SAVE The JKS

The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics is, to put it simply, a national treasure.  Judged by any objective standard of excellence for this kind of program, it continues to succeed brilliantly.  It brings in a rich assortment of many of the most influential and interesting writers at work today from throughout the United States and, often, the world.  (Many of these distinguished writers boast of their association with Naropa long after the fact.)  It draws talented, motivated and fully engaged students from all corners of the country; many of these students have gone on to become accomplished authors in their own right, with the list of alumni publications and achievements ever growing.

As an alumnus of this program, I am appalled that anyone, and certainly anyone considered employable by Naropa University, could be so shortsighted as to do anything that would endanger the very things about the department which make it unique and vital.  But that is exactly what seems to be happening.  It is shocking to me as an alumnus to hear of mass firings, of an atmosphere of secrecy created and cultivated by the administration, of a general sense of fear among those whose jobs, for the moment, remain.  This is not the Naropa that I know and love.  I believe it is incumbent on all of us who love this university and what it stands for to demand transparency, openness and accountability, as well as a return to the core values upon which Naropa was founded and which have made it a unique and cherished institution.

One of the things that I have always respected about the Naropa community is the deep belief that one’s actions, core values and ideals ought to be in accord.  The ends, in other words, never justify the means.  Many people will say that, of course, but within the Naropa community it has always seemed to me that there were a great many people who really tried to live their lives according to that belief.  One of the most disappointing things to me about the current situation at Naropa is that the institution seems to have lost sight of this essential value.  Long-time employees are fired en-masse and with no notice.  Decisions are made with no transparency and little if any meaningful input from the university community.  No consensus is sought, and legitimate concerns seem willfully ignored.  Denials, rumors, secrecy and anxiety prevail.  This, it seems to me, is completely contrary to the values upon which this university was founded, and it is completely contrary to the way the university has been run for as long as I have been a part of this community.  I am distressed and saddened to witness this; and I urge everyone to join me in insisting to President Lord that he stop this potentially disastrous course and do the right thing for this beloved place of learning.


Mark DuCharme
MFA, 1992
Boulder, Colorado