Bennett Writing Grant Recipients Present their Work to Standing Room Only Audience

On Monday evening, October 15, an overflow crowd of students, faculty, alums, parents, and other guests heard two CK faculty read from and discuss their writing at the Elizabeth Bennett Award reading, held annually in the Cranbrook Library Reading Room.

The Bennett Faculty Writing Grant funds faculty writing projects over a two-year period. Last year’s recipient of the award, English teacher and world traveler Gordon Thompson, and this year’s recipient, Spanish teacher, newspaper adviser, and social activist David Watson, read and discussed their work.

Elizabeth Bennett, taught English at Kingswood from 1936 to 1968, was known for her attention to detail—exemplified by her mantra, "be specific"—and her ability to bring out the best in her students.

Thompson read his wry and thoughtful travel stories from his trip to East Africa last summer. Watson spoke about his long-term project, a book on the Balkan wars of the late twentieth century, and the related themes of nationalism and ethnic conflict, the value of diversity, the problem of genocide, and historical revisionism.

Five alumnae in the audience had been students of Miss Bennett.

Watson commented afterward that he was very gratified to receive the 2007 award. “This award is a powerful thing for a teacher interested in writing,” he said, “and not only because it supports our creative projects.  It’s every teacher’s dream to have made an impact, and to be remembered for it. To be recognized and supported by alums who continue to celebrate what they learned from their teacher forty and fifty years later—that’s a profound honor. It’s humbling.”