Drama alumnus Michael Schwartz (’97) recently received a $6,000 grant from the Brooklyn Historical Society to take part in their Interpreting Brooklyn Project. The ten artists participating in the project are producing works that reinterpret the society’s collections, to be presented in an exhibition and a series of readings, performances, and other events.

Schwartz is one of three writers selected from more than 300 applicants. “Wow, what a strange and wonderful feeling it is to actually receive a grant,” he says. “Waiting to hear is always painful, and I’m used to the inevitable door of disappointment slamming in my face!” Schwartz submitted a proposal letter and a number of writing samples to support his application. Among them was “What Happens,” a poem about the creeping gentrification of Coney Island and the struggles of a man who grew up there. He also included “Hey Jerry!,” a short story set in the 1970s about two thirteen-year-old boys riding the Cyclone roller-coaster, as well as the opening monologue of his play Coney Island Last Stop, delivered by an amusement park barker.

Over the next six months, Schwartz and the other artists will be creating works intended to open up the Brooklyn Historical Society to a wider audience interested in hearing new artistic voices with a fresh perspective on this legendary borough. Schwartz’s writing will also be published in a journal as part of the project.

“Each artist will attend workshops with the society staff, and we will be immersed in their collections,” Schwartz explains. “We will get to work with the archived materials that the public doesn’t get to see, and we can work alone or in collaboration with the other artists. [The society has] several collections, which include Coney Island, the Brooklyn Dodgers, slavery and abolitionism, early Brooklyn, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, literary Brooklyn, a unique collection of 18th- and 19th-century portraits, and the 1881 George Post landmark building. I’m really looking forward to meeting the other artists and the staff and getting started on the work!”

Visit the Brooklyn Historical Society for more information on the Interpreting Brooklyn Project.