The Lisa Page Literary Education Fellowship

Join the PEN/Faulkner staff and teach fiction in Washington, DC schools

PEN/Faulkner is seeking a fiction writer with teaching experience for its newly-expanded Lisa Page Literary Education Fellowship. The Fellowship, which is named after a former long-time PEN/Faulkner board member, is a one-year, part-time opportunity—potentially renewable for a second year—to join the PEN/Faulkner staff and work with DC public school educators and students in grades 3-12.

The responsibilities of the fellowship will include:

  • Planning, scheduling, and leading approximately 24 sessions (total) at two DC schools over the course of the school year as part of our Writers in Residence program
  • Planning, scheduling, and leading approximately 15 three-visit series of workshops in DC schools over the course of the year as part of our Writing Workshops program
  • Attending approximately 75 author visits (in support of other authors) as part of our Writers in Schools and Writers in Schools-Nuestras Voces programs
  • Supporting PEN/Faulkner’s Director of Education Programs in a variety of ways, including the following:
    • Author visit coordination 
    • Data entry for post-visit surveys
    • Managing book lists, our author and book database, and book ordering
    • Outreach to educators
    • Researching contemporary authors and books
    • Writing and editing book synopses
    • General administrative tasks as needed
  • Conducting professional email correspondence with external constituents, including educators, community partners, and occasionally authors.
  • Participating in PEN/Faulkner staff meetings and supporting the organization’s in-person literary and awards programming as needed.

Additional Requirements and General Responsibilities

  • The Fellow must be able to pass a state-mandated background check and a drug/alcohol test as required by our partner schools.
  • Approximately 20% of our education programs amplify Latino and Hispanic culture and serve students who are English/Spanish bilingual. Spanish-speaking candidates are particularly encouraged to apply. 
  • While many of the responsibilities above are performed in various DC schools, program administration occurs remotely. The Fellow is required to maintain access to reliable wifi and technology with audio and video capabilities. 
  • PEN/Faulkner primarily uses Google Suite applications and Zoom. Ideal candidates will be familiar and experienced with both platforms.
  • The Fellow must be able to work collaboratively and independently to the highest standards and represent PEN/Faulkner with multiple constituents.
  • The Fellow must be able to travel to schools in neighborhoods throughout DC.

The ideal candidate will be a fiction writer who:

  • Maintains an established creative practice
  • Can deliver skills-based creative writing lessons
  • Is excited about working with young people in grades 3-12
  • Embraces creative risk-taking and “failure” throughout the creative process
  • Has experience working with youth and/or other community groups, preferably with Black, Latino, and/or low-income populations
  • Possesses the excellent time management and organization skills required to coordinate program logistics

Timing and Scheduling

The Fellowship will last for one year beginning in late summer, 2024. During that year, the Fellow will have 39 total weeks of work until early summer, 2025. The responsibilities listed above will largely, though not entirely, be performed between 8:30 am and 3 pm each week. Candidates must be fully available during those times.

At the conclusion of the first 39-week period, the Fellow and PEN/Faulkner may mutually agree to extend the Fellowship for a second year.

Compensation

The selected Fellow will receive a salary of $30,000. Additional benefits will include:

  • Subsidized participation in PEN/Faulkner’s health, dental, and vision plans
  • Participation in PEN/Faulkner’s 403(b) savings plan with an automatic 5% employer contribution (no match required)
  • Free tickets to PEN/Faulkner’s public literary and awards programs
  • PTO, sick time, and paid holidays

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying to serve as the Lisa Page Literary Education Fellow for 2024-2025, please share the following:

  • A cover letter
  • A resume demonstrating experience with young people/community populations
  • A brief statement (250 words) on your approach to working with youth
  • A statement about your anticipated availability Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 3 pm, beginning September, 1, 2024. 

You can send your application materials to maya@penfaulkner.org with “Lisa Page Literary Education Fellowship ” in the subject line.

Candidates who are selected to move forward will be required to give a short lesson demonstration via Zoom and submit contact information for three references. Applications will be accepted from May 30-June 21, with interviews beginning in July.

About PEN/Faulkner

PEN/Faulkner’s mission is to champion the breadth and power of fiction in America.

PEN/Faulkner is dedicated to the idea that fiction creates empathy within and among communities and advances civil discourse. American culture thrives when stories from diverse perspectives enrich our lives. To further these ideals, we cultivate a vibrant landscape for writers and readers of fiction both locally and nationally.

PEN/Faulkner is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages persons of color; females; LGBTQIA persons; and persons with disabilities to apply to available positions. We value individuals with diverse talents and backgrounds.