Pryvit, Mr. Lictman!

Every two years, the Gilman community welcomes a new Tickner Fellow. Over the past few months, the English department has worked extensively to find Gilman’s newest writer-in-residence. After much discussion, Mr. Johannes Litchman was selected to join the faculty for the next two years.

The Stockholm-born novelist comes to us after having spent this past spring teaching creative writing for an MFA program at the University of Missouri and several years writing widely acclaimed novels all over the world. A student in Sweden, a novelist in Ukraine, and a researcher in Belgium, Mr. Lichtman told The News that a strong sense of place has provided him with some of his strongest material.

Like many teachers at Gilman, Mr. Litchman is not interested in solely his subject. He commented, “I really like being around people who are interested…in other people, themselves, and, generally, what it means to be a good person in communion with the world.” A writer praised for his sharp wit, when asked about Artificial Intelligence, he simply said, “If no one could be bothered to write it, I can’t be bothered to read it.” His sense of humor has helped Mr. Litchman handle more than chatbots in his life and has informed both his writing and his life perspective.

Those who take his class should know that Mr. Litchman is always game for meaningful debate and is confident he would win a bare-knuckle boxing match against any Canadian goose on God’s green earth. Join the news in welcoming Mr. Lichtman to campus this fall!