Loyola has created a new center named after a major Louisiana literary figure. The College of Humanities and Natural Sciences inaugurated the new Walker Percy Center for Writing and Publishing March 10.
According to its Web site, the goal of the Walker Percy Center is to cultivate literary and writing skills and to serve the Loyola community by providing educational and vocational opportunities in writing and publishing.
“With one of the largest undergraduate programs in creative writing in the region, a stellar Writing Across the Curriculum Center, established publications such as the New Orleans Review, Revisions and Reader’s Response, and well-published and critically-recognized writers on faculty, Loyola is uniquely positioned to house a center of excellence in writing and publishing,” said Kate Adams, professor and chairwoman of the English department.
The idea for the center developed five years ago, but the process was put on hold because of Hurricane Katrina and a lack of funding.
In the meantime, the university was granted permission to use Percy’s name for the center.
Percy’s first published book, “The Moviegoer,” won a National Book Award in 1962. His second book, “The Last Gentleman,” was written five years later and was also nominated for the National Book Award.
In all, he published seven major works before his death in 1990.
Percy received many other awards, including an honorary degree from Loyola, the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame and the T.S. Eliot Award for Creative Writing. Percy was also a writer-in-residence at Loyola during the 1970s.
“Percy was chosen because he taught at Loyola in the ’70s. He was a Catholic writer who had a connection to our school and we have a connection to him,” said Mary McCay, English professor and the center’s director.
“We wanted to name it The Walker Percy Center to give it a New Orleans, Louisiana, Catholic focus.”
This was all noted at the inaugural ceremony March 10 in Nunemaker Hall, which featured reminiscences of Percy as an advocate for young struggling writers.
“I was thoroughly impressed by the life of Walker Percy and I plan on reading at least one of his books,” said English freshman Kalee Eason.
Direct plans for the center include purchasing a press to publish literary and academic texts, hosting reading series and expanding the Loyola Writing Institute to offer fee-based non-credit classes to the community.
In addition, the center plans to enhance publications, guest speakers and interdisciplinary work already in place.
It will also seek writing outreach opportunities with public high school students. The Walker Percy Center has a temporary headquarters in Bobet Hall.
An extensive collection of Percy’s letters, photographs, manuscripts and books will be housed in the Special Collections at Monroe Library throughout this month.
Carl Harrison can be reached at [email protected]
