Fran Abrams Creative Writing Award
Inaugural Awardee: Hannah Johnston
AHCMC is proud to announce that the awardee of the inaugural Fran Abrams Creative Writing Award is Hannah Johnston. A 2011 graduate of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, MD, Johnston says, "My grandmother was a poet, and I knew from a young age that I wanted to be able to reach people the way she could."
Johnston will receive a $1,000 cash award at the reception. She and notable local fiction writer and NEA Literature Program Officer, Amy Stolls, will each present a reading of their respective works at the reception. Read Patch.com article about Hannah
Award Reception and Public Reading
Wednesday, June 22 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Betty Mae Kramer Gallery and Music Room
Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Amy Stolls is the author of the novel The Ninth Wife, due out from HarperCollins in May 2011, and the young adult novel Palms to the Ground (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), published in 2005 to critical acclaim and a Parents' Choice Gold Award. She spent years as a journalist covering the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska before she received an MFA in creative writing from American University. Currently, she is the literature program officer for the National Endowment for the Arts, where she has worked since 1998, collaborating with thousands of writers, translators, editors, booksellers, publishers, educators, and presenters nationwide to keep literature a vital part of American society. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and two-year-old son.
About the Fran Abrams Creative Writing Award
The Fran Abrams Creative Writing Award was established in July 2010 to celebrate Abrams' contributions to Montgomery County's cultural community. Former AHCMC Grants Director and Interim Public Art Trust Director, Abrams announced her retirement from AHCMC effective July 2010. During her nearly 10 years at AHCMC, Abrams oversaw the creation of Montgomery County’s first Cultural Plan, AHCMC’s 2007 Strategic Plan and served as the agency’s Interim Director. Abrams retired after 41 years of service to Montgomery County, including 10 years with the County Government, more than 20 years in non-profit organizations focused on early childhood education, arts and the environment.
AHCMC CEO Suzan Jenkins notes, "Fran's stalwart creativity and vision are a testament to the leadership and dedication she brought to the Arts and Humanities Council. We are proud to continue her legacy for years to come by inspiring students with the Fran Abrams Creative Writing Award."
Abrams looks forward to spending time pursuing her personal artistic expression in polymer clay. She also serves as the manager of the Betty Mae Kramer Gallery and Music Room. For further information about her work visit franabrams.com.
Contribute to the fund
Donations for the Fran Abrams Creative Writing Award are being accepted via our secure online donation form or by mail at AHCMC, Attn: Fran Abrams Award, 801 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
801 Ellsworth Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20910
T: 301-565-3805 | F: 301-565-3809
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