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Danzy Senna, a critically acclaimed
novelist, is the College's new Jenks Chair in Contemporary American Letters.
Senna received her bachelor of arts degree from Stanford University and a master
of fine arts degree in creative writing from the University of California at
Irvine. Prior to coming to Holy Cross, she worked as a researcher and reporter
at Newsweek and served as visiting writer at Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville,
N.Y. Senna has been a fellow at both the McDowell
Colony and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference.
A
former associate editor of The American Benefactor, Senna has published
articles and essays in a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, including SELF,
Glamour, The Village Voice Literary Supplement, Black Renaissance Noire, The
UTNE Reader and The Nation.
Senna's
debut novel, Caucasia (Riverhead Books, 1998), was published to both
popular and critical success. Chosen as an alternate Book-of-the-Month Club
selection,
it won the Stephen Crane First Fiction Award and was praised
by Booklist as "thematically and dramatically rich as fiction can
be." Kirkus Review called the book, "An accomplished novel of issues that
doesn't offer any easy solutions but does poignantly evoke the pain and paradox
of those caught in the racial crossfire." Caucasia was also listed
as a Los Angeles Times "Best Book of 1998."
Established
in 1988, the Jenks Chair is named in honor of William H.P. Jenks '54 who had
to leave the College in 1951, during his sophomore year, when a bout with polio
left him a quadriplegic. Jenks remained devoted both to Holy Cross and his class,
serving as class secretary for more than 25 years. In 1979, the College granted
him an honorary degree. In 1988, an anonymous donor made a gift in his name,
contributing $1 million to endow a professorship in the English department. Jenks
died the following year on Christmas Day.
In addition to teaching duties, the Jenks Chair is responsible for attracting
writers to campus for readings and lectures. The first Jenks Chair was held jointly
by husband and wife writers, Justin Kaplan and Anne Bernays, from 1993-1995.
Christopher Merrill held the position from 1995-1999.
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