Author: Jo Pitkin

Publisher: SUNY Press

Published: 2014-01-01

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 1438449992

A unique literary anthology with contributions from former members of Kirkland College, the last established women’s college in the United States. A collection of poems, short stories, novel excerpts, creative nonfiction essays, and one-act plays by Kirkland College alumnae, faculty, and administration, Lost Orchard brings together for the first time in print those who shared this exciting, vibrant community. Located in Clinton, New York, the college was founded in 1968 in singular times—at the start of the second wave of feminism and in the midst of profound changes in American society. Kirkland was the last private women’s college created in the United States, and also the last established coordinate college until its tumultuous takeover in 1978 by its partner, Hamilton College. Known for its innovative curriculum, Kirkland empowered young women, fostered independent thought, and pioneered academic disciplines, including American studies, environmental studies, media studies, and creative writing. “Lost Orchard is a paradise regained. How wonderful to have the brilliant and beautiful work of so many talented writers, all once part of the Edenic community that was Kirkland College, collected and preserved. Jo Pitkin’s editorial eye is both acute and sensitive, and I salute and thank her.” — Peter Cameron, author of Coral Glynn: A Novel “Lost Orchard dazzles me for its wild romp through New York’s urban and pastoral landscapes (as well as its journeys hither and yon), its revolutionary ideas (revisited and revised), its diverse family portraits and reflections, its variety of forms (poetry, fiction, essays, plays, even a recipe), and its delightfully weird mix of pathos, grit, wit, and collective intelligence.” — Jane Springer, author of Murder Ballad “Lost Orchard is a testament to higher education at its best, when intellectual curiosity and experimentation create an enduring community—something far richer than a sequence of classes. Kirkland College generated a literary community of astonishing breadth and depth—writers who continue to make significant contributions to contemporary literature. Still efflorescent, this lost orchard has been very fruitful indeed.” — David Fenza, Executive Director, The Association of Writers and Writing Programs “The contributions to this anthology are as diverse and interesting as one would expect of alumnae and faculty at Kirkland, the last founded, progressive women’s college in the United States. Short stories, plays, and poems cover a broad range of subjects, including breast cancer, dementia of a parent, traveling in Macedonia, recent political events, fantasy, and what it was like being a student at Kirkland. True to the ethos of Kirkland, the collection is not organized by topic or by whether the author was a student, faculty member, or president, but rather in a more anarchic manner—alphabetically by last name. The result is deeply satisfying as a book to read in any manner one chooses, to dip into again and again. And one will want to!” — Leslie Miller-Bernal, author of Separate by Degree: Women Students’ Experiences in Single-Sex and Coeducational Colleges Jo Pitkin is the author of The Measure and Cradle of the American Circus: Poems from Somers, New York. She received her BA in creative writing and literature from Kirkland College and MFA in poetry from the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa. She lives in Cold Spring, New York.