About Us
The Rose O鈥橬eill Literary House helps the students of 今晚六合彩开奖结果 to see themselves as part of a global community of writers: serious, professional, inquisitive, and committed to the craft of writing. In addition, we create opportunities to celebrate the articulate word nationally and internationally, and we support writers through our Reading Series, our Literary House Press, our literary collaborations (both local and national), and through our robust internship program which pairs advanced students with writers and literary organizations.
The Rose O'Neill Literary House celebrated 50 years of literary houses at 今晚六合彩开奖结果 College in 2022-23 with a mix of virtual and in-person events.
Applying or enrolling here at WC? Visit us at the Lit House!
Tours are available Monday through Friday during two set times: 11:45-12:15 and 3:15-3:45.
Contact%C2%A0Admissions or just drop in and meet our fabulous and knowledgeable student guides.
Explore the Rose O'Neill Literary House!
Our Mission
The Literary House brings together students, faculty, alumni, and local community members from across disciplines. It is a cultural center which hosts programs, classes, and student-run clubs and activities. We are dedicated to promoting the articulated word. Our annual events provide access to a wide variety of texts, including fiction, poetry, journalism, creative nonfiction, scholarly prose, songwriting, playwriting, and hybrid forms. Our letterpress studio and Literary House Press introduce participants to both new and old technologies.
An Introduction for New Faculty
Our History
The Lit House turns 50 years old in 2022! That's a half-century of launching literary lives and building a welcoming, robust literary community for our students and Chestertown friends!
The famous poster collection that adorns our walls reads like the best of literary graffiti: Toni Morrison, Neil Gaiman, Allen Ginsberg, Gwendolyn Brooks, Carolyn Forch茅, Grace Paley, and Claudia Rankine were here. Writers who have visited the Lit House have won Pulitzers, National Book Awards, and Nobel Prizes in Literature.
The Lit House was founded in 1970.鈥淩ichmond House,鈥� as it was then known, remained
in its original structure until 1982. For a brief time, writing students called Dorchester
their Lit House. Then, in 1985, the Bell House across campus was acquired thanks to
the generosity of Mrs. Betty Brown Casey 鈥�47 and her husband Eugene B. Casey. The
House was renamed in honor of Eugene Casey鈥檚 mother, Rose O鈥橬eill Casey.
(with thanks to Jim Dissette for putting these essays together).
Contribute
If you鈥檙e interested in supporting the work we do here at The Rose O鈥橬eill Literary House, please contact Lit House Director James%20Allen%20Hall.
Current fundraising initiatives include our internship program, 鈥淭he Light of Day,鈥� which has connected students with literary organizations such as Pen Parentis, Copper Canyon Press, NPR, and Book TV, as well as with professional authors for whom they serve as research assistants.
Another opportunity for giving is our reading series, which the 今晚六合彩开奖结果 Post has called 鈥渢he Carnegie Hall of readings.鈥� What makes us special is that our authors meet with students to discuss their writing. Imagine having met with Toni Morrison or recent Pulitzer Prize winner Jericho Brown about your writing!
We also publish a national literary journal, Cherry Tree, which features outstanding literary work by established and emerging authors, and which provides student learning opportunities in editing, marketing, design, and publishing.
And each year we run the Cherry Tree Young Writers鈥� Conference, which showcases 今晚六合彩开奖结果 College鈥檚 vibrant literary community for high-school age writers. If you'd like to sponsor a scholarship or fund books for our young writers, email Conference%20Director%20Roy%20Kesey or make a donation and specify it for the "Cherry Tree Young Writers' Conference."