now serves as Mayor. A seminal figure in US arts and politics from the late 1950s until his death, Baraka’s activities as poet, essayist, novelist, editor, scholar, playwright, and activist have had a huge impact on US and world culture. While Lost & Found has a deep interest in the multi-faceted aspects of Baraka’s archive, much of which is held between Columbia University and the NYPL, we welcome proposals for an Amiri Baraka Fellowship reflecting any aspect of his work and influence or conceived in the spirit of his consummate energies. Recipients will range from $1,000 to $3,000.

DIANE DI PRIMA FELLOWSHIP

Diane di Prima (1934—) was born in Brooklyn and attended Hunter High School; classmates included her lifelong friend Audre Lorde whose first book di Prima published through Poets Press, one of many publishing projects she initiated. Despite her iconic status, much of di Prima’s work in poetics was only formally introduced to a wider public through various Lost & Found projects. We have published texts by her on H.D., Robert Duncan, Charles Olson, and Shelley. While there is much work still to be done, we welcome proposals for a Diane di Prima Fellowship that reflect different aspects of di Prima’s presence and the wide range of her historical interests—as a poet, publisher, and editor, as well as within the circles she has formed an essential part of. Recipients will range from $1,000 to $3,000.

TO APPLY

To apply for the Archival Research Grants or the various Fellowships, please fill out the following Application Form (and upload your Curriculum Vitae as directed in the application form) by no later than Monday, February 10th, 2019, 11:59 PM.

1.) Application Form (click here to fill out)

For more information about Lost & Found, please visit: lostandfoundbooks.org or for questions about these grants and fellowships, email [email protected]

The 2020 Lost & Found: The CUNY Poetics Document Initiative Archival Research Grants were made possible by generous support from the Early Research Initiative at The Graduate Center, CUNY, and co-sponsored by The Office of the Provost at The Graduate Center, CUNY.