This announcement is from David Lehman at the New School. Even if you are not in a position to make a donation, please spread the word.

On behalf of Robert Polito, I write to announce that the New School Writing Program is establishing a Paul Violi Poetry Prize to be awarded annually to a poetry student in our program. Details — who will judge, what criteria will be used etc — will be worked out soon. This project has the blessing of Ann Violi, Paul’s widow.

To fund the prize, we encourage people to contribute what they can. This is what donors need to do:

— Make out checks to “New School Writing Program,” with the words “in honor of Paul Violi” in the memo line

— Checks should be sent to: Office of Development, The New School, 79 Fifth Avenue, 17th Floor, New York, New York 10003, attention Mr. Francisco Tezén, Senior Director.

— Contributors may wish to enclose a letter of intent.

— If donors prefer to make a gift by credit card, The New School has a credit card form (which can be found on the university’s Web site  http://www.newschool.edu/giving/ under “Ways of Giving”). There is a space to indicate a specific “Allocation of Gift.”

Paul loved teaching at the New School. “Simply walking in the door made me a happy man,” he said more than once.

Please spread the word. Thank you.

David