acts as a sounding Board throughout the evolution of the program. Members will be consulted not only on strategic issues, such as the program's size and scope, but also on specific curriculum matters, admission standards, faculty, publication venues, and program promotion.

Board members will be invited to the Wilkes campus to give readings and meet with faculty and students during the January and June residencies.

In short, the Program's co-directors and its faculty and students will look to the Board for counsel and advice, as well as interaction during residencies, on all aspects of the Program.

Founding & Former Advisory Board Member

The late Norman Mailer, author of more than 40 works and winner of the Pulitzer and National Book Award among others; member of the National Academy of arts and Letters. Mr. Mailer was the first keynote speaker on June 26, 2004.

Current Advisory Board members

Larry Heinemann, novelist and essayist; his novel Paco's Story, won the National Book Award.

William Heyen, Professor of English/Poet in Residence Emeritus at SUNY Brockport. A former Senior Fulbright Lecturer in American Literature to Germany, he has won NEA, Guggenheim, American Academy & Institute of Arts & Letters, and other fellowships and awards. Some of his latest poems have appeared in THE KENYON REVIEW, THE SOUTHERN REVIEW, THE ONTARIO REVIEW, GREAT RIVER REVIEW, CHAUTAUQUA LITERAY JOURNAL, ONEARTH and elsewhere.  Heyen's other works include a limited-edition letterpressed chapbook, THE DEVIL'S SONG,  published by Timberline Pres, and a book-length poem, TO WILLIAM MERWIN, published by Mammoth Books.  Etruscan Press is slated to publish Heyen's latest book, A POETICS OF HIROSHIMA & OTHER POEMS, in late 2008 or early 2009.

Beverly Hiscox, member of the Wilkes University Board of Trustees and long-time supporter of the arts.

H.L. Hix— (ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER) Poet, Essayist. HL Hix teaches in and directs the  creative writing MFA at the University of Wyoming. In addition to his books from Etruscan - a poetry collection, SHADDOWS OF HOUSES, a collection of essays on poetry entitled AS EASY ASLYING, and an anthology, WILD AND WHIRLING WORDS - he has published a number of other books of poetry, poetry in translation, and criticism. His poetry has been recognized with the Grolier Prize, the T. S. Eliot Prize, the Peregrine Smith Award, and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Hix’s most recent book of poetry, CHROMATIC (Etruscan Press), was a 2006 finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry.


J. Michael Lennon, Program Co-Founder, Essayist, Editor, Interviewer, Producer, Former Magazine Publisher and Vice-President of Academic Affairs.  Dr. Lennon is Professor Emeritus in the Humanities Department at Wilkes University and President of the Norman Mailer Society.   He is Norman Mailer’s archivist and has written and edited numerous articles, interviews and books for and about Norman Mailer and James Jones, including THE JAMES JONES READER (1991). Lennon’s work has appeared in PLAYBOY, PROVINCETOWN ARTS, THE NEW YORKER, PARIS REVIEW, NARRATIVE, NEW ENGLAND REVIEW and MODERN FICTION STUDIES.  His latest book, NORMAN MAILER’S LETTERS ON AN AMERICAN DREAM: 1963-1969, was published in 2004.