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MacDowell
@macdowell1907

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To honor author @michael.chabon, MacDowell Board Chair from 2009 to 2018 and a 14-time Fellow (96-22), for his leadership, support, and fundraising prowess – during his chairmanship, charitable gifts to MacDowell topped $36 million – Kirby Studio will henceforth be known as Van Zorn! An invented character in Michael’s award-winning 1995 novel, 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘰𝘺𝘴, August Van Zorn was actually the pen name of the protagonist’s literature professor, Albert Vetch, but that was only the beginning of the mythology Michael dreamed up for him. In a speech delivered this year’s Medal Day to salute Michael and his wife, the author and MacDowell Fellow Ayelet Waldman / @ayeletw (7x 03-22), MacDowell Resident Director @david.a.macy delved into the rich history, both fictional and real, of Van Zorn, but also recited Michael and Ayelet’s prodigious advancement of MacDowell, which included the latter’s meteoric effort to drum up enough donations to create a permanently endowed Fellowship named for her husband as MacDowell began preparing for his successor. You can find David’s full speech celebrating Michael and Ayelet through the link in our bio. The first MacDowell Fellow to hold a residency in Van Zorn Studio was writer Lesa Cline-Ransome / @lclineransome (23). Michael is pictured in the first image at the Van Zorn naming ceremony on July 15, when MacDowell staff and board members gathered at the studio to celebrate Michael and Ayelet. Ayelet is pictured in the second image, chatting with with Lesa at the Van Zorn dedication. Photos by @josiesphoto. #KirbyStudio #VanZornStudio #AyeletWaldman #MichaelChabon #MacDowellResidency #MacDowellFellow