Fwd: fyi.. negotiations with University about creating a supported Writer in Residence Position, and discussions with Lucy Hawking, a year after the lunch in question.
Hi all.. have been talking to Lucy Hawking about plans for her coming here next year to be an Origins Writer in Residence. As you know, she has already authored several children's books on the history of the universe, and has some other interesting works in the process. I expect Lucy will visit sometime in mid June after I return.. she is interested in talking to people about several things:
what she might be expected to do.. teach a possible course, or give some lectures? etc.. Lucy should probably interface with students in some way.. and also maybe faculty etc...
Her 13 year old son is mildly autistic and she will need advice on a school that he could enroll in.
how long she would spend here.. a term or a year?
I have cc'd Lee on this, but I assume we should also involve the director of our creative writing program..
I also just heard that Kip Thorne of Caltech (a close associate of Stephen H's, and a friend) is now engaged in full time writing of a screenplay which Steven Spielberg is turning into a movie.. I am hoping we could coordinate something with perhaps both of them, and Lucy, and maybe Stephen too in the spring of next year..
LMK
Lawrence M. Krauss
There is a school in Scottsdale which specializes in high-functioning autistic kids and kids with other challenges. From what I can tell, the school has an excellent reputation and its advisory board is very impressive. Ms. Hawking may want to look into it.
Penelope Adams Moon
Associate Professor of History
Bethel College
Hi Lawrence!
Just a friendly word of support for your week - I hope everything is going okay for you in your various different endeavours.
I am back in Cambridge and sorting out more details re Arizona. It looks sure that William has a school place and I have found a house in N Scottsdale which would make it easy for him to get to school and for me to hop on the 101 and head down to Tempe. When you're free of other pressing concerns, I'd love to talk to you to finalise details between us and, if appropriate, get moving on the visas. I was wondering if you could stretch to $25-$30,000? Does that sound too grasping on my part?
With very much love, Lucy xx
Dear Lawrence,
Thank you so much for this exciting opportunity! I am extremely grateful to you and to ASU. I was very impressed by ASU on my recent visit and look forward greatly to taking part in the life of the university. This is a wonderful chance for me and I thank you all for this offer, which I am delighted to accept.
Very warmest wishes,
Lucy
Dear Lucy:
I am pleased that we can offer you appointment for 2010-2011 as the Inaugural Origins Writer in Residence. We will be able to offer you a stipend in the range of $25-30K, and I am hoping we can get close to that upper figure. Our curriculum and outreach Coordinator Penelope Moon and our admin coordinator Cynthia Schulze will work with the Deans office on arranging your visa and other issues. Please feel free to contact them to follow up on this. I will let you know the exact stipend figure when I get it.
We are all looking forward to your visit to Campus!
Lawrence Krauss
RE claim of propositioning Lucy Hawking at an interview for a job. Just to reiterate lunch where I joked with Lucy was in NYC at World Science Festival in late May of 2009, between three friends who were all participating in the festival. Pen Moon, who reported on this conversation incorrectly saying she thought it was in the UK) actually did not begin at ASU until a year later, in June of 2010. Penn herself was interviewed and offered a job at at ASU in early april of 2010.. still almost a year after the conversation in question. It was Pen who raised the idea of having Lucy as a writer in residence, and I approached Lucy about it in April and raised the possibility that the university might provide support for her and what the nature of such a job might be in April of 2010. Thus there is no possibility that any discussions a year earlier, in June 2009 would have involved a job offer, nor would it have been in any case, since this was a lunch between friends having nothing to do with ASU.
FYI..
Lawrence M. Krauss
Director, The Origins Project at ASU
Co-Director, Cosmology Initiative
Foundation Professor
School of Earth & Space Exploration and Physics Department Arizona State University,