Professor Emerita of Literature at SUNY, Purchase College, Bell Gale Chevigny has been a member of the PEN Prison Writing Committee since 1993 (Chair from 2002-2005). She also serves on the board of Prison Legal News as well as the Advisory Boards of PEN, Prison Creative Arts Project, and Resist. With Open Society Institute support, she edited Doing Time: 25 Years of Prison Writing, A PEN American Center Prize Anthology (Arcade, 1999). She initiated the PWP's Advocacy Committee. Chevigny has taught writing workshops in prisons and among ex-prisoners. She has lectured widely and written frequently about writers in prison. Fifteen writers in Doing Time have joined her for shared readings all over the United States. Among her publications are three other books, some short fiction, and many articles on social issues and artists.
