Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Students, faculty, staff, and Upper Valley community members celebrated the opening of Dartmouth’s first dedicated home for creative writers on Nov. 4.

The Literary Arts Bridge at 7 Lebanon St. opened its doors in the spring and has already engaged hundreds of emerging and established writers through classes, events, and partnerships with local authors and community organizations.

“I’d say our most important contribution to campus is that we are a unique space where students, faculty, and the community can interact directly with creative writers and other artists in an intimate setting,” says Peter Orner, the Dartmouth Professor in English and Creative Writing, who spearheaded the launch of the Bridge with fellow professors and celebrated authors Vievee Francis and Thomas O’Malley.

The cozy ground-floor suite, with access from the 7 Lebanon St. courtyard, features a large seminar room, comfortable reading nooks, small offices for consultations, and a soundproof room for podcasts and audio projects.

Professor of English and Creative Writing Alexander Chee, an acclaimed novelist and essayist, welcomed guests and thanked those who made the space possible. He recognized Professor Emerita of English Cleopatra Mathis as “our beloved legend who was the one who first had a vision for a dedicated writing space at Dartmouth,” and biological sciences professor Elizabeth Smith, former dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, who championed the lab from concept to implementation. Chee also praised Janet Terp, chief of staff in the Office of the Dean of Faculty, as “a terrific force for good” in making the Bridge a reality.

As part of the celebration, Orner took part in a candid exchange about his widely praised new novel, The Gossip Columnist’s Daughter, with artist Liniers (Ricardo Siri). Still North Books & Bar showcased books by faculty authors.

Combined with a $1.75 million gift from a generous supporter of creative writing, the new space positions Dartmouth to accelerate programming in the literary arts in collaboration with Arts District partners, including the newly renovated and expanded Hopkins Center for the Arts, the Hood Museum of Art, the Black Family Visual Arts Center, and The Warehouse, a laboratory for sonic arts.

Home to student publications

The Literary Arts Bridge also serves as a home to Meetinghouse, a student-run literary journal that launched in 2021.

The journal’s newly published fifth issue was available at the celebration, with editorial team members Charlotte Hampton ’26, Will Summitt ’26, Leo Volchek ’26, and advisor Kate Gibbel, English and creative writing department administrator, in attendance.

“Our driving mission is to try and find writers and works which might not get published in other magazines but we think should be seen by the greater public,” says Volchek.

Last year alone, Meetinghouse received 1,800 submissions from around the world. This fall, the journal began accepting visual art in addition to written work across genres.

“Being exposed to such a wide breadth of work, from fiction to translation and art, is a privilege,” says Summitt.

The students say the production process fosters a genuine sense of pride and community. “By the end of the issue, everyone who worked together becomes a larger friend group,” says Volchek.

Connection through creative writing

Since hosting its first event on April 10—a fiction masterclass by author Andre Dubus III—the Literary Arts Bridge has quickly established itself as a cultural hub. By year’s end, it will have hosted more than 40 events, including 28 scheduled for fall term alone.

The popular Publishing Talks, held over the lunch hour, let students and community members engage in conversations with authors, poets, and publishers. Most recently, author Laura van den Berg visited the Bridge before providing a reading in Sanborn Library. Award-winning poets Tomás Morín, Matthew Rohrer, and Tadeusz Dąbrowski (of Gdańsk, Poland) have offered fresh perspectives and writing advice, and publishers Adam Dalva, president of the National Book Critics Circle, and Parneshia Jones, poet and director of Northwestern University Press, have shared insider perspectives of the publishing industry.

“This is something I wish I had access to as a MALS student at Dartmouth,” says Laura Jean (LJ) Gilloux, Guarini ’17, Bridge program manager. “It’s one thing to learn the craft of creative writing and a whole other ballgame to figure out how to sustain your practice and navigate the business of writing.”

The space has also become a venue for collaborative programming. Summer events included hosting actress Anna Deavere Smith and Anita Hill with the Hopkins Center, and travel writer Paul Theroux with Dartmouth Dialogues at the Dartmouth Outing Club House.

Three creative writing courses convened at the Literary Arts Bridge this summer: Writing and Reading Fiction and Intro to Nonfiction, both taught by senior lecturer William Craig, and Workshop: Literary Translation, taught by assistant professor Nirvana Tanoukhi.

This fall, Dartmouth’s Creative Writing Club began meeting at the new space on Monday evenings. In partnership with Dartmouth Libraries, the venue also co-hosts a monthly lunch gathering for staff called “For the Love of Poetry.”

Looking ahead, the Bridge will collaborate with the Hopkins Center, the Department of English and Creative Writing, and the Writing Center for a Selected Shorts program on Feb. 14. A student writing contest is collecting love stories, with the winning entry to be read by an actor during a Valentine’s Day recording.

Another collaboration with the Hopkins Center will bring Charlene Wang ’10 to the new event space at the Top of the Hop on Jan. 28. Wang’s debut novel, I’ll Follow You, was published this fall by alum Mindy Kaling’s imprint, Mindy’s Book Studio.

This calendar year will conclude with a marathon reading of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice on Dec. 10, organized with the Department of English and Creative Writing, Howe Library, and Still North Books & Bar—a festive way to celebrate the end of the Literary Arts Bridge’s inaugural year.