Syd Zolf

Syd Zolf is an Artist in Residence at the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing (CPCW) and Affiliated Faculty in the Department of Fine Arts and Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies (GSWS) at the University of Pennsylvania's Stuart Weitzman School of Design. They hold an MFA from The New School, where they pioneered the first collaborative MFA in Creative Writing, and a PhD in Philosophy, Art and Social Thought from the European Graduate School.

Zolf's interdisciplinary research spans:

• Experimental poetry and poetics
• Feminist and queer theory
• Social justice through artistic practice
• Video art and multimedia creation
• Community-engaged writing methodologies

They have received significant recognition including:

• Pew Fellowship (2018)
• Trillium Book Award (2008)
• Multiple Lambda Literary Award nominations
• Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism finalist distinction

Zolf has secured over thirty grants from organizations including The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation, Leeway Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Their community work includes organizing writing projects with trans youth and incarcerated populations.