On April 20, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences announced its new class of fellows and foreign honorary members. Among the 231 newest members of one of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies are some very famous folks, including Dustin Hoffman, James Earl Jones, Dame Judi Dench, Bono, Colin Powell, and Emmylou Harris. But these marquee names are nothing compared to the real celebs on the list: the University of Chicago Press author brigade! Congratulations to Andrew Abbott, Danielle Allen, Alice Kaplan, T. J. Jackson Lears, Steven Shapin, Mary Ann Caws, Robert von Hallberg, Ruth Bernard Yeazell, and honorary member Simon Goldhill.
In other academy news, the Academy of Arts and Letters announced its annual awards on April 14. Among the many deserving honorees are a handful of University of Chicago Press authors. Phoenix Poets Michael Collier and Susan Stewart were awarded an Academy Award in Literature, given to encourage creative work. Sharon Cameron won a Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award in Literature in recognition of the quality of the prose in her recent book Impersonality: Seven Essays. And poet Peter Campion was awarded the Rome Fellowship in Literature, given to young writers of exceptional promise for a year’s residence at the American Academy in Rome.
Three cheers for all our award winners!