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The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
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U Professor Wins Mayor’s Artist Award for Literary Arts

Jeff Metcalf, a U professor, playwright and cancer survivor, is now an award-winning author.

Metcalf was the recipient of the Mayor’s Artist Award for Literary Arts for his memoir, Requiem for the Living. In mediums from PBS to NPR, Metcalf has gained national attention for his book, which is a series of essays about his struggle with cancer and his outlook on life during that time.

Eleven years ago, Metcalf was diagnosed with cancer and was told he would have two years to live. After struggling with the disease for years, Metcalf challenged himself to write one essay a week, every week for a year.

Metcalf admitted the task was difficult. He would wake up at 4:30 AM every day for the sole purpose of writing. He began the project believing he would focus on cancer, but soon, he found his project turning into something else.

“When I got down to it, it was really a celebration of life and not a pity party about my diagnoses,” Metcalf said.

Michael McLane,a former student, said it was because of Metcalf’s dedication to teaching and helping others that McLane nominated the memoir for the Mayor’s Artist Award.

“He’s somebody who has worked tirelessly on behalf of other writers and teachers of literature for over 40 years now and hasn’t received that much credit for what he’s done,” McLane said.

In addition, McLane also nominated Metcalf for the career he has spent teaching literature, as well as for the work he has done and is currently doing.

Prior to the publication of his memoir, Metcalf wrote a one-man play, entitled “A Slight Discomfort”, that he described as a “comedy about cancer.” The play has been performed in theaters and at medical conferences for seven years. In addition, Metcalf has plans for future publications and said Requiem for the Living is only the beginning.

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