Duquesne University to House Archives of Creative Nonfiction

The archives consist of more than 1,000 essays and interviews written by some of the most prominent writers in the United States. 

“We are delighted to accept this gift and honored that Lee and The Creative Nonfiction Foundation chose Duquesne and Gumberg Library,” said Duquesne University President Ken Gormley. “Creative Nonfiction elevated a style of writing that had long been ignored and criticized by traditional journalistic and academic communities.”

This genre, also referred to as literary or narrative nonfiction, was first introduced by the new journalists in the 1960s to communicate factual and accurate information in a more readable style by using literary techniques of fiction. Gutkind established Creative Nonfiction as a literary journal to encourage acceptance in the Academy and to provide a destination where writers could publish work that more traditional magazines did not accept. Gutkind was highlighted in a 1997 feature story in Vanity Fair as the “Godfather behind creative nonfiction.” 

“For years, English departments only recognized three genres—poetry, fiction and drama. Today, this fourth genre is well established,” Gutkind said. ”I’m pleased to make this contribution, confident that Duquesne is exactly the right home for our legacy. I traveled around the world preaching the gospel of the creative nonfiction genre, and now it is very satisfying to me that all my effort will be preserved in Pittsburgh where it all started.”

The archives are part of a larger creative nonfiction focus at Duquesne funded by Duquesne’s Eugene P. Beard Presidential Prizes for Innovation and Distinction. The annual Beard Presidential Prizes focus on advancing innovative and/or special initiatives proposed by the University president for rare yet extraordinary strategic opportunities.

As part of its creative nonfiction initiative, the University appointed Gutkind and writer/professor Jill Moyer Sunday as Distinguished Writers in Residence in 2025. Gutkind also will serve as editor of a new series of anthologies to be launched by Duquesne focusing on the voices of the health sciences.

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of more than 8,200 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University's academic programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh region have earned national acclaim.

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