The Paris Review Visiting Professorship at the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) is a one- or two-year position, beginning in September 2025; a distinguished writer will join the Bard College community and teach the study of literature to students earning Bard College undergraduate degrees either while incarcerated or at one of BPI’s microcolleges in New York City.
The Paris Review Visiting Professor of Literature will design and teach a total of three courses across the fall and spring semesters. Courses should focus on the study of literature rather than creative writing. They should not take the prison as their subject but should instead reflect the breadth of the liberal arts education at the main campus of Bard College.
The visiting professor may also deliver a public lecture at one or more BPI locations, a version of which may be presented in The Paris Review, either in print or online.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will be an emerging or established writer whose work has received critical recognition; will have prior college teaching experience; and will excel in designing and teaching discussion-heavy courses that demand active participation of all students. We would like to discourage candidates who are interested in writing about their experience of teaching within the carceral system.
This position requires completion of a clearance process for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Candidates who are unsure whether they can obtain clearance, however, should not be discouraged from applying.
Compensation and Benefits
The professor will be an employee of Bard College with compensation starting at $80,000/year. This position is eligible for benefits. To learn more about employee benefits and eligibility at Bard College, please visit https://www.bard.edu/humanresources/bene....
About BPI
Formed in 1999 to address the mass incarceration crisis, the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) has reimagined and redefined questions of availability, affordability, and expectations typically associated with college in America. One of the most rigorous and effective college-in-prison programs in the country, BPI is now extending its radical intervention in educational inequity outside of prisons through the Bard Microcollege and BardBac. BPI currently enrolls nearly six hundred students across eleven campuses.
Application Instructions
To nominate yourself or another distinguished writer with an interest in the role for this position, please submit a letter no longer than a page in support of the application and the candidate’s CV to bpi@theparisreview.org. We will begin reviewing applications in late February. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2025. Candidates may be asked for additional materials including a sample course description and references. The Paris Review Visiting Professor of Literature will be announced in May.
Equal Employee Opportunity Statement
Bard College is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from those who contribute to our diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, mental or physical disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, familial status, veteran status, or genetic information.
Bard is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for all individuals in employment practices, services, programs, and activities.