UCSC Gets Big Poetry Grant

The University of California at Santa Cruz received a gift of $500,000 to establish a poetry fund, school officials announced.

The George P. Hitchcock Modern Poetry Fund will provide support for a broad range of modern and contemporary poetry projects at the university's Porter College—including residencies for poets and readings, among other activities.

Hitchcock was a renowned publisher, poet, painter and
creative writing lecturer. He taught at the university from 1970-89 and died at 96 last August.

Marjorie Simon, Hitchcock's longtime partner, gave the fund to honor his wish of establishing an endowment through his estate that would support poetry-related activities at the university.

Hitchcock created the Hitchcock Poetry Fund in 2002 to support poetry-related programming on campus. This fund is being transitioned into the new modern fund, school officials said.

Bay City News Service