Barbara Tuchman once wrote that literature is humanity in print; that without literature, history is silent, science is crippled, thought and speculation are at a standstill. Literature is a driving force. And here in Northern Ohio, we are lucky enough to be home to The LIT: Cleveland’s Literary Center, the only private, nonprofit institution in the state dedicated solely to literature: those who read it and those who write it.
The LIT (founded as the Poets’ League of Greater Cleveland) has been sparking discourse – both through the written and spoken word – in Northeast Ohio for nearly 40 years, and I am proud to its Executive Director.
In September, The LIT hosted The Lantern Awards, which honored nationally known authors such as Thrity Umrigar, George Bilgere, Dan Chaon, and Harvey Pekar. I was thrilled to present an award to emerging playwright Michael Oatman, and was delighted to be one of some 300 audience members there to celebrate Ohio’s literary community in such a powerful way. The LIT’s mission is to not only celebrate literature, but it is also to educate those novice or emerging writers who wish to hone their craft.
Today, I am asking for your support for this cultural gem. Like many small arts organizations, the economy has had a dramatically negative impact on the ability of The LIT to weather the current recession. Your immediate support will help me not only to preserve, but also to sustain this organization.
I need your help to maintain The LIT’s classes, its journal, MUSE, which is published to give voice to our region; and for the programming of The LIT. As I stated before, The LIT is the only institution of its kind in the state, and without your help, I worry that another of our area’s crown jewels will be lost, due to temporary financial setbacks. The LIT is poised to receive critical funding through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture in the coming year. Please won’t you help me to build a bridge to 2011?
You may donate to The LIT at the-lit.org or by sending a check to the address below. Help me to keep literature, critical discourse, and poetry alive and well in Northeast Ohio. Without it, we are silenced.
Respectfully yours,
Judith Mansour
Executive Director