Since 2006, the Riggio Honors Program has been a vital part of the School of Writing at The New School, benefitting over 2000 students, and funding over 150. Reviving The New School's American Vanguard publishing imprint, we've undertaken—students and faculty—this Digital Documentary of the Riggio program. We've gathered creative work from faculty and students, highlighted programming, explored the history of The 12th Street Journal, and offered reflections on the Riggio experience.

“Mourning Poem for the Queen of Sunday” by Robert Hayden is a narrative poem about a gospel singer that takes her own life. Hayden does not use straightforward language to communicate the narrative, yet the reader understands what has happened and can personally feel grief. We mourn the loss of the singer. It is as if she were someone that the reader was close to. The emotive quality of this poem showcases Hayden’s gift as a writer. The poem was first published in the 1949 poetry issue of 12th Street. Robert Hayden... Read The Rest →

A Fresh Clean Slate 1: Ashawnta Jackson There have always been stories to tell about New York. There is a sense of romanticism about the city. It lives in popular imagination as a neon-lit playground, a place moved by words, images, and sounds. People come here to be lost or found. This image keeps them constantly flowing, moving in and out of the place that builds and crushes dreams. It is a powerful poetic vision when considered within the context of the 40s and early 50s. New York, surrounded by... Read The Rest →