Durst Distinguished Lectures
Renowned writers read their work, share their expertise, and offer insight into their creative process—right here on campus.
2023-2024 Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature
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Valeria Luiselli
Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature, 2023-2024
Durst Distinguished Lecture Series
Spring 2024 Readings & Conversations
Past Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chairs in Literature
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Susan Choi
Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature, 2023
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Louise Glück
Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature, 2022
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Lynda Barry
Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature, 2021-2022
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Edwidge Danticat
Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature, 2019-20
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Kevin Young
Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature, 2018-19
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Michael Chabon
Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature, 2017-18
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Claudia Rankine
Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature, 2016-17
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Manohla Dargis ’85
Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature, 2015-16
Unparalleled Opportunity
As a small public college, Purchase is proud to introduce students to the level of expertise provided by the Durst Distinguished Chairs and Lecturers—outstanding opportunities for students and local community members alike to interact with accomplished authors.
The roster of current and past Durst Chairs and Lecturers have won an impressive array of literary honors and fellowships, including:
- National Book Awards
- National Book Critic’s Circle John Leonard Prize
- National Book Critic’s Circle Award in Poetry
- Lannan Foundation Fellowships
- MacArthur Foundation Grants
- Pulitzer Prizes
- Guggenheim Foundation Fellowships
- Man Booker Prizes for Fiction
- Rona Jaffe Writers Award
- NAACP Image Award
- LA Times Book Award for Poetry
- NEA Fellowship in Prose
- Asian American Writers Workshop Literature Award
- Academy Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets
- Martin Luther King Memorial Prize
- Young Lions Fiction Awards
- Poetry Society of America’s Norma Farber Award
Special Thanks
The Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature Endowment supports the Roy and Shirley Durst Distinguished Chair in Literature, awarded to a distinguished professor whose work bridges literature and the visual or performing arts, and the Durst Distinguished Lecture Series, for visiting professors and other lecturers.
This generous support has benefited the college and especially enriched the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the School of Humanities, and the Literature and Creative Writing programs at Purchase College.