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$100,000 Literary Endowment To Honor New Trier Alumna

The New Trier English department is getting a boost for its annual Literary (Lit) Fest when artists are invited to the campus to conduct a series of literary programs for students, faculty, and the community.

With the help of the Foundation, Hale Curtis, NT Class of 1966, is gifting the English Department with a $100,000 endowment to honor the memory of his mother, Phyllis Barbara Marschall, who graduated from New Trier in 1947.

“My mother enjoyed reading,” Hale recalls. “She always had a book in her hand, fiction or non-fiction. Supporting Lit Fest would be a fitting tribute to her memory.”

The Phyllis Marschall Curtis Cramer '47 Endowment is funding the named speakership that will enhance the learning experience for students and faculty alike. It will also give New Trier the opportunity every year to connect with audiences outside the school in fun and artistic ways that many in the community are already engaged in.

The English department is thrilled to announce that the keynote speaker for Lit Fest 2025, which takes place on February 27–28, 2025 at the Winnetka campus, will be the poet, Major Jackson. Professor Jackson is the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair of Humanities at Vanderbilt University, poetry editor of the Harvard Review, the author of six books of poetry (including his recent new and selected, Razzle Dazzle), and the host of the enormously popular podcast “The Slowdown.”

Professor Jackson will lead the department in a workshop on the afternoon of Feb 26th, give a poetry reading to the larger community on the evening of the 26th and then lead workshops with our students on the 27th.

The Foundation joins the English faculty in their excitement to have such an eminent writer serve as our inaugural visiting writer for Lit Fest, a tradition we hope to continue for many years. We will share further updates from the department as they fill up this year’s roster of visiting artists closer to the event.

The Literary Festival, which just celebrated its 20th year in February, has afforded students the opportunity to work with world renowned novelists, playwrights, musicians and poets.

“This endowment has provided us with the means to continue an exceptional experience for students, enriching our existing English classes,” English Faculty Carlo Trovato points out. “With this additional funding, talented writers can also share their work directly with English teachers and with the larger community.”

Ed Zwirner, English department chair, says “In supporting this dialogue between artists and students, this gift from Mr. Curtis will honor his mother’s legacy of valuing a well-rounded education for all New Trier students, one that transcends barriers, touches hearts, and inspires students to create.”