The press was selected to receive a $50,000 grant—the second highest amount awarded in the Art Works literature category—from a pool of 1,528 applicants across more than a dozen artistic disciplines and fields. The grant will help support Open Letter’s efforts to publish and promote translated works by emerging international authors from Argentina, Russia, Chile, Israel, Bulgaria, and France.

“This grant will allow us to further expand our mission of introducing English readers to underrepresented and as-of-yet undiscovered international authors,” said Open Letter publisher Chad W. Post. “The ten titles Open Letter will be publishing in 2014 represent eight languages, and three are contemporary prose works from authors who have never before been published in English.”

According to NEA Senior Deputy Chairman Joan Shigekawa, the projects funded through NEA grants “all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable experiences for the public to engage with the arts.”  recommended for Art Works grant support can be found on the NEA website at 

Open Letter is one of only a handful of presses in the U.S. devoted solely to works in translation, which represent fewer than 3 percent of books published in the United States. In addition to traditional book promotions, Open Letter runs , a website featuring a daily blog on books and publishing issues, book reviews, the , a weekly podcast, and a Translation Database. Both Open Letter and Three Percent introduce English readers to international works, which are distributed throughout the world in print and e-book format. For more information on Open Letter, visit http://www.openletterbooks.org.

“This highly-esteemed award demonstrates the significance of Kathleen’s translation and its excellence,” said Susan Gustafson, Karl F. and Bertha A. Fuchs Professor of German Studies and chair of modern languages and cultures. “The AATSEEL award is an admirable and inspiring achievement of which the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures is truly proud.”

A Herzen Reader features one hundred essays and editorials by Russian radical thinker Alexander Herzen (1812–1870) that were previously unavailable in English. Herzen, a leader of the Russian intelligentsia in the 1840s, founded an uncensored liberal press while living in exile in London during the 1850s and early 1860s. Two journals, The Polar StarĚý˛ą˛Ô»ĺĚýThe Bell, were published at the press for the purpose of exposing Russian political corruption.

“I kept coming across characterizations of Alexander Herzen as one of Russia’s most dangerous pre-revolutionary writers—absolutely fearless, and very imaginative in finding ways to get the truth back to a Russian audience from his self-imposed exile in Europe,” said ParthĂ©. “I was intrigued by the fact that his most provocative political essays, read by everyone from radical activists to the imperial family, had never been translated into English.”

A Herzen Reader, published on the bicentennial of Herzen’s birth, is currently on display in the newly-renovated Herzen House Museum in Moscow. In October, the book received a , the leading international forum for literary culture.

ParthĂ© is also the author of Russia’s Dangerous Texts (Yale, 2004), The Search for a New Russian Identity (The Library of Congress, 2003), and Russian Village Prose (Princeton, 1992; Russian edition, 2004). Currently, she is working on translating and annotating Herzen’s personal correspondence and collaborating with Oxford University scholar Robert Harris to publish a new, one-volume translation of Herzen’s memoir—the first in 90 years.

WHAT: The Rochester community is invited to attend a free, celebratory concert honoring the, the 50-bell instrument located in the landmark tower of Rush Rhees Library at the URochester. Ģą˝´«Ă˝ Carillon Society students will play a selection of classical and seasonal songs on the carillon and the University’s Catholic Newman Community choir will make a guest appearance.

WATCH LIVE: For those unable to attend, a livestream of the event will be made available during the concert at this link: .

HISTORY: One of just seven carillons in New York State, the University’s Hopeman carillon replaced the former 17-bell Hopeman Memorial Chime in 1973. After the instrument’s installation, Dutch carillonist Arie Abbenes performed at the dedication concert on Dec. 9, 1973, and stayed on campus for several weeks to help train new carillonists. Today, the carillon sounds every quarter-hour, and performances given by Doris Aman and student carillonists mark important University events.

The carillon is named for Arendt W. Hopeman. The company he founded served as the general contractor of the University River Campus from 1927 to 1930, and built the Eastman Theatre, Eastman School of Music, Eastman Kodak headquarters, and other Rochester landmarks. Read more about the history of the instrument here.

“A Bright Room Called Day served as a seminal work in Kushner’s development as a playwright,” said Nigel Maister, artistic director of the International Theatre Program. “He was driven to write the play during a period of personal grief and deep disagreement with the cultural politics of the Reagan Era. In an implicit warning against apathy, he dares the audience to question their level of political engagement.”

Within a one-bedroom apartment in Berlin, struggling actress Agnes Eggling and her bohemian group of close friends—comprised of several communists, a homosexual socialist, and a Trotskyite—celebrate, drink, argue, and transform as the political climate shifts around them. As the rules of their engagement with the surrounding world changes, the devil pays a visit to the apartment, forcing Agnes to acknowledge that the transient comforts of her life are burdened by the encroaching threat of evil.

Director Lila Neugebauer is the recipient of a prestigious 2013 Princess Grace Award and recently directed the world premiere of Lucas Hnath’s Red Speedo (The Studio Theatre, D.C.). Other credits include Circle Mirror TransformationĚý(´łłÜľ±±ô±ôľ±˛ą°ů»ĺ),ĚýThe Valley of Fear (Williamstown Theatre Festival), andTroublemaker, or the Freakin Kick-A Adventures of Bradley Boatright (Berkley Repertory Theatre).

Stage design is by Andrew Boyce, a member of the Wingspace Design collective, whose credits include Dreams of Falling, Dreams of Flying (Atlantic Theatre Company), Buyer & Cellar(Barrow Street/Rattlestick) and Handed Otter (Playwrights Realm/Cherry Lane). Costume design is by Jessica Pabst, who received a 2013 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Costume Design for The Whale and was a 2012 Drama Desk Nominee for Outstanding Costume Design for She Kills Monsters. Lighting design is by Eric Southern, whose most recent work includes Play/Pause(Brooklyn Academy of Music, Next Wave Festival). Sound design and original music are by Brandon Wolcott, whose recent credits include Good Person of Szechewan (La Mama) and original music for Henry V (Two Rivers Shakespeare Festival). Video design is by Dave Tennent and Kate Freer. Tennent’s credits include Bullet For Adolf (New World Stages) and La Ruta(Working Theater). Freer’s credits include Around the World in 80 Days (The New Theater at 45th Street) and Cry for Peace: Voices from the Congo (La Mama, Undesirable Element Festival).

A Bright Room Called Day runs Thursday, Dec. 5—Saturday, Dec. 7 and Wednesday, Dec. 11— Saturday, Dec. 14. All shows begin at 8 p.m., except for a matinée performance at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8 and an early curtain of 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. Tickets are $7 for UR students; $10 for UR alumni, faculty and staff, and for seniors (55+); and $13 for the general public. All performances are held in Todd Theatre, located in the Todd Union building on the River Campus. Tickets may be purchased online at , or by calling 585.275.4088. Tickets may also be purchased up to an hour before each performance at the box office.

The grant will provide select Ph.D. students in the humanities with two years of support to study and learn to use the new technology. Developed by Ģą˝´«Ă˝ faculty, the new program will train humanities students to integrate digital technologies into innovative research programs.

“The Mellon Foundation’s generous grant fortifies the University’s long-standing commitment to the humanities while creating new important avenues for innovative and interdisciplinary study,” said University President Joel Seligman.

The grant supports a series of recent University investments in the digital humanities, including the hiring of digital media faculty and the newly opened Ronald Rettner Hall for Media Arts and Innovation, dedicated Oct. 11. Rettner Hall, a space designed to facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration through technology, will serve as a home to much of the work in the new fellowship program.

Students from any of Rochester’s four humanities Ph.D. programs—English, history, philosophy, and visual and cultural studies— are invited to apply for admission to the fellowship. Graduate fellows will study the theory and practice of digital humanities to discover new avenues of inquiry within their own fields, and to serve as apprentices and mentors to communities of undergraduates and faculty members who are collaborating on research projects.

“This grant will provide sophisticated technology training to our graduate students and enable them to expand the ways in which their scholarly work is shaped,” said Thomas DiPiero, dean of humanities and interdisciplinary studies at the University. “This will push the limits of humanities research, producing technologically proficient humanities scholars who are well-versed in the use of digital research and discovery tools.”

Robert Clark, dean of the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Science, said that the new fellowship reflects a “creative collaboration of the arts, humanities, and computer science that will yield a new generation of innovators.”

In addition to seminars and coursework on digital humanities theory and practice, fellows will participate in faculty-led group research projects called “Humanities Labs.” In these labs, fellows will work with technologies such as data visualization, new archival methods, textual markup and web construction, and digital editing.

The grant for the graduate fellowship complements a similar program that is underway for Rochester undergraduates—the digital media studies major, which was offered to students starting in fall 2012.

“I chose digital media studies for its versatility,” explained SadĂ© Richardson ’15, who majors in digital media studies and public health. “It has allowed me to incorporate all of my interests in some way. I’ve had the opportunity to take classes ranging from studio art to computer science.” Richardson said that the variety of technical skills she learned in her digital media studies classes will be beneficial in addressing public health issues when she pursues a career in that field.

Fellows in the digital humanities graduate program will present their work in a spring semester symposium at the end of their second year of study. Upon completion of the two-year program, they will earn a certificate in the digital humanities.

The Ģą˝´«Ă˝ has renewed the Rochester Promise, a tuition-free scholarship program available to Rochester City School District graduates. Rochester Promise is one of several tuition-assistance programs and partnerships the University offers to first-generation and low-income college students nationwide.

Since its launch at the University in 2007, more than 70 City graduates have taken advantage of the program, which guarantees any graduate of City high schools at least $100,000 in sponsored scholarships to attend the University’s College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering.

In renewing the program, the College is making a larger and deeper commitment to RSCD high school classes of 2014 and beyond, aiming to make it possible for most high-performing public school students in Rochester to attend the University tuition free. Under the Rochester Promise, students receive tuition assistance that- when added to government, University, or other grants for which they are eligible- equals full tuition for up to four years of enrollment. The four-year estimated value of each award will range from $145,000 to $192,000.

First-year and transfer students eligible for participation in the program must earn admission to the University (largely through strong performance in classes), reside in the City of Rochester, have graduated from and spent their last two years at a Rochester City School District public school or publically chartered high school within city geographical boundaries, and have lived in households with incomes less than twice the area average ($137,400, which is twice the $68,700 area average reported by the 2012 U.S. Census survey).

“The first goal of the Promise is to assure students in City schools today that their hard work in earning admission to college will also earn them the financial support they require to succeed here,” said Jonathan Burdick, dean of admissions and financial aid at the URochester. “The second goal is to ensure that dozens of young Rochester citizens recognize the Ģą˝´«Ă˝ as one of the nation’s best universities, but also as their neighborhood college.”

Students who qualify for the Promise program with eligibility for the NYS Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), Wilson International Baccalaureate Scholarship, or University employee tuition benefits will receive the maximum combination of scholarships and benefits for which they are eligible. The new maximum income restriction will begin with students seeking to enter the University in fall 2015 or later. Rochester City students and all other students entering from homes earning above the income threshold may be eligible for other forms of University need-based and merit scholarship assistance.

In addition to the Promise program, Rochester continues to meet the full demonstrated financial need of all entering undergraduates, and has also launched or expanded partnerships with organizations serving low-income and first-generation students:

In fall 2014, the Ģą˝´«Ă˝ will partner with The Posse Foundation, a renowned college access and youth leadership development program, to provide full-tuition merit scholarships to 50 qualified freshmen from the Washington D.C. area. Posse scholars will arrive in 10-student cohorts each year between fall 2014 and fall 2018.

Rochester participates in the Say Yes to Education program, which offers comprehensive tuition scholarship programs to high school graduates from the Syracuse and Buffalo city school districts. Since 2008, 15 students have enrolled at Rochester through Say Yes.

Rochester enrolls many students each year through established partnerships with the National Urban League, the National Hispanic Institute,College Horizons, and the internationally-respected Davis United World College Scholars program. Rochester also partners with organizations operating in New York City, Seattle, Houston, Chicago, New England, and Southern California, and maintains international partnerships in Africa and the Middle East.

Parking Information: Please use GPS to address 415 Elmwood Avenue. Media can park in the Medical Research Building (MRB) parking lot, which is closest to the School of Medicine & Dentistry entrance. Parking vouchers will be provided on the way out. Please do not park in the URMC entrance “loop.”

WHAT: Over 50 students from the Rochester City School District will attend a “Your Vision, Your Future” conference at the URochester Medical Center as part of their participation in the University’s Teen Health and Success Partnership program. The conference will address academic and job success, life and social skills, sex education, and tools to keep youth safe. Students will be welcomed by Assistant Dean for Medicine Education & Student Affairs Brenda Lee of the Ģą˝´«Ă˝ Medical Center at 11 a.m. on Aug. 5 and University Vice President Paul Burgett at 11 a.m. on Aug. 7.

The URMC Teen Health and Success Partnership (THSP), launched in 2009, works with young adults from the Rochester City School District to create University employment opportunities for urban youth at risk of high school dropout. The THSP program at the University, which employs over 100 young adults from the Rochester City School District, provides opportunities for Rochester youth to develop life skills, lay the foundation for future employment, and engage with academic resources such as free tutoring and career shadowing.

There are currently three main areas of focus that fall under the Teen Health & Success Partnership umbrella:

Be Employed Be Successful is a Teen Health and Success Partnership program focused on increasing the less than 50% high school graduation rate of Rochester City School District teens. The program provides academic resources, life skills development, and job training, including free tutoring, career shadowing, monthly enrichment learning sessions, college preparation, wellness programs and career coaching.

Be Healthy Be Successful is a health literacy and health care resource connection program for Rochester’s urban youth. Teens attend a health literacy seminar where they are engaged in learning to traverse the health care system. Teens requesting assistance are linked to health insurance and medical, dental and vision services. THSP staff mentor students, plan and implement seminars and connect teens to health services. They are also involved in necessary updates to program curriculum and development, presentations to teens, needs assessment, data analysis and connection to mentoring opportunities.

UR BOLD (Building Outstanding Leadership and Distinction) focuses on improving the 9 percent African-American male and the 11 percent Latino male graduation rate in the Rochester City School District. This program provides mentorship, resource connection, college immersion and skill-building seminars, which focus on personal development and career success.

Rochester’s Hillel community was previously a member of the Hillel of Rochester Area Colleges, supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester and sharing resources and programming with the Rochester Institute of Technology and SUNY Geneseo. Rabbi Silbert’s appointment marks the beginning of the University’s own Hillel foundation, which will provide the estimated 900 Jewish undergraduates on campus greater opportunity for programming and enrichment. Silbert also will work collaboratively with other chaplains and faith leaders in the Interfaith Chapel, as well as students, faculty, and staff committed to building a strong Jewish community at Rochester. Effective July 1, Rochester’s Hillel is now supported by a Board of Directors comprised of alumni, parents, and friends of the University.

“I’m delighted to welcome Rabbi Silbert to campus,” said Richard Feldman, dean of the College. “He’s an energetic and enthusiastic leader who will work effectively with other religious leaders in support of interfaith activities and build upon the efforts of the Hillel of Rochester Area Colleges to strengthen the Jewish community on campus.”

“I see it as my mission to make as many Jewish options as possible available to students,” Silbert says, noting his eagerness to connect with young adults at a time when they are exploring Jewish growth in uniquely personal and meaningful ways. “Through these choices, they can discover their Jewish identities and feel empowered and nurtured to find what works for them individually.”

Silbert is no stranger to the Hillel foundation, having served in a development role at the Boston University Hillel and most recently as executive director of the Vancouver Hillel Foundation. “We are very excited about the skill set and energy that Michael brings to this position,” noted Hillel Chair Gabe Nechamkin. “Michael brings both passion for the student experience and strong rabbinical skills. We are confident that he will ably lead the development of our new Hillel enterprise.”

Rabbi Silbert was ordained and received a Masters in Jewish Studies from The Rabbinical School of Hebrew College, in Newton, Mass. He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and holds master’s degrees in management of human services and Jewish professional leadership from Brandeis University.

WHAT: A closing ceremony at City Hall will honor the achievements of Rochester-area college students in their completion of civic engagement programs. Twelve students from the Rochester Urban Fellows summer program will be honored for their community service projects in agencies throughout Rochester, which are aimed at improving the social capital of the region. In addition, 13 recent Rochester-area college graduates will be recognized for their participation in the Rochester Youth Year program, a yearlong fellowship that gives participants the chance to work with community organizations to alleviate poverty and improve opportunities for youth and their families. Both programs are coordinated by the Rochester Center for Community Leadership at the URochester.

A brief poster symposium featuring the work of fellows from both programs will be followed by opening remarks from Matthew Burns, dean of students at the URochester. Darryl Porter, Assistant to the Mayor of Rochester, and Ģą˝´«Ă˝ President Joel Seligman will be on hand to give congratulatory remarks.

°Őłó±đĚý is sponsored by the Ģą˝´«Ă˝ and made possible with the support of the Rochester Community Foundation and the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation. °Őłó±đĚý is an AmeriCorps VISTA program coordinated collaboratively by the College at Brockport, Nazareth College, Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester Institute of Technology, St. John Fisher College, SUNY Geneseo, and the URochester.

“The inaugural First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival was a smashing success and fortified Rochester on the nation’s cultural map,” said University President Joel Seligman. “Building on that success is exciting as we see the 2013 festival grow to an even larger exhibition of our community’s diverse talents and creativity. The University is proud to join with our local partners to present the Fringe Festival, as well as play host to many of the performances at our Eastman School of Music and right on Gibbs Street, many of which feature our students, faculty, and staff.”

In addition to headliners and local performers, around 30 performing groups comprising Ģą˝´«Ă˝ students and faculty from the College, the Medical Center, and the Eastman School of Music will perform at venues throughout the city of Rochester.

Erica Fee, who is the festival’s producer and graduated from Rochester in 1999, worked with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, where the original festival premiered in 1947. When Fee returned to Rochester in 2009, plans for a local Fringe Festival began with crucial support from Seligman.

“We have a rich cultural background in Rochester, and a high concentration of talent,” said Fee. “The University provides not only financial support, but the sheer talent of various faculty members and students.”

Missy Pfohl Smith, director of the Program of Dance and Movement at the URochester and the College’s Fringe Festival coordinator, said she’s excited for students and faculty to perform in Rochester venues. “It’s a way for the community to be exposed to the high caliber of arts going on at the University,” she said.

The festival’s board of directors includes representatives from Boylan Code LLP, the Ģą˝´«Ă˝ and its Eastman School of Music, Rochester Institute of Technology, George Eastman House, Geva Theatre Center, Method Machine, Mengel Metzger Barr, PUSH Physical Theater, and the City of Rochester.

There are more than 200 fringe festivals worldwide, including 20 in the United States, with festivals closest to Rochester in Toronto and Philadelphia. Last year’s festival in Rochester, which saw over 32,000 attendees, was one of the most successful Fringe Festivals in the nation, ranking third in attendance.

To view the schedule of performing groups affiliated with the University, visit. For more information on the festival or to order tickets, visit.