FROM THE CHAIRMAN

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Because a great nation deserves great art, the NEA is committed to supporting the arts in communities -- large and small, urban and rural, including military bases -- throughout the country.

Through Literature's Creative Writing Fellowships, the Arts Endowment makes a direct investment in American creativity. The goal of the program is to encourage the production of new literary work and allow writers the time and means to write.

To accomplish this goal more effectively, in FY 2008 the Arts Endowment will increase the amount of each Creative Writing Fellowship to $25,000. By supporting writers at critical stages of their careers, the National Endowment for the Arts ensures that American readers have access to a diversity of voices who will define the contours of the American experience during the 21st century.

Through its commitment to outstanding programs such as Literature Fellowships, the Arts Endowment continues its legacy of supporting excellence in the arts for all Americans.

Dana Gioia
Chairman

National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506