The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Library Foundation selected writer/educator Kurt Dinan as the writer-in-residence for 2016-2017.
Dinan, a father of four who teaches sophomore English and creative writing at William Mason High School, has a passion for writing and telling stories. As writer-in-residence, he will conduct a writers’ workshop, speak at community events, host a podcast, write a blog and participate in library promotions.
“I started writing at 30, and I think when you find your passion you want to be able to share it with people. And now I’ll have the opportunity to help other writers in the community and to support the library,” he said.
Dinan has published many short stories, one of which appears in 2015’s “The Best Horror of the Year, Volume 7.” His first young adult novel, “Don’t Get Caught,” was released in April by Sourcebooks Fire.
The Library Foundation also recognized the three other finalists for the position: Rick Pender, theater critic and contributing editor at CityBeat and a regular contributor to WVXU’s Around Cincinnati; Thomas Atkinson, author and playwright; and Judith Turner-Yamamoto, art critic, curator and fiction/features writer.
The writer-in-residence program is made possible through the support of Naomi Tucker Gerwin.