Director's greeting: Our Fall 2026 Season
- NYS Writers Institute
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
"Writers Institute events foster conversations and a chance to find common ground."
I’ve been feeling especially grateful to the University at Albany lately, in part because this fall marks the 45th anniversary of my arrival on campus as a graduate student in English. More importantly, I am honored to be among the recipients of the 2026 Citizen Laureate Awards to be recognized at the October 22 gala. I only wish my parents were still alive to see this.
I am a blue-collar kid and a first-generation college graduate from Tacoma, Washington. My trajectory changed dramatically at UAlbany, the only graduate program that matched its rhetoric with a crucial investment in me – a tuition waiver and graduate assistant stipend. An Ivy League school in New York City offered nothing but a mountain of student debt.
I packed my bags, boarded a train, and four days later arrived in Albany. I am eternally grateful that UAlbany chose me, supported me, and changed the trajectory of my life.
The very first person I met on an empty UAlbany campus, on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend in 1981, was William Kennedy. He was working on a novel in his English Department office. His was the only light at the end of a darkened hallway in the Humanities building. I’ve come to believe things happen for a reason.
And so here we are. The great world spins. The years add up. I am 67. Bill is 98. The Writers Institute is 43. America is 250. We're living in an age of uncertainty and profound divisions. What to make of all this?
When in doubt, reach for a book. Reading is a tonic in troubled times. Books transport us, expand our world view, open our hearts, and deepen our empathy. Writers Institute events foster conversations and a chance to find common ground. This fall season brings another stellar lineup and diverse range of authors with compelling voices that command our attention. The Writers Institute has been a beacon of lifelong learning and a safe harbor in troubled times for me for 43 years. It can be for you, too.
Among our more than 30 events this season, we’re proud to feature five UAlbany alumni: Yours truly (Oct. 13), Frank Whaley (Oct. 16), , D.B. Woodside (Nov. 4), Kristen McCallum (Nov. 5), and Sharon Liese (Nov. 7). It is a gratifying homecoming to a university that invested so much in us.
Paul Grondahl
Paul Grondahl
Opalka Endowed Director, NYS Writers Institute